The Soul of Maintaining a New Machine
The article discusses the importance of social interactions among Xerox technicians in maintaining complex photocopiers. It highlights the divergence between the technicians' actual work and Xerox's understanding of it, which led to inefficiencies. Julian Orr's research emphasizes the role of storytelling in sharing knowledge and solving problems within the technician community.
- ▪Xerox technicians faced challenges due to the complexity and variability of photocopiers.
- ▪Julian Orr's research revealed that technicians relied on social interactions and storytelling to solve problems.
- ▪The technicians' practice involved continuous improvisation and collaboration to address machine issues.
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The Soul of Maintaining a New MachineMaintenance: Of Everything by Stewart Brand - Chapter 3 - Communities of Practice|January 2026TTHEY ATE TOGETHER every chance they could. They had to. The enormous photocopiers they were responsible for maintaining were so complex, temperamental, and variable between models and upgrades that it was difficult to keep the machines functioning without frequent conversations with their peers about the ever-shifting nuances of repair and care. The core of their operational knowledge was social. That’s the subject of this chapter.It was the mid-1980s. They were the technician teams charged with servicing the Xerox machines that suddenly were providing all of America’s offices with vast quantities of photocopies and frustration.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Worksinprogress.
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