Paper.

[omega 616]

I have been thinking lately that in the technology age, why are we still using paper?

I mean an Ipad ([color= red]for example it doesn't have to be an ipad it's just an idea[/color]) can hold much more information than million pieces of paper for about the same dimensions as about 20 sheets of paper, which would save a shit load of space (no more rooms dedicated to filing cabinets or even the odd one stuck in a corner) and it would be easier/quicker to find any document.

Rather than going to a room, finding the right cabinet, finding the right starting letter, then finding the right sheet. You just search through the ipad (or whatever).

You would need somewhere to back up the documents to, which would take up a room but besides servicing it nobody would ever have to go in there.

It would be quicker and I assume in the long run cheaper to do. After buying everybody the stuff and thing to back it all up to, there is no more expense (except servicing and repairs). With paper you always need to buy more, then you have to buy the ink for the printer (which is the 5th most expensive liquid in the world) and printers never work for any length of time.

So, when do you think we will stop using paper and having hard copies of stuff? Or will we always be using it?

I think one day we will never use paper, any receipts will be a little document on your device, packages are already signed for on an a little computer, mortgages and loans will follow suit, schools will start doing WPM and touch typing rather than "how to do joined up", exams could be done on computers and sent off immediately ... could even have results back in a day (not on essays of course).

I just think we are still a bit in the stone age when it comes to keeping a record of things or keeping hold of information.

(sorry, if that was rambling/confusing and or filled with mistakes I am very tired)

[color= red] [HEADING=2]EDIT:So, when do you think we will stop using paper and having hard copies of stuff? Or will we always be using it?[/HEADING][/color]

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

We still use paper for the same reason we still have books even though e-readers exist.

People don't like change, and paperless is a big change.
Also you'd first need to move people away from the many things that use paper,
like the aforementioned books.

I see it happening in the future, we're already going in that direction,
but it won't be for a long time.

My father hardly knows how to use a computer,
there's no way he'd regularly use one instead of paper.

 

[A Satanic Panda]

Because analogue can not be hacked, or glitch. It also cost about 2 cents to made a piece of paper.

What happens if for some reason (solar flare) electronic devices fail on a massive scale and no one knows how to write down a number or letter? Paper is just a mass produced, cheap to make, fail-safe if electronics fail.

The same reason I hope humanity does surrender it's bodies to a robotic counter part. We need something that can be dropped and not break, or never run out of batteries.

 

[GenericAmerican]

Because I don't want to wipe my ass with an I-pod?

That and the fact that something on a piece of paper is tangible, unlike electronic documents. Ever wonder why everyone keeps paper records? And how companies can ignore electronic documents but not a piece of paper you bring in yourself.

Methinks it's also a bit easier to fake a digital copy too.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Because there are people who still believe there will be a great big EMP that will wipe out our eletronic technologies.
Beside that much uses on electricity will take a toll on the energies plants out there and the eletric bill are already tough to pay already and I haven't even mention the increace of gobal warming well the increase of wasting electricity.

Also there are people who still use paper for papercrafts or alternative use for it other than putting a language on it.

 

[Fappy]

Ever read a real comic book and then read a digital version of it? There's no comparison. Real comic book wins every time. Even webcomics are better when they are printed.

Paper is important and will remain so for a long time.

 

[omega 616]

Ever read a real comic book and then read a digital version of it? There's no comparison. Real comic book wins every time. Even webcomics are better when they are printed.

Paper is important and will remain so for a long time.

The only reason we don't move away from paper is due to comics?

To answer your question, don't think I have ever read a comic.

Because there are people who still believe there will be a great big EMP that will wipe out our eletronic technologies.
Beside that much uses on electricity will take a toll on the energies plants out there and the eletric bill are already tough to pay already and I haven't even mention the increace of gobal warming well the increase of wasting electricity.

Also there are people who still use paper for papercrafts or alternative use for it other than putting a language on it.

