Fast Company Article - "NO PAPER!" page 58, December issue.

As I read the first part of this article, it reminds me of a recurring comment in our office about computers replacing paper. Back in the early 90's when desktop PC's were being put on everybody's desk, a lot of the justification of the cost was focused on the huge amounts of paper that would be saved. The recurring comment is that, ironically, there seems to be more paper in our office than ever. As Mari B. points out in her article posted on 12/28/98, technology offers the capability to do more, and that is exactly what we do.

I also have heard that the very best long-term storage medium for a document is paper. Just think about how many changes there have been in computer disks and operating systems in the past ten years. Then think about how long books have been around. It is pretty hard to imagine that today's computer disks would be reliably usable in even 5 or 10 years. The consensus of my co-workers on this issue of replacing paper with computers is that it's a great idea for short term communications, but that there is no replacement for printed pages and filing cabinets for things that will have value for more than one year.

The part of the article that I found most inviting was the second part, when it described the development PROCESS that is used by the featured company for eliminating their paper. ALL employees are encouraged to learn computer programming and develop software applications that work best for them. A training center is provided, and employees who produce results are rewarded.

I have developed a respect and admiration for those people (and companies) who are motivated and skilled at sharing knowledge. When I was farming, I made it a practice to ask questions and learn as much as I could from the service providers (vet, creamery fieldman, feed dealer) that came to the farm, and really appreciated those individuals who were willing to share what they knew. I consider it a blessing to be working for the University of Minnesota Extension Service because of it's commitment to the growth and development of its employees, as evidenced by this M.Ed. program and the financial provisions to participate in it.

-- Anonymous, December 29, 1998

Answers

I think that many people will say that computers have not eliminated the need for paper. I too find it difficult to believe that our books will be replaced by the words on a computer disk. It is much more relaxing to sit down with a good book than to pick up a laptop computer to do some leisure reading.

Thanks for your comments, and also for commenting on the posting of another student in your cohort.

Just a reminder on your spelling and word choice: "It's" means It is.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1999