People predicted the working week would decrease dramatically over the last half-century. We now seem to work much harder. People predicted a paperless office. On the contrary we use more paper than ever because we can print on it so damn fast! Who knows what the outcome of more robots will be? Judging by the last 50 years it'll mean more and harder work for all of us.
We're headed towards the "Paperless Office". The road is longer and bumpier than was first imagined, but we're getting there.
The only times I print out stuff is when it needs to be portable (like printing driving directions) and I don't want to putz with putting it on a PDA.
Or sometimes, flipping through a document is easier than viewing it on the screen. I wish I had a PDF viewer which was really, really fast. Maybe something that could pre-render pages without gobbling massive amounts of memory...
Stuff like printing out code is almost useless. How can I tell if I'm looking at the latest version?
A lot of the notes and stuff I write these days goes into documentation, or the coporate wiki. Writing something down on paper only benefits me. Putting it on the wiki can potentially benefit everyone.
We're headed towards the "Paperless Office". The road is longer and bumpier than was first imagined, but we're getting there.
I'm sure I agree with you. There's the issue of a whole generation of workers preferring to use what's familiar to them. Meanwhile, the newest generation of workers are completely familiar with computers. I print mostly nothing. My wife prints everything. I'm not younger than my wife, however, I started with computers very young.
Meanwhile, things like "Electronic Paper" are right a
Darnitall, I can't remember where I saw the article (hope it wasn't here... my memory insists it was a deadtree magazine) that pointed out that it hasn't been the office that's become paperless, but the warehouse. The days of multiple-carbon picklists and that sort of thing are fading, replaced by barcode readers and wireless. Kind of an interesting point.
Or sometimes, flipping through a document is easier than viewing it on the screen. I wish I had a PDF viewer which was really, really fast. Maybe something that could pre-render pages without gobbling massive amounts of memory...
Your past posts don't seem too pro-mac, but the next time your near to one with the next Mac OS X update, Panther [apple.com], check out the new version of Preview [apple.com]...
Sub-pixel rendering + LCDs + rendering screen makes for some good readin'...
It was said when the phrase 'paperless office' first became popular that: "We will get the paperless office when we get the paperless toilet" - meaning never.
Well now they have paperless toilets in Japan (they wash and blow dry! lol) but I am unaware of any paperless office anywhere. By fiddling with fonts and using a very good monitor I have managed to get reading of the screen to a comfortable level but paper is still the best for large amounts. My wife even asks me to print out emails for her to save her
Who can make predictions like that? (Score:4, Insightful)
The Paperless Office (Score:5, Informative)
We're headed towards the "Paperless Office". The road is longer and bumpier than was first imagined, but we're getting there.
The only times I print out stuff is when it needs to be portable (like printing driving directions) and I don't want to putz with putting it on a PDA.
Or sometimes, flipping through a document is easier than viewing it on the screen. I wish I had a PDF viewer which was really, really fast. Maybe something that could pre-render pages without gobbling massive amounts of memory...
Stuff like printing out code is almost useless. How can I tell if I'm looking at the latest version?
A lot of the notes and stuff I write these days goes into documentation, or the coporate wiki. Writing something down on paper only benefits me. Putting it on the wiki can potentially benefit everyone.
Re:The Paperless Office (Score:2)
I'm sure I agree with you. There's the issue of a whole generation of workers preferring to use what's familiar to them. Meanwhile, the newest generation of workers are completely familiar with computers. I print mostly nothing. My wife prints everything. I'm not younger than my wife, however, I started with computers very young.
Meanwhile, things like "Electronic Paper" are right a
Re:The Paperless Office (Score:3, Interesting)
Darnitall, I can't remember where I saw the article (hope it wasn't here... my memory insists it was a deadtree magazine) that pointed out that it hasn't been the office that's become paperless, but the warehouse. The days of multiple-carbon picklists and that sort of thing are fading, replaced by barcode readers and wireless. Kind of an interesting point.
Re:The Paperless Office (Score:2)
Your past posts don't seem too pro-mac, but the next time your near to one with the next Mac OS X update, Panther [apple.com], check out the new version of Preview [apple.com]...
Sub-pixel rendering + LCDs + rendering screen makes for some good readin'...
Re:The Paperless Office (Score:2)
I think the point to the paperless office was not to get rid of paper, but not use it for organizing everything.
Email's already killed off the endless memos, and stuff like Notes and TWiki are the biggest advances towards real group collaboration.
Or sometimes, flipping through a document is easier than viewing it on the screen. I wish I had a PDF viewe
The Paperless Toilet (Score:1)
"We will get the paperless office when we get the paperless toilet" - meaning never.
Well now they have paperless toilets in Japan (they wash and blow dry! lol) but I am unaware of any paperless office anywhere. By fiddling with fonts and using a very good monitor I have managed to get reading of the screen to a comfortable level but paper is still the best for large amounts. My wife even asks me to print out emails for her to save her
Re:The Paperless Office (Score:2)
At least the 'first revision of the paperless office seems to finally be fading away. I have seen it in action and is truly funny. It went like this:
This was going on even when both companies had email access.
Most of my paper use these days is scribbling down brief notes on scrap paper. Basically anything that won't be needed in another hour or so.