Could you effectively do your job without a computer?

[Godhumor]

Been thinking, if the lights go off, what skills and jobs suddenly become impossible or unnecessary.

I am an analyst who works with thousands of data points each day. Without a computer, there is no way I could effectively do my job.

I guess to narrow this even more, I would be very hard-pressed to do my job without Excel specifically.

[Marrah_G]

1. No

Everything I do is via computer.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. no, but started working in the 80s using pencil and graph paper

The lotus123 came along

[petronius]

3. Half of it, yes. I'd miss powerpoint and digital imagery/video in the classroom and

I'd need to take a training session in chalk-board drawing, but most of my teaching could be done effectively. The GIS course would be cancelled, of course.

The research part of my job would be near-impossible, however. I have a great admiration for my academic forebears who performed complicated analyses on large datasets with pencils and calculators, but I have no wish to emulate them...

[DisgustipatedinCA]

4. No. I work on networks

Without computers, there wouldn't be a need for networks.

[DesertFlower]

5. don't have a job, but my computer is my

link to the outside world. i have so much information stored in my bookmarks.

[a la izquierda]

6. Yes

I'm an historian. People have been doing my job for millennia without computers.

[Buzz Clik]

7. You find another spreadsheet/graphics program/stats program whatever.

Without your comp, you'd be back at it with graph paper, long calculations, and very limited data sets.

In answer to your question: I do not use paper unless mandated to do so. 100% electronic.

[femmocrat]

8. Absolutely.

In fact, the computer is a huge time-waster for me. I spent 2 1/2 hours on Friday trying to register, log in, get two different confirmations, and then try to enter something on Google Docs. This is now required for work. When the hell am I supposed to find time to read and write stuff for Google Docs? I am also supposed to maintain a website which no one reads. Some school administrators have waaaay too much time on their hands and no idea of how I spend my time during the school day.

[Skittles]

9. my job, no

but in real life I would get along just FINE

[RKP5637]

10. IT + R&D ... nope, lol. n/t

[Fumesucker]

11. Jobs are so twentieth century

I have a lot of skills that I can use without a computer, it's the making money part that's hard.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Software is tough without computers.

[Xipe Totec]

13. I program computers for a living. That's what I've done for 35 years.

So, no.

[Pelican]

14. Current incarnation of my job? No...

However in the post apocalyptic world combat veterans should be in high demand. I'm good...

[MichiganVote]

15. No.

[SteveG]

16. I do computer support

I'd be toast.
but in a previous life I was a carpenter, and while it would take me a bit to regain those skills, I have no doubt I could.

[TexasTowelie]

17. Currently unemployed, but no way on my last job.

I was a stat analyst for an insurance company and did nearly all of my work in Microsoft Access. I would Excel only when dealing with less sophisticated computer users.

The times when the computer network was down I would clean my cubicle and catch up on the filing.

[BainsBane]

18. It would take much longer, but yes I could.

[cynatnite]

19. Without electricity, we would lose our units if we're not able to keep them refrigerated...

We would be struggling to protect the frozen plasma and refrigerated blood. The back-up generator would have to be failing as well.

It would take an extreme set of circumstances for us to be in that position.

If computers went down, which has happened, we could do our jobs in a limited capacity.

[KentuckyWoman]

20. Yes but it would take more humans and paper.

And I would not mind no power long term. Those who live in hotter geography would suffer but I'd be fine until I needed life saving help someday and electric no longer exists.

[Neoma]

21. Well, the money makers of my family are both computer programmers.

I don't know what they'd do without computers...

[dembotoz]

22. sorta but not really--i sell broadband

I don't need a computer to sell
but without a computer broadband is sorta silly

[tabbycat31]

23. part of it

But it would be very difficult if not impossible given the state of the industry and the software that we've all been accustomed to. And it is easier to keep track of things on Google docs and excel than it is with a pen and paper.

However, my industry does not provide computers. You are expected to use your personal laptop.

[Nikia]

24. Yes, just a little differently

I'm a quality supervisor and a supplement company. A number of tasks are computerized, but a lot of it is not or could be done through paper if we did not have computers.

