Where Paper is Still King
June 21st, 2007 (11:00am) Mike Gunderloy 16 Comments
As web workers we’re all equipped with computers and bandwidth and software galore. But despite these natural advantages, and the persistent myth of the paperless office, I don’t know anyone who has actually abandoned the technology of previous millenia entirely. Sometimes, paper is just too efficient, too user friendly, too easy to pass up. In my own life, it creeps in to many corners:
Quick notes: Sure, there are virtual sticky note programs everywhere, but I still keep a pad of the real physical sort and a pen on my desk, and they’re stuck to my monitor, my fridge, and probably my cat at any given time. Between zero-friction data entry and ambient in-my-face data availability, paper rules for this application.
Task List: I go back and forth on this one; I’ve been seduced into trying dozens of task list and GTD applications on various computers. But as we’ve written before, there are plenty of reasons for using paper to keep track of your planned activities. Sometimes the old reliable ways are the best.
Calendar: Another case where quick random access away from the computer can be key, though right at the moment I’m back to keeping mine on the computer. There are some mighty enticing paper calendars to be had, though.
Business Cards: Does anyone out there actually scan in paper business cards and convert them to some electronic format? I sure don’t. If you gave me a paper card, it’s sitting in a stack, sorted, with all the others. If I deal with you often enough I’ll eventually enter the information on the computer by hand, but for occasional contacts paper is plenty good.
High-Level Architecture: I don’t know how many programs I have around to do UML diagrams and ERD diagrams and wireframe UI mockups and the like. It really doesn’t matter. When I’m starting in on a new coding project, the first boxes and arrows and lines always appear on a big sheet of paper as I noodle around to figure out how the major pieces will fit together.
For me, in the end, it boils down to efficiency. Web work isn’t about using the web for everything. It’s about living in a faster-paced working world where I use the tools that help me get the job done as quickly as I can. When those tools are paper-based I might feel a bit sheepish, but I forge ahead anyhow. There aren’t any prizes for getting your whole world into the laptop.
What about you? What areas of your working life do you still use paper for, whether you feel guilty about it or not?
16 Comments Post your own comment
Tim Molendijk says: June 21st, 2007 12:49pm
This is exactly what is use paper for too. No more, no less.
Tim Molendijk says: June 21st, 2007 12:50pm
(Correction of former comment: 2nd ‘is’ must be ‘I’.)
Aaron B. Hockley says: June 21st, 2007 1:42pm
My thoughts, in no particular order:
I carry a PDA containing task list and calendar. If you’re going to lug around a paper version, you might as well lug around something with some brains.
Most of my high level designs end up on a whiteboard initially. Not paper, but not electronic either.
Business cards get info moved to my contact manager software and then recycled.
My quick notes are paper. Yay for post-its.
Paul Glover says: June 21st, 2007 2:20pm
I use a low-end Palm for my calendar, contacts, “major task” to-do list, and long-lived notes (such as my “how-to” list). I also use it for quick notes in situations where I’m not near my desk. Data entry is high friction, but being able to stuff it into a pants pocket and have it everywhere I go makes up for that.
For quick notes at my desk, more detailed to-do list breakdowns (sub-tasks of the major tasks in the PDA, one page per major task), and pretty much all design work, paper and pencils just get it done quicker than anything else I’ve tried, and as Mike said, it’s “in your face” so it’s kind of hard to forget what you’re meant to be working on.
ben says: June 21st, 2007 4:12pm
Something tells me that I’m the exception. Of course, I have a computer handy 100% of the time if I’m working - everything goes into one of two textfiles, one a diary, one a phonebook.
If I need to take down a phone number or appointment, it usually goes on the back of one of the business cards in my wallet, to be transcribed later.
Oddly, the one thing for which I routinely rely on paper is doing long arithmetic - it’s easier to check figures that have been written down.
If I had an adequately powerful cellphone, I’d probably only use paper to do arithmetic.
And no, I can’t really say why this works for me… but it does.
Pete Aldin says: June 21st, 2007 6:16pm
No one else has said this here, so I will. (You can always delete the comment!)