There are always new ways to produce energy being thought up, which are "green" and the like.

When I say move away from paper, I don't mean all together ... I mean like in professional situations, like books (which the kindle is a good substitute for).

Because I don't want to wipe my ass with an I-pod?

That and the fact that something on a piece of paper is tangible, unlike electronic documents. Ever wonder why everyone keeps paper records? And how companies can ignore electronic documents but not a piece of paper you bring in yourself.

Methinks it's also a bit easier to fake a digital copy too.

That made me chuckle.

That's what I am talking about getting rid of, the paper copies of things.

Because analogue can not be hacked, or glitch. It also cost about 2 cents to made a piece of paper.

What happens if for some reason (solar flare) electronic devices fail on a massive scale and no one knows how to write down a number or letter? Paper is just a mass produced, cheap to make, fail-safe if electronics fail.

The same reason I hope humanity does surrender it's bodies to a robotic counter part. We need something that can be dropped and not break, or never run out of batteries.

That hardly matters, shit loads of sites have already been hacked and sensitive data been leaked. That's not to mention when they literally give it away ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7449927.stm

We still use paper for the same reason we still have books even though e-readers exist.

People don't like change, and paperless is a big change.
Also you'd first need to move people away from the many things that use paper,
like the aforementioned books.

I see it happening in the future, we're already going in that direction,
but it won't be for a long time.

My father hardly knows how to use a computer,
there's no way he'd regularly use one instead of paper.

True people don't like change but after a little grumble they soon get used to it, for example moving away from chalk boards, laws and amendments are always changing stuff (gays laws are the ones that jump to mind at the moment and the Euro being introduced.

I am not saying it will be soon, just thought it would be an interesting thread ... make a change to the usual ones, like "if you could do something with any NPC who would it be and why?".

 

[Fappy]

-Snip-

It was just an example of how something tangible can often times offer a better experience than something digital. The day all comics go digital is the day I

 

[ducktapemax]

go paperless? why not?

 

[Total LOLige]

Because I don't want to wipe my ass with an I-pod?

I just downloaded the E-Z-Clean app this morning, it's still a little rough around the edges.

 

[HardkorSB]

Erm, what about toilet paper? Well, i suppose we can use leaves, but that would be even more old school.
Also, tissues.

 

[FalloutJack]

-Paper?!-

Because every effort to reduce the use of paper creates more paperwork.

Because we haven't gotten as far as The Fifth Element yet.

Because if we did, then Yomiko Readman would be powerless!

 

[Esotera]

Paper has haptic feedback (you can feel how hard you're pressing with a pen) and has a latency of around 0 milliseconds, compared to around 100 milliseconds of the average tablet. Paper also supports multi-touch, doesn't run out of batteries, and is very easy to use. It also costs a hell of a lot less.

In short, just because something is more technologically complex, doesn't mean that it is better for the user. If a company manages to make a product that addresses these issues, then I'll happily ditch paper.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a touch screen is able to replicate the feel of paper, I will stick to using tree mulch.

 

[omega 616]

Paper has haptic feedback (you can feel how hard you're pressing with a pen) and has a latency of around 0 milliseconds, compared to around 100 milliseconds of the average tablet. Paper also supports multi-touch, doesn't run out of batteries, and is very easy to use. It also costs a hell of a lot less.

In short, just because something is more technologically complex, doesn't mean that it is better for the user. If a company manages to make a product that addresses these issues, then I'll happily ditch paper.

What does that matter?

I bet that 100 mil is an agonizing wait as well!

Not many people can draw or write with both hands at the same time.

Ipads aren't exactly trigonometry ...

I mentioned cost in the OP. If you consider, shipping costs, ink to use on the paper, paper clips/staples, pens/pencils, waste, shredders (for sensitive stuff) and other crap ... I bet it would be cheaper in the long run.

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a touch screen is able to replicate the feel of paper, I will stick to using tree mulch.

