Monday, June 25, 2007
No more inventing in the garden shed?
The Guardian has a rather sad story today, an interview with Mark Sheahan, the British Library's first inventor in residence. Sheahan says: "I like to think inventors have moved on from the garden shed. To a degree, we've moved out of the shed and we're now in the office. I'm not sure we like the office, but we're doing it because we have to adapt." At a time when increasing numbers of people are in fact RETURNING to the garden shed and garden offices to work, it seems a shame that he doesn't back the shedworking ethic. You can read the rest of the sorry article here.
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I have nothing against sheds, or the shed working ethic etc.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I said ‘’I like to think inventors have moved on from the garden shed’’ was because the media invariably portray all inventors as nutty professors, working in their garden sheds. They try to find the most eccentric, stereotype (in their minds) inventors as a mechanism to ridicule them and entertain their audience. This non-constructive negativity annoys the hell out of me, as we should nurture and support our inventors. It could be a left brain thing, jealousy or a deflect tactic for non achievers. Whatever the reason, we need, in my opinion, to change the mind set of journalists, so that we are accurately portrayed and perceived correctly by the general public. That is why I said what I said.
I hope you can understand my reasoning.
Mark Sheahan
Inventor in Residence for the British Library