| Linux and the Knowledge Worker |
by Aaron Peters
"Knowledge worker" Aaron Peters planned to test Office suites for compatibility and migration to the LinuxOS. Things did not go as planned. Offering his personal assessment based on what he calls the "Microsoft Un-productivity Index (MUI)" -- or, "the amount of my time the company's software wastes as a percentage." Peters walks us through a long day at the office . . .
This article is intended to hopefully give insight into the state of desktop Linux as it pertains to the business market. One of the oft-stated goals of Linux developers is adoption by businesses for both server and desktop for technical and non-technical staff alike. I took it upon myself to use Linux daily for my job (most staff uses Windows 98 or XP) for a variety of reasons. In this (and future) article(s) I would like to share my experiences using Linux in an otherwise homogeneous Microsoft environment.
My switch from a 100% Microsoft-based job to nearly 0 Gates-time was supposed to be a carefully executed affair. I have used Linux in one form or another for about three years, although I am very much still a newbie. This is mostly a result of having owned underpowered hardware and having strictly MS work environments.
My current job is research and consulting, and consists entirely of performing research on the Internet and creating office documents from the results (I guess I would be considered a so-called "knowledge worker"). So I had planned to meticulously test OpenOffice and StarOffice (then at version 5.2) for compatibility, and once it was reasonably established I would migrate mail and other data to Linux equivalents. That was before The Day.
The Day started out much like other Fridays, that being trying to get everything done by late afternoon in order to allow an early retirement to the weekend. On this particular Friday we had a rather large report (100+ pages) due to a client by lunchtime, and as project manager I was responsible for merging my section with three other sections from two other colleagues into the final version. Naturally, as we all used different styles and structure, this was a rather large task, so I decided to go to the conference room and sit down with each in turn in order to clarify details. The pandemonium that ensued was, in chronological order, as follows:- I finish writing an additional 6 pages, finishing my section. No major issues here aside from the typical formatting glitches (why are graphics not inserted at the cursor, but instead in the margin of the preceding page?). Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes (Microsoft Un-productivity Index (MUI)- or the amount of my time the company's software wastes as a percentage of total time- now stands at 0%, although this is giving it the benefit of the doubt).
- I move to the conference room, putting my laptop in standby beforehand (Windows does not like to be taken off the LAN, or have printers disconnected, while powered on apparently). Time: 48 sec.
- I attempt to resume, being greeted with only a green cursor in the upper-left corner. So I wait. . . for about 5 minutes. After giving up on any hope of a clean resume and shutting off the power button, I am greeted with ScanDisk, which in Windows 98 is interminable (I have always thought the "You did not shut down properly" accusation from Scandisk was a bit presumptuous. I'd like to say, "no, actually YOU did not shut down properly," but its a computer and wouldn't take it to heart). Time: 10 min, 27 sec (Microsoft Un-productivity Index is now at just under 11%).
- Once it is finally up and running again, I open, cut, and paste the three sections. I then have the unenviable task of reconciling some paragraphs using 12 points after a carriage return with those that use none and are double spaced manually. For 100+ pages, this turns into a lengthy affair. Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (MUI = just over 6%).
- At this point, as I attempt to save before printing (or doing anything else for that matter), Word goes Poof(TM). In this case, Poof(TM) is a function wherein the application stops and disappears giving no indication as to why (not that Error 0E48674S:798325 was ever very helpful anyway). Following the Poof(TM), I attempt to open the files again, in the hopes that I will only have to re-do 10 minutes since the last save. At this point, "Report.doc" is not recognized as a Word file. Attempting to recover the "~" temporary file is of no avail, as is the case with the .tmp file left over. I have no choice but to create a new copy from the original documents. Fortunately, the other members of the team can re-upload their documents to the server, and I can start from scratch. Time to reformat other team members sections: 1 hour (MUI = 31%).
- As I attempt to finish, I find that all the documents open at the time of the Poof(TM) have been corrupted, which includes my newly created 6 pages (see Step 1). I therefore have to write those 6 pages again, from scratch, and reformat them to match the rest of the report. Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (MUI = 52%).
Finally the document is finished at around 2:45, already nearly three hours late to go to the client. My total time is 5 hours, 45 minutes, of which nearly 3 hours was spent recovering from and/or fixing problems with Microsoft software. Needless to say, that night I backed up "My Documents" and "My Briefcase," and installed Linux on a 4GB partition.
About the author: Aaron Peters is a member of an international consulting company focusing on issues ranging from telecom and IT to biotech to policy. I use Linux for my work-related and personal computing because I value the freedom to choose what I want. . . as well as the ability to snag most of it for free.
Talk back! Are you a "knowledge worker" who has lost time? Tell us your MUI. talkback here
Copyright © 2003 by Aaron Peters. Reproduced by DesktopLinux.com with permission.
Please note: The opinions expressed in this essay are those of the writer, not of the management or staff of DesktopLinux.com.
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