Lets take a step down the tech tree, shall we?

Sense of touch for one thing. Until paper is able to replicate the feel of slate and chalk, I will stick to using fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism and gypsum.

Lets take a few now ...

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a slate and chalk is able to replicate the feel of a stick in the sand, I will stick to using a bit of tree in tiny bits of rock.

What I am saying is, just 'cos you are used to something and like it, it shouldn't stand in the way of progression. For more objective reasons, no problem but "'cos I like it" doesn't seem good enough to me ... maybe that's just me though.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Paper has haptic feedback (you can feel how hard you're pressing with a pen) and has a latency of around 0 milliseconds, compared to around 100 milliseconds of the average tablet. Paper also supports multi-touch, doesn't run out of batteries, and is very easy to use. It also costs a hell of a lot less.

In short, just because something is more technologically complex, doesn't mean that it is better for the user. If a company manages to make a product that addresses these issues, then I'll happily ditch paper.

What does that matter?

I bet that 100 mil is an agonizing wait as well!

Not many people can draw or write with both hands at the same time.

Ipads aren't exactly trigonometry ...

I mentioned cost in the OP. If you consider, shipping costs, ink to use on the paper, paper clips/staples, pens/pencils, waste, shredders (for sensitive stuff) and other crap ... I bet it would be cheaper in the long run.

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a touch screen is able to replicate the feel of paper, I will stick to using tree mulch.

Lets take a step down the tech tree, shall we?

Sense of touch for one thing. Until paper is able to replicate the feel of slate and chalk, I will stick to using fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism and gypsum.

Lets take a few now ...

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a slate and chalk is able to replicate the feel of a stick in the sand, I will stick to using a bit of tree in tiny bits of rock.

What I am saying is, just 'cos you are used to something and like it, it shouldn't stand in the way of progression. For more objective reasons, no problem but "'cos I like it" doesn't seem good enough to me ... maybe that's just me though.

Good lord you argue like a troper I used to know. If there is something better why use obsolete crap? Maybe because of personal preference? Maybe because some people draw better with a pen and paper than with a tablet? Just because there is a more advanced way of doing things doesn't always make it the de facto way of doing things.

I can draw fine, but I'm shit with a tablet. So I stick to paper. If you want to limit my artistic capabilities for the sake of SCIENCE! Well then I'm just gonna igno you.

 

[omega 616]

Good lord you argue like a troper I used to know. If there is something better why use obsolete crap? Maybe because of personal preference? Maybe because some people draw better with a pen and paper than with a tablet? Just because there is a more advanced way of doing things doesn't always make it the de facto way of doing things.

I can draw fine, but I'm shit with a tablet. So I stick to paper. If you want to limit my artistic capabilities for the sake of SCIENCE! Well then I'm just gonna igno you.

I try to.

I was thinking more about business uses rather than people using it to create pictures or origami. I don't think paper will ever become the next VHS, I just think it will be used a hell of a lot less.

 

[DoPo]

Erm, do you know how hard it is to doodle something on any computing device? Just try it - I want you to go, type something and then try to sketch something beside it. I can do that immediately with paper, it takes about a minute on a computer. Assuming you have the proper software at all. Go to a random PC and the most reliable things you'll have are Notepad and Paint. Or equivalents for other OSes. Do you know what the equivalents are? I haven't used a Mac, so finding the text editor there will take me more time than locating a piece of paper. How about a hand-held device? If you're lucky, you'll have some sort of notes. Let's assume you do, but what about the sketch? I doubt all handheld devices include some sort of drawing software just so you can draw a few lines and a circle or something.

So, you have paper - readily available to do whatever you want, and computers - not. But let's say you do have a nice comfortable software on your computer of choice - it allows you to do what you want exactly. But there is one word in the previous sentence that sort of trips the whole thing - "your". A sheet of paper, you can distribute locally with no problem - just hand it to somebody. You can't exactly hand over your computer, or at least many people wouldn't be comfortable with that. You can say that a digital file is easy to share, but it's not easier to share than handing an item - you need an email or some identifier, also access to some sort of network, not to mention time to send it and the fact that you can't do it on each and every location you decide.

