About the name of the blog

Do we need forks? is a name that reflects my philosophy about technology - the first question we should ask is "Do I NEED this?" Will it make my life and meaningful occupations easier, or better in some way?
As a student (first time around), I remember reading a scene from a play set in the 1600s, where French nobles were wondering what to do with a fork. The social context meant that forks were unnecessary. In that time, people would bring a knife, use a spoon for liquids, and hands for everything else. In a different social context where people are concerned about hygiene, a fork seems relevant. Or you could just wash your hands really well before each meal.
This philosophy about technology relates well to frameworks of occupational therapy. We look at the person - do they really need this technology? - the occupation - how meaningful is this occupation and do they need technology to make it easier to participate in? - and the environment, which includes social factors - is this technology going to fit with their environment?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Affordances - connection/action properties

Often when I bake, people ask for the recipe.  This kicks off a train of events and a bit of effort is then required from me...

The options are
i) find my recipe book, bring it to Tech, photocopy the relevant pages, which always leads to me thinking "Ooo they'll also like this one", then give or mail the hard copy to my friend
OR
ii) I type up the recipe up with amendments if the original doesn't quite work without tweaking.  Then I need to print it off, give or mail the hard copy, or email it
OR
iii) I scan the original and email the picture


So, earlier this year I started a blog with my recipes on it, with the intention of adding to it each time someone asks me for a recipe.
That way, they are responsible for the printing and also have the option to just have their laptop sitting open while they bake, which is what I often do when trying a new recipe.
Now I just need to memorise the blog address!

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