Gavin Mueller - Breaking Things at Work

Are you a Luddite? No matter whether your answer is "yes," "no," or "maybe," this episode of Computer Science Off Course is for you. We discuss the book "Breaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your Job" (2021) by Gavin Mueller. We talk about Luddism, both with a historical lens and from our current perspectives, and do not shy away from topics such as Marxism, Taylorism, and the question of whether computers can be good. Felienne brings various thought-provoking quotes and tells what she would love to break at work. Hanna, in contrast, ends up assembling T-shirts, confesses to being a hypocrite, and cites poetry for the homework.

Mentions and references:

• Mueller, G. (2021). Breaking things at work: The Luddites are right about why you hate your job. Verso Books.
• Srinivasan, A. (2018). The aptness of anger. Journal of Political Philosophy, 26(2), 123-144.
• Schwarz Cowan, R. (1983). More work for mother. The ironies of household technology from the open hearth to the microwave. Basic Books.
• Gertz, N. (2024). Nihilism and technology. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Benjamin, W., & Jennings, M. W. (2010). The work of art in the age of its technological reproducibility [first version]. Grey Room, (39), 11-37. Original by Benjamin in French from 1936.
• O'Hara, F. (1957). Why I am not a painter [Poem]. See: https://poets.org/poem/why-i-am-not-painter
• Goldberg, M. (1955). Sardines [Painting]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, United States. See: https://americanart.si.edu/blog/eye-level/2012/30/685/why-i-am-notpainter-michael-goldbergs-sardines
• Offill, J. (2014). Dept. of Speculation. Granta Books.

Links:

• Felienne’s blog post: https://www.felienne.nl/csoc-s01e08/
• Hanna’s homework: https://homework.unedited.me/posts/csoc-s01e08-homework/

Audio and music credits:

• Song: “Curiosity Rag” (1910) by James E.C. Kelly (public domain)
• Sound effects and background sounds: Public domain/CC0 sounds from Freesound.org and self-recorded page-turning sounds
• Audio editing: Hanna at Earpolish.com