How can technology better control the boundaries between work and life? The transition between work and life has become seamless because of ubiquitous computing, since employers offer workplaces with access to daily needs, and because of so-called “knotworking,” collaborative work with minimal formal organizational structure. If a specific physical place can be used for either work or life, what is a dwelling?

While some technologies are used more for work and some more for the home, the technologies themselves do not have boundaries. This seamlessness needs to be controlled, and this paper considers ways technology can provide boundaries between work and life. Boundaries are needed (1) to reduce the complexity of information presented, (2) to standardize shared technologies, (3) to let groups define themselves, and (4) to support privacy.

A case study dealing with control of parental leave in a Danish municipality illustrates these ideas. The leave agreement arises from parents’ work but impacts their lives. A prototype planning tool based on a timeline shared by stakeholders displays the negotiated plan and the boundaries. Parents set up a plan only once and need reduced complexity. Legislation insists on standardized procedures. The tool recognizes separate groups. The framework sets limits on sharing and thus sanctions privacy. It must be recognized that boundaries are not static and in fact are resources.

This paper is worthwhile because it deals insightfully with a significant issue. The author’s theoretical discussion about boundaries lost me, and the writing is sometimes difficult to understand, but the overall message is important.