[Agnosticsherbet]

25. If the lights go out, any job not involved in growing food or making shelter.

It's back to the preindustrial age when most people were involved in agriculture.

[Logical]

26. Software Developer (snob term for Computer Programmer), so no. n-t

[MrSlayer]

27. Yes. I do construction.

Power tools are a convenience but I could do my job without electricity like they did in the old days if necessary.

[rrneck]

28. Yes. In fact, I'd probably get more done. nt

[MadrasT]

29. Sure

I am a project manager and an aerospace auditor

Part of my job is basically just herding cats and I track things with post it notes now anyway

The other part is watching what people do and deciding if it is in compliance or not

Do not need computers

[prole_for_peace]

30. No way.

I'm a tax accountant and my computer does a good amount of the work for me. I could never memorize the whole tax code.

[Warpy]

31. I was a nurse. We could do our jobs when the system crashed

but had to stay late once it was back up in order to enter all our data. It sucked.

Pre computer nursing was easier. While there was more scribbling, it took a lot less time since there was less redundancy.

[hrmjustin]

32. Yes!

[pipoman]

33. Yep...not as effectively but could and has been done without for millennia

Cooking for several hundred people a day happened before a lot of things..

[Shrike47]

34. Yes, I'm a lawyer. We didn't use computers when I started.

Of course, I'm basically a trial lawyer. Talk, talk, talk.

[Downwinder]

41. Is your research mostly on line or CD?

[Starry Messenger]

35. Yes.

I wouldn't like it but I could. I teach ceramics.

[NYFlip]

36. I teach ice skating

I don't need computers but without electricity there would be no ice

[Downwinder]

39. Or light.

[Lucky Luciano]

37. Not a chance. I use computers to do some heavy numerical analysis.

A lit of C++ and C# excel add-ins that are used to solve a bunch of PDEs to price a lot of different financial instruments. That is just the beginning too. So, no way.

We do have disaster recovery sites outside of NYC just in case an electro magnetic pulse ever shut down all electronics in ZnYC...just in case. Mainly the DR site helps if there is something worse than Sandy coming our way.

[riderinthestorm]

38. Yes. Horse training biz with an organic veggie operation as well.

I actually started my biz with all paper record keeping, and tax filing. If I had to, 20 years later, I could revert to manual processing but what I actually do would not be hindered at all by the lack of a computer.

Our business credibility and reputation are earned daily/weekly/monthly/annually by sheer performance out in the field where we compete and that has little to do with an online rep.

[Arugula Latte]

40. Absolutely not. No how, no way.

[olddots]

42. yes

yes yes

[hollysmom]

43. ha no never

I was in the computer business - oh no, I would have needed a new career.

[ohheckyeah]

44. No. I work from home

writing online.

[bhikkhu]

45. As an auto mechanic, no

doing wheel alignments, I haven't ever even seen it done in 25 years without a sensor set-up, which reads out on a console. Years ago I remember seeing some manual camber gauges, but I've never seen the tools used for marking and measuring toe. Without a computer, a 20 minute job would take over an hour (once tools were acquired), and the outcome would be questionable.

The other part of the job is I do most of the invoicing, receiving, reconciling bank statements and balancing accounts on the computer. It takes a few minutes a day, and then maybe an hour at the end of each month for reconciling. Without the computer it would be a full time job, and definitely not one I would want to do.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. Yes, but it would be in libraries, talking to people, wait

We do that pretty much.



What would be next to impossible (at least in the beginning) would be the photo side

[Posteritatis]

47. I'm a DB admin, so it would make work somewhat challenging. (nt)

[Katashi_itto]

48. Accountant for the Govt. The system I use has 1.75 terrabytes of ram. No I could not

not with all the data out there.

[Egalitarian Thug]

49. Yes, but it would take more time. n/t

[MAD Dave]

50. Yes but much slower....

.....Interestingly, I've actually did the testing I currently do in University without a PC. BTW I'm an analytical chemist.

[applegrove]

51. I'm a health care aide. I need the internet

to coordinate with my sister and suss out products that will help me with my patients (mom & dad). I certainly don't use the computer every day but would be lost without it.

[LAGC]

52. Yes, but it would take quite a bit more time.

Night auditor for a small hotel.

Using the bucket to check which rooms are empty for any given day is easy enough, but planning things out for events or busy periods in a given week down the road is much more problematic. The PMS (Property Management System) software makes sure we don't over-book any given room-type.

And calculating all the daily numbers for the nightly audit report? With electricity: just a few clicks of a button and maybe 10 minutes. Without electricity: plan on it taking all night, the entire 8-hour shift.

We've had to wing it during prolonged power outages before, but its not fun.

[No Vested Interest]

53. Librarian (retired)

Not in today's world.

The card catalogs are gone. It would be difficult to get access to appropriate books and materials.
Much of today's info is not in books.

I was more of an info specialist/reference librarian than into literature.

Haven't read a book cover to cover in years because nearly all my info comes through computers or the daily newspaper I still subscribe to.

[mucifer]

54. Sort of, as a hospice nurse, 8 years ago we had no computers. But,

we go to about 5 different homes a day. It took a lot of less time using paper. But, we as professionals couldn't share info as well because the written charts were kept in the office with some information in the patient's home. We tried to do all the communication regarding changes in pt conditions on voice mail. Now we have laptops, so although we still use voice mail and call each other,it's much easier and it's safer for the patient.

[kentauros]

55. I could go back to hand/manual drafting.

But I wouldn't get nearly as much work done.

Plus, I don't want to do drafting to the end of my days. I'd rather write fiction. While I can certainly write by hand, it's slower and far more cramping of my muscles than typing it (on a keyboard, not a typewriter.) I also don't want to go through the hassle (and less lucrative) route of the legacy publishers, and instead go direct to the reader through ebooks. Can't really do it that way without computers/electricity.

Then again, I'm not the least bit worried about any of these worst possible scenarios ever taking place

[CottonBear]

56. Yes.

I am a gardener at a botanical garden. I'm also a part-time cafe server & barista.

Growing plants and making/serving food and drinks are pretty basic.

[Violet_Crumble]

57. I look after a website. It might get a bit difficult...

I guess I could draw the things I want and wait patiently for the reinvention of computers so I can bring them to reality...

[ejpoeta]

58. i am a stay at home mom... i could do that without a computer, but i don't want to. lol.

it keeps me semi sane. my husband definitely couldn't do his job without a computer. he fixes printers for a company and he works out of the house. has to file all his stuff virtually. he updates software, replaces parts.... though, he could get a job fixing almost anything if he had to. but he likes his job now.

[JustAnotherGen]

59. Not effectively

[Laelth]

60. No way.

In fact, I laugh when I think of survivalists packing up supplies in anticipation of the collapse of our society. They're fooling themselves. Our society is very, very dependent on electricity now (and computers too).

-Laelth

[Tien1985]

61. Not at all

I sequence DNA and use all sorts of machines (hooked into computers) to put the information into something a human eye can understand.

[Travis_0004]

62. I work as an accountant

Accountants worked without computers for thousands of years, so it is possible, but I really have no experience doing in manually, with the exception of a few easy books in college classes. On a large scale, it would be very difficult, but at least still possible (and still very necessary, so I guess I would have to make due)

[randome]

63. I have top notch organizational skills.

I'm a programmer but without computers I would find other ways to stay organized and process information.

We all would.

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[Tracer]

64. No. Not anymore.

I'm a Graphic Designer doing 100% of my work on the computer. Every time the power goes out (I work at home) I'm screwed. Helpless and temporarily out of business. Once, during a several day power outage, I had to pack up the computer and drive to my son's house to work there -- just so I could do business.

It's not even possible to go back to the "old way" of doing design (physical paste-up) because the support businesses have mostly disappeared -- type houses, stat cameras, dedicated messengers etc.

[hobbit709]

65. My job is fixing computers.