Paper is easier to use, it's that simple. That doesn't make it better necessarily, but it does make it preferable for a larger portion of the population.

 

[Esotera]

What does that matter?

I bet that 100 mil is an agonizing wait as well!

Not many people can draw or write with both hands at the same time.

Ipads aren't exactly trigonometry ...

I mentioned cost in the OP. If you consider, shipping costs, ink to use on the paper, paper clips/staples, pens/pencils, waste, shredders (for sensitive stuff) and other crap ... I bet it would be cheaper in the long run.

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a touch screen is able to replicate the feel of paper, I will stick to using tree mulch.

Lets take a step down the tech tree, shall we?

Sense of touch for one thing. Until paper is able to replicate the feel of slate and chalk, I will stick to using fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism and gypsum.

Lets take a few now ...

Sense of touch for one thing. Until a slate and chalk is able to replicate the feel of a stick in the sand, I will stick to using a bit of tree in tiny bits of rock.

What I am saying is, just 'cos you are used to something and like it, it shouldn't stand in the way of progression. For more objective reasons, no problem but "'cos I like it" doesn't seem good enough to me ... maybe that's just me though.

100 milliseconds is the shortest amount of time it takes a human to notice something. If you're using a tablet regularly you don't notice the lag, but it does exist and is a massive irritance to me, as I rarely use tablets.

I doubt that pen/paper is going to be more expensive than a tablet in the long run. Most people will upgrade around every 5-10 years, possibly more frequently. So you'd be paying between £50-100 a year, depending on how often you upgrade.

As for touch, I don't like the feel of chalk and slate, the chalk is messy, it's a lot less portable due to its rigidity, and it isn't possible to get as much finesse with your control. Which is actually another thing that tablets fail to do compared to pen and paper.

You say that being used to something shouldn't stop progression, and I agree. But I've tried out tablets and the experience is inferior to writing with a pen and paper, which makes it regression. Which means you either have buyer's remorse or just didn't like pen & paper in the first place.

 

[omega 616]

Erm, do you know how hard it is to doodle something on any computing device? Just try it - I want you to go, type something and then try to sketch something beside it. I can do that immediately with paper, it takes about a minute on a computer. Assuming you have the proper software at all. Go to a random PC and the most reliable things you'll have are Notepad and Paint. Or equivalents for other OSes. Do you know what the equivalents are? I haven't used a Mac, so finding the text editor there will take me more time than locating a piece of paper. How about a hand-held device? If you're lucky, you'll have some sort of notes. Let's assume you do, but what about the sketch? I doubt all handheld devices include some sort of drawing software just so you can draw a few lines and a circle or something.

So, you have paper - readily available to do whatever you want, and computers - not. But let's say you do have a nice comfortable software on your computer of choice - it allows you to do what you want exactly. But there is one word in the previous sentence that sort of trips the whole thing - "your". A sheet of paper, you can distribute locally with no problem - just hand it to somebody. You can't exactly hand over your computer, or at least many people wouldn't be comfortable with that. You can say that a digital file is easy to share, but it's not easier to share than handing an item - you need an email or some identifier, also access to some sort of network, not to mention time to send it and the fact that you can't do it on each and every location you decide.

Paper is easier to use, it's that simple. That doesn't make it better necessarily, but it does make it preferable for a larger portion of the population.

Like I have been saying, I don't mean for arts and crafts. I mean things like paper work, account records is the biggest one, instead of getting snail mail, I remember moving into a homeless shelter and having to sign 20 different pieces of paper ...I can't think of other things off the top of my head.

I am not talking about the total eradication of paper, I think that is very very far away, like a couple millennia away.