The other place that computers will never replace paper is in the toilet…
Nick says: June 21st, 2007 6:33pm
I always keep a notepad around to jot things down. Writing something down on paper makes it stick in your mind. I just don’t get that same experience with typing. If I type something out, I often need to refer back to it. But it I write something down on paper, it sticks in my brain.
I will also take my notepad and walk away from the computer to sit, think, and write. When I need to think things out, the colorful monitor inhibits my thoughts. It beckons me to take action - not think.
Oh, and one more thing to add to your list. Toilet paper. I’d hate to see a paperless office restroom. BTW, if you think I’m kidding on this one, I’m not. I read a piece recently about a Japanese company that makes toilets with built-in bidets and dryers. Some environmental groups are advocating them. Sorry. No thanks.
Matt says: June 21st, 2007 7:07pm
I use paper still for all of my notes during meetings and phone conversations. Maybe a tablet PC would change this, but right now I still often want the ability to draw a brief diagram of what I’m talking about to illustrate a point.
I’m also in the process of writing a book and I find that using pen and ink can help words flow differently which is useful when I’m trying to add a plot twist.
-Matt
http://metaviper.com
Nate Smith says: June 21st, 2007 8:19pm
if i’m trying to wrap my head around some code, the first thing i do is write out pseudo-code on paper.
i find that it allows me to flesh out an algorithm without worrying about syntax or digg/slashdot/wwd/lifehacker or anything else not directly related to solving the problem. it also allows me to catch any faults when i go to actually code it. i find pen and paper to be the best text editor i run.
びっくり says: June 21st, 2007 9:41pm
Pete Aldin mentioned that computers won’t replace paper in the toilet; however, I am living in Japan and we have done just that. Many homes have computerized toilet seats that will wash and dry your butt after you complete your business. (I am afraid to use them though, and still cling to paper.)
My biggest use of paper right now is practicing writing Japanese characters. There are programs that allow you to write with a mouse or on a tablet with a stylus, but they are never as smooth as handwriting for practice.
Mae says: June 21st, 2007 11:09pm
I use it on my task lists and notes, I do not use paper for calendar as schedules are crazy and it can change all of sudden, I hate erasures on paper.
Dipesh says: June 21st, 2007 11:26pm
Personally i also still prefer paper for those quick notes, sketches, to-do lists etc. I think its the best way to quickly put down your thoughts informally and those productivity and organizational web apps can’t beat this ease of use. The real value of these web apps though doesn’t lie in just doing what you can do so easily on a peice of paper. When you need a make those thoughts a little bit formal, when you want to share them with your clients or colleagues, when you need a better storage mechanism which is can also keep those thoughts a little bit more organized, thats where these web apps come into play and provide real value. Otherwise its like trying to kill a mosquito with a Katana. If you really don’t need to share your notes, sketches, to-do lists frequently with others, sticking to paper is better.
Hacking the Real and Virtual worlds « Shadow of a Doubt says: June 22nd, 2007 12:39am
[...] Worker Daily goes retro in a post on Where Paper is Still King. The article discusses tasks that might be better left to pen and pad. It’s focus is on the [...]
Chris Webb says: June 22nd, 2007 8:15am
As a publisher, I will leave the obvious book references alone. But I must admit that although I sit in front of a PC all day I still like to keep my paper todo list.
Paper Ain’t The Answer » Solo Technology says: June 22nd, 2007 6:37pm
[...] recently read Mike Gunderloy’s “Where Paper is Still King” article and it caused me to do some thinking. No matter how many time I proudly proclaim [...]
greenworld says: July 13th, 2007 1:04pm
I use paper only to write down some notes, which then get transcribed into a project and task management application that we use at my company. This tool has reduced by 98% the amount of paper we use, because we can write all our notes and messages to the rest of the team on the online system. Furthermore, we can upload all the documents we need to share, we track our time through there without need of paper timesheets. Also the system keeps track of our budgets and even generatesreports and invoices for the clients which can be viewed online. It really makes our work-life so much easier, we really love it! and we are basically paper free! saving more trees to breathe…
You should check it out and can try it for free
http://myintervals.com/php“