Paperchains

Apparently the ‘paperless office’ is just not coming to pass. An analyst blames it on people not ’selling’ document management systems effectively:

In his report Document Management Solutions: What End Users Want, IDC analyst Rishi Ghai found that 60 per cent of [Australian] survey respondents said the number of pages printed or copied in their organisation had increased over the last five years. …

He says the key conclusion is that vendors are failing to convince users of the cost savings, and governance and environmental benefits document management products can deliver to organisations.

[Via : Paperless offices remains elusive dream: IDC - IT Brief - IT Brief.]

There’s some truly dreadful writing in quoted material in the rest of the article, like this:

IDC research suggests that end users’ discontentment with document management solution implementations can escalate very quickly in the absence of visible improvements in the short term. Vendors must work closely with clients to develop realistic service-level agreements and periodically measure and communicate systems performance indicators to avoid dissatisfaction build up.

After reading and re-reading that I think it says something along these lines:

Users quickly become fed up with document management systems if things don’t seem to get better quickly. People who sell the systems should be realistic about what they can do, and show users how they are making a difference.

If document management systems can in fact reduce the amount of paper being wasted, then vendors should get their act together and find ways to encourage users to use them properly. And in plain language!

Michael Lopp laments:

At my favorite local coffee shop, Lorraine gives me shit when I purchase coffee in a paper cup, “You… are not saving the world.”

She’s right. I’m not, and it’s actually worse. Each time I reach for a sip and this sad little corpse of tree flesh greets me with its pathetic weight and palpable sense of Al Gore guilt, I’m lonely.

[Via Rands In Repose: The Coffee Mug Affair.]

He mentions that paper cups affect the taste of the coffee anyway and goes on to talk about more permanent alternatives, such as coffee mugs.

So, how many paper (or plastic) cups do we use each day anyway? Chris Jordan has a photo that shows just a few of the 4 million plastic cups used each day on airline flights in the US, as part of a Ted Talks video. Then he moves on to the 40 million paper cups used in the US each day for beverages. It’s a sculpture, a wall, a mountain.

Artist Chris Jordan shows us an arresting view of what Western culture looks like. His supersized images picture some almost unimaginable statistics — like the astonishing number of paper cups we use every single day.

[Via : Chris Jordan pictures some shocking stats | Video on TED.com.]

The part of his talk that’s specifically about the cups is within the first couple of minutes of the video. But his whole talk is interesting, as he finds graphic ways to demonstrate some of the excess we indulge in as a society.

It’s good to see organisations doing away with unnecessary paper. Filing official returns online is one way we can reduce production and transport of paper, and so reduce the number of trees that are cut down, the fuel used to carry it all around and the pollution that goes into the air.

The New Zealand Companies Office is making online filing mandatory (though with exceptions for those who still lack decent Internet connections) — Important changes to the way you do business with the Companies Office:

Here at the Companies Office we are committed to providing the New Zealand business community with sustainable, efficient and cost effective company administration. As part of this commitment, the Companies Office is introducing changes to the way that you do business with us.

From 1 July 2008 it will become mandatory to file certain documents with the Companies Office via our online services.

They are also providing training and support to see people through the transition. Sensible, and efficient!

[Via Xero News: Companies Office promotes online.]

Sometimes it’s a delight to hold and read a printed book: the texture of the cover, the weight of the book, the beauty of the fonts and images all bring a luxurious aesthetic to the experience of reading. People commonly enjoy reading works of fiction printed on paper.

But sometimes books are just tools — we want to look up a fact, discover a technique, make notes, learn something. Often a printed book is not as convenient or efficient as an electronic text where you can use the power of the computer to search for a word or phrase, highlight or annotate the text, copy and paste extracts into a storage file, or click a link to further information.

The next time you’re looking for a textbook, a reference book, and instructional work, think about whether an electronic copy would meet your needs. Publishers don’t always make it easy to find their (legal) ebook versions, but they are often available if you look hard enough.

One immediate advantage is that delivery is instant: purchase and download, the start reading. No waiting for couriers or postal services.

And then, you don’t have to store or dispose of the book: no bookshelves required. Your ebook will likely fit easily, with hundreds of others on a CD, or store it on your computer’s hard drive or an online secure storage service.

As an example of needing to look around, consider the book Maria Langer and I co-wrote: WordPress 2 Visual Quickstart Guide. Buy the easy-to-find print version from Amazon, or buy the ebook from the publisher. Or, join the Safari Online service and read the book online.

Next time you’re thinking of buying a book take a moment to consider: is print the best format for this book for me, or can I do it differently?