The relevant XKCD: http://xkcd.com/793/
90% of what people do in a job is mundane, simple stuff an interested hobbyist could figure out to do. That last 10% is what people get paid for.
90% of what people do in a job is mundane, simple stuff an interested hobbyist could figure out to do. That last 10% is what people get paid for.
Then again, their computers are locked down pretty tight, and I guess if you write an app that does your job, you're basically proving to management that they don't necessarily need you.
You really shouldn't let them know how easy you can make your job.
It's quite easy to look busy in front of a computer. Even when you are spacing out.
This varies depending on where you work. I know at least one investment bank has an explicit policy that if you make your job redundant, it can only benefit you [1]. Also, if you don't have an explicit replacement plan (i.e., a list of people who can do your job), it counts against you at your yearly review.
[1] I know of one case where someone (call them Q) made their own job redundant in 2008 (a time of many layoffs). The bank fired someone else (call them Z) and gave their job to Q (with a tiny pay boost, in a time when most people took big pay cuts).