Change we Don't Like

Obama promised us change. So far I haven't seen any, really, but was amused to learn that his staff was traumatized by a technology outage and didn't really know how to communicate in person, answer the phone or take messages on paper.

I realize the world has changed, but these are things that should reasonably be expected to happen in an office. People should be familiar with emergency procedures and apparently using those cute little pink message pads are part of it. Also, using a land-line phone is important. In a real emergency, say, a hurricane hits DC, you really need to have a land-line because your wireless isn't going to happen. And people? It's nice to actually talk to them. In person.

This is a huge contrast to where I'm working. I'm being trained to have conversations in person, via telephone or by walking down to someone's office. Because anything can be responsive to a request under the Data Practices Act in my state, we err on the side of not creating documents. We all know the Bush administration had trouble with production of electronic data, and the idea here is just not to create data.