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In A Digital World, How Do We Let Go Of Paper?
Ms the editor of an office technology magazine, I get to see the digital revolution in action every day. We cover document management on a regular basis, we preach the virtues of digital imaging and we test products designed to make paper obsolete. By all reckoning, I should be the most technologically advanced, digitized, paper-free editor in North America.
So why does my office look like an ancient librarian with a bad memory works here? Why do I have stacks of paper, magazines, paper, books, paper, envelopes and more paper on every flat surface? Why, to put it simply, can't I let go of my paper security blanket?
It's not that I don't have the tools. On my desk, I have a fully functional, almost cutting-edge laptop with all the bells and whistles. I'm hooked up to the Internet, I can send and receive faxes via my computer and I rely heavily on e-mail. I also have at least one scanner on hand at all times, so I easily could turn all this floating paper into clean, neat digital files. I even have access to a variety of handheld computers, palmtops and voice recorders so I can do everything I need to do without generating a single scrap of paper. With all this equipment, there's no...