May as well let the machines take over......

It is a funny thing, technology is both my saviour in the workplace and my executioner. I am a socially awkward person in certain circumstances, and I do attach the label of odd to myself as many others have done so in the past, I don't mind because I accept it to be true. I am truly always the one who can be seen shuffling around in the background, desperately not trying to meet the gaze of strangers and fluffing 'hellos' to people I barely know.

Years ago, when you were in work, the people you worked with were the people you interacted with during your working day. These days not so much as I have always found in the past I tend to not have an awful lot in common with the people I work with, whereas online via sites such as Facebook and Twitter I interact with (Work permitting) my friends and with various other people I have a lot more in common with). The end result is I'm finding myself making less effort with work colleagues, now on the whole and going by past experiences this is no huge loss.

However it has got me thinking what the end result of this will be, could we end up THX1138 style drones just doing our work and not bothering to engage with the person sitting next to us.................but it doesn't matter anyway as they are doing exactly the same thing, so at least nobody is getting offended.

There is a serious side to this some companies take a dim view and have blocked social networking sites within their systems......granted there are sometimes practical reasons for this but the benefits of these sites are being explored as well.....however I'm digressing from my point. Will this see the end of the cliche 'Water Cooler Moments' in work......also what will this mean for office romances....will they all become virtual? Well at least that means the guy with body odour problems who runs the post room might actually be in with a chance.....

What about office parties and work nights out, will the retreat into virtuality see the end of those horrendous experiences? So you see it's not all bad.......

Anyway I've just fallen off my chair the person sitting across from me has just asked me 'Do I like Glee'? - It's an outreach moment and no mistake.....