Do We Need Paper?
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I've been a computer guy most of my life, trying to find ways to get rid of paper and do lots of work, writing, note taking, reading, and more on a computer. And over time I've come to the conclusion that I like paper in some places. I prefer books on paper though I get lots of news and like to scan stories on the web. Of course, my Sunday morning paper is a ritual that I still enjoy.
And I've come to the conclusion that paper is still needed in some processes. I've seen many uses of PDAs and computers that I thought were good uses and they improved the process. But not every place or system necessarily is a good one.
I read this Peter Coffee column on Learning from Paper Based Systems and I thought it was really interesting. It showed how a particular system was built for the Boy Scouts to move their registration and tracking system online. A worthwhile endeavor and one I actually considered for our Cub Scout troup a few years back.
However as I dug into the system, and as the scout leaders discovered, it doesn't always make sense to move everything to an electronic form. Access limitations, backups, unanticipated events, etc. all occur to some extent. And sometimes paper is the best way to deal with these items.
And it's something we should all consider as we build systems and look for way to use technology to improve processes. Really examine the pros and cons of moving any type of analog or manual system to an electronic one and consider the very real issues that your clients will encounter. You can build some fault tolerance and backups into your system, but be sure that in doing so that you are really improving the process.
Sometimes the best use of technology is not to use it at all.
Steve Jones
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Interesting reading, thanks. You make some valid points.
The 'paperless office' has been thrown around for about 20 - 30 years. In my opinion, the MAJOR issue has nothing to do with technology, but rather to do with humans. We are 'hardware driven'. As such, we require a static, hands on, tactile, hardcopy. I know tons of people who print their Email, read it, then file it. They cannot handle the though of doing all that virtually. I am sure the would break out in a cold sweat if someone took away their number 2 pencil.
Have you tried to read a book using Microsoft Reader or some such? I am all for eliminating paper wherever we can, but I want a bound, real, hardware issue of a book. Harry Potter doesn't work for me online. I am sure it is some deep-rooted, Neanderthal hunter gene that requires me to actually see the antelope before I kill it. Even the gatherers out there want to squeeze the fruit before they pick it.
Shalom!,Michael Lee
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The paperless office will be here around the same time that the paperless bathroom arrives.
There is no "i" in team, but idiot has two. -
Can't wait to see that day
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I think having dual monitors would help. I know I am always printing something that I need to reference in another program. Either notepad or copy/paste won't do what I need done.
I've read books on Microsoft reader and MobiBook among others. It isn't bad, but you can't just rest the PDA on your stomach while reading in bed, it requires too much manipulation.
We scan a lot of paper that comes into this office to save space. So now one person will print and read and throw away and the next person will then print and read and throw away. Makes me wonder if the savings in storage is more than the cost of toner these days.
Michelle -
I'm with you on this one Michael...though I personally don't have any hunter genes in me (deep-rooted or otherwise) I still place a lot of importance on the "tactile" - but there are people who don't seem to care whether they see the antelope or not...what about all the e-shoppers who shop for clothes, furniture etc. without giving a second thought to the traditional "trying it on for size"...and don't forget the mail-order brides people ?!?!
As many people that you know who print out their emails (do you REALLY?!?!) - there seem to be an equal (if not more) # of people who conduct everything online..from shopping to paying bills to storing photo albums et al...
Re: - Harry Potter online - WHAT A HORRID THOUGHT - when even books on tape suck (imo)!!!
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
I know...we'll get the paperless office about the same time we all get our flying cars we were promised way back when. Personally, I think IT workers (at least those around here) are among the worst consumers of paper when we should be setting an example for the user communities.
I myself am at fault, although the biggest problem I have is with upgrade documents from our vendors which can be complicated and voluminous. During testing, I like to make notes on these so when I see the same issues or errors moving to production I know how to deal with them. Since all of the vendor documents are Acrobat PDF's and we only have Acrobat reader, I can't annotate on-line documents with my notes. If anyone has a good system for dealing with this using soft copies, I'd love to hear it.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
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Ooooh, wait. Looks like no one told Dave about the three sea shells.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
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Yes, I do, our church secretary, for one. She prints the Email, files it in the file cabinet, then deletes Email. The pastor has no clue anybody has sent him anything. We have been working with her for over a year trying to get her to understand 'that computer thing'.
Back in the Dark Ages, I took about 15,000,000 slides of my son, vacations, pets, etc. We had to drag out the slide projector, set up the screen, and sort through what we wanted to bore our friends with. When I reach on the shelf to grab a photo album of my folks or grand parents, I reflect on how easy it is to view the pictures. With today's technology and a ton of money, you can do a digital slide show on your TV. It is still a pain in the tush, plus it costs a lot of money. I am not lamenting the 'good old days', but rather making a point that newer technology does not necessarily translate into easier use.
Shalom!,Michael Lee
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NOT to introduce a note of sobriety to this...but it appears that no one has told Dave about 3rd world countries either...I once read a book by Paul Theroux (NOT online) - where he said they're not referred to as the "turd" (re:indian accent) world country for nothing...
Dave - only wanted to point out that paperless bathrooms exist so paperless offices are no longer an unattainable dream!!!
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
Looks like I'm not the only guy who saw and remembers that film
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Glad my obscure reference wasn't completely wasted. Now can we all have a drink and celebrate at Taco Bell?
Quato rules! ...oh wait, wrong movie.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
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Taco Bell - isn't that where they serve carne de chihuahua..
you & remi celebrate! i'll just have my banana-broccoli shake!
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
I've actually never been there... maybe when I stopped in the USA.
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No...you're thinking of the Underground where they served carne de raton y cervesas. Can't believe I remember that much of any Stallone movie.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
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