OT: Paperless Desk

by jamon51 on Oct 11, 2007 7:30 PM PDT Comment 12 comments

Not sure if it's okay to write a non-blazer related article, but this did cross my mind and I was wondering what everyone else thought.

I find that papers on my home office desk are a net negative. I have notes from phone calls, meetings, etc. They're always getting lost, reshuffled, moved around. My kid uses them to draw green and pink cows (using my highlighters). I can't find the ones I need, and am always picking up ones I won't need for a while and moving them. My "active files" rack I rarely access, simply because most of the relevant info is in my e-mail or electronic files anyway.

I'm thinking about just scanning any meeting/phone call notes in (or retyping them) and putting them in my computer filing system. Going 99% paperless if I can. I have a decent electronic backup schedule, so a hardcopy is usually not necessary.

What do you think? Are hard copies obsolete?

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wow, that is completely off topic

Going digital depends.

There are things at work (like closing out jobs) where we pass the information to multiple people. Digital sucks for this because you you have multiple papers you need to look at and paper is just easier.

Digital is nice because it's all organized and there. Need to remember to score it all.

If you have a database or other method that is easily searceable and organized, then online is good, easy to transport.

Back up important documents off site. Magnetic media goes bad about five years. Cd's vary from five to 100 depending on quality of the CD you're burning with and your burner.

If you're archiving, I'd make two copies in case one goes bad. Past experience with bad DVDs.

Dual monitors makes paperless that much more bearable because you're able to look and work. Highly recommend if you go that route. Allows for much faster multi-tasking too.

Also suggest 17" or larger flat screens for sanity and eyesight sake. I have a laptop and a 19" monitor. Monitor is the main one and the smaller laptop is my secondary view.

Ramble thoughts, hope it helped somewhat. I'm tired after staying up last night and going to bed early (it's 9pm here... 1 hour difference so i was up really late last night)

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 11, 2007 8:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good thoughts

I think Dave said sometime that diaries are okay even if they're way off topic so I'm taking full advantage of that hazy memory.

I'm in the process of scanning in the customer-specific papers now and I think it will work for me. I'm a one-man-band so it's not too difficult to review on-screen. And I do have dual monitors...yes, definitely recommended! I found a couple of cheap 21" CRT monitors on Craigslist (I have a huge desk so space isn't an issue) and always work on one and read on the other.

Archives...I keep everything on a 300 GB external hard drive, using a backup program that only backs up modified files (I do a full backup once in a while too). I should probably make some DVD copies sometime though. I've always sucked at burning DVDs for some reason.

"It's low fat and has Culture!" (Krang)

by jamon51 on Oct 11, 2007 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No worries

This is an open forum and we should appreciate that.

I almost considered posting a diary tonight after my first experience with acupuncture (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND).

I've been living in pain for almost 3 years from degenerative disk disease and 3 vehicle accidents on account of incompetent California drivers.

After tonight's treatment, I feel like a new person. FAR less irritable and less likely to lash out at fellow BlazersEdgers.

I commend you for attempting to go paperless. It's noble. We do it in my company to save costs and it works well.

I find it more time-consuming, however, so I'm left to face an ominous pile of unfinished business that goes back to 2005.

"Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow"

That's my creed, and I'm sticking to it.

by broggerboy19 on Oct 11, 2007 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

acupuncture is awesome

I need to start looking for a good one out here.

I've been once and hated it during the session, but afterwards (about five or ten minutes after the last needle came out) I suddenly felt VERY good and relaxed. It was amazing.

Remember that old movie office space? I felt EXACTLY like that.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 12, 2007 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Make two DVD back-ups

and double check the information transferred over. I'd go ahead and keep those in the same location, but I've had issues with burners not burning correctly.

Also, be sure you don't skimp. you really do get what you pay for and personal burned cd's and dvds CAN only last 4-6 years. The better the material, the longer they'll last.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 12, 2007 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, off-topic diaries

are fine as long as they are clearly labeled. I suppose if we started getting 52 a day and they pushed each other and all of the legit Blazer stuff off the page we'd have to curtail it, but that's not even close to happening, so discuss away.

--Dave

by Dave on Oct 12, 2007 1:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh, and

paperless is great but I'd echo what everyone else has said about back-up. MULTIPLE back-ups really, in a couple different forms and stored in different places. This is kind of a pain and you really should do it weekly if things change on you. Electronic storage can be unreliable for a host of reasons and there's nothing quite so shocking as realizing you just lost your entire work database, or even the last two weeks' worth of it. You know that feeling you get when you just shut the car door with the keys still inside? Multiply that by about a zillion.

--Dave

by Dave on Oct 12, 2007 1:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not discouraging backup,

but if your losing half your notes all over the place it seems to me it may not matter that much anyway. End the senseless killing of trees!!!!

Joel Przybilla: All-star '08

by shenanigans on Oct 12, 2007 6:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

awesome

you should try a tablet pc (I am waiting for a table t mac) or you can add on a tablet to your existing set up and then you can write to your hearts content. Sweet

by jonestr on Oct 12, 2007 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Easy backup

One easy and inexpensive way to get some peace of mind: Put a second hard drive in your computer and set it to mirror the contents of the first drive. This configuration is called RAID-1. You might need a geek to help set this up, but it has the advantage that if a hard drive blows, you're covered.

by Engineering Problem on Oct 12, 2007 2:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I worked with a lady

Who would not read an e-mail until she printed it.

Rent this signature for only $199/month. Ask me how.

by tominhawaii on Oct 13, 2007 1:18 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lol funny stuff, Tom

And good stuff, everyone else. I do backups (except I've gotten off track and will have to do a full one tonight) and totally understand the necessity of it. I used to be an IT manager for a company and we had to do plenty of backups.

I went ahead and scanned in any meeting notes, etc, and so far I'm loving the extra desk space.

Of course, I just realized I was making notes on a project I'm doing on my notepad here...but it's just quick stuff to follow up with the customer, so the notes won't need to hang around much.

Habits are hard to break.

"It's low fat and has Culture!" (Krang)

by jamon51 on Oct 15, 2007 10:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs