Harper, Richard H.R, and Abigail J. Sellen. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Problems of Paper
Paper:
- requires physical delivery
- requires photocopying if mass access is the goal
- occupies more physical space than digital documents
- takes more time to revise and incorporate with other documents
- can't display moving images or sounds
Harper, Richard H.R, and Abigail J. Sellen. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
Melvil Dewey
- Revolutionized library organization; he was obsessed with saving time and space.
- Promoted the use of both shorthand and the metric system.
- Shortened his name from "Melville" to "Melvil"
- Had an anxiety about the disorder an abundance of paper documents might cause; managers at Xerox’s European research building seemed to share Dewey’s anxiety – a researcher at the building had superfluous stacks of paper on his desk, and though he was very good at navigating his way through the documents, he was asked to hide his papers when senior colleagues visited the office because of paper’s image of inefficiency
- Created filing cabinets, attributed to his anxiety, that were basically large versions of card catalogues; paper "hung vertically in long drawers."
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Social Life of Paper.” The New Yorker 78.5 (2002): 92.
Air-Traffic Control Strips
- Are 1.5 x 6.5-inch strips of paper used to record the types, radar ID numbers, speeds, altitudes, destinations, and other information of up to 25 planes simultaneously
- Are governed by the planning controller, who is responsible for radar; his/her partner annotates the data about incoming traffic on the strips
- Aid situation awareness; the strips are used as cognitive clues to keep clear the mental picture of where planes will be; the controller keeps strips out of the partner’s view until partner needs it, or if there’s an urgent problem
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Social Life of Paper.” The New Yorker 78.5 (2002): 92.
Paper Production
- Increased significantly in the Western world over the last ten years; although the computer was supposed to replace paper, all Western countries used more paper in 2002 than in 1992
- Increased significantly in the United States between 1995 and 2000; uncoated, free-sheet office paper consumption increased by 15%
- Produced a significant increase in total revenues in Canada between 1993, when revenues were 4.3 billion dollars, and 2003, when revenues were 6.4 billion dollars (Statistics Canada, Annual Survey of Manufactures)
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Social Life of Paper.” The New Yorker 78.5 (2002): 92.
Advancements in Paper-Use During the 1800s
- As part of the move towards systemic management, managers created policies that required employers to get frequent updates from employees
- Out of the demand for updates from employees grew sales reports, office manuals, company newsletters
- In the 1880s, the invention of the typewriter brought with it speedy document production, and the invention of carbon paper meant multiple copies of documents, such as train schedules, could be made instantly, and then get distributed
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Social Life of Paper.” The New Yorker 78.5 (2002): 92.
Paper vs. The Computer Documents: The Benefits
Paper:
- Allows for more convenient collaboration on reports
- Is easy to change, amend, anno- tate without altering original text
- Displays all data within the frame of a page; it can be accessed simultaneously
- Allows one to view another’s interaction with the document
- Enables simultaneous view of multiple pagesAllows for personalization and individualization in one’s writing
The Computer:
- Does not lent itself to collaboration; one cannot view another’s reaction to the document easily
- Features documents made of multiple pages that the reader scrolls through; only one screen’s worth of information can be accessed at once
- Features data that is more easily searchable, shareable, compacted
- Creates new possibilities for personalization (fonts, designs, etc.)
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Social Life of Paper.” The New Yorker 78.5 (2002): 92.
Questions and Things to Consider
- How do the origins of “on the same page” reflect the collaborative nature of processes such as the one used by Economists writing reports at the International Monetary Fund, (a global financial “club,” according to Harper and Sellen), in Washington, D.C?
- What is your knowledge-gathering, producing, or recording process like? Do you usually leave a space on your desk for papers? Do you find it easier to regain control of work that was left or interrupted if you leave papers in stacks or piles? Are piles closest to your seat usually the ones that have the most urgency?
- What do you think was the motivation for getting rid of paper? Gladwell states that “computer technology was supposed to replace paper.” What do you see as the benefits of this technology replacement?
- Do you usually type or write your lecture notes? Why do you think you use the method you do? Would you find it difficult to use the alternative? Why?
- Do you think, as the chocolate manufacturing company in Sellen and Harper’s example did, that computerized documents can “be made available to anyone, at any time?”
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Social Life of Paper.” The New Yorker 78.5 (2002): 92.
The Costs of Paper
- A CD-ROM version of documents can be six times more expensive than paper documents because of shiping, producing, and delivery costs.
- In 1996, delivering five-thousand 1000-page documents on CD-ROM cost less than half what it would have cost to deliver and produce this many documents using paper.
- It can cost $40 000 - $60 000 to store two million paper documents in filing cabinets; this estimation does not take into account the cost of floor space, and this many documents could fit on less than ten CD-ROMS (28)
Harper, Richard H.R, and Abigail J. Sellen. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Flight Progress Strips
Harper, Richard H.R, and Abigail J. Sellen. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
"Flight Progress Strip." Wikipedia. 10 Sept 2007. Wikimedia. 4 Oct. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DCP00185.JPG
"Air Traffic Control." 2002. Hermieu Impressions and Services. 4 Oct. 2007. <http://www.hermieu.com/atc.asp>
The new Display System Replacement (DSR) being implemented in air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs) will allow the data-side controller less room to post Flight Progress Strips (FPSs). We tested a new FPS marking and posting procedure designed to reduce the controller’s need for, or reliance on, the FPS. The experiment was conducted at Cleveland (ZOB) and Jacksonville (ZJX) ARTCCs utilizing individual controllers and controller
teams operating in either high- or low-altitude sectors. Each controller ran two, 30-minute scenarios. Scenarios were counterbalanced, but sample sizes did not allow counterbalancing of conditions. In the Normal scenario, controllers worked as they normally would. During the Experimental scenario, controllers were asked to remove FPSs that were not needed after radar contact and communications were established. Also, FPS marking was not required for any information that was recorded elsewhere, such as via computer entry or landline communication. Controllers responded to the Workload Assessment Keypad (WAK) every 5 minutes while a subject matter expert made performance ratings. Experimenters recorded activity relevant to the plan view display, computer readout device, and FPSs. At the end of each scenario, controllers provided a position relief
briefing and completed a modified version of the NASA Task Load Index. For individuals and teams at ZOB and ZJX, results showed that controllers posted fewer FPSs and marked them less often in the experimental procedure. No detrimental effects on performance, workload, position relief briefings, or team communications
were observed. On-line measures of workload (i.e., the WAK) were comparable and sometimes lower for the experimental condition. Most controllers reported that they preferred the experimental procedure.
United States. Office of Aviation Medicine. Reduced Postings and Markings Of Flight Progress Strips for En Route Air Traffic Control. Washington: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2000.<http://www.faa.gov/library/reports/medical/oamtechreports/2000s/media/00_05.pdf>
Messy desks?
http://www.customlivingsolutions.com/before-after.htm
Harper, Richard H.R, and Abigail J. Sellen. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
Harper, Richard H.R, and Abigail J. Sellen. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
Happiness is a Messy Desk. "Wagonized by France Belleville." 8 Mar. 2007. 5 Oct. 2007 <http://wagonized.typepad.com/wagonized/images/happiness_is_a_messy_desk_1.jpg>
The Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Williams, Brooke. “Stanford.edu.” 4 Oct. 2007 http://events.stanford.edu/events/44/4403/gladwell%20headshot.bmp
Origins of "On the Same Page"
In business meetings and college classes people often make copies of a single report and hand a copy to each person at the meeting. While they discuss the different points in the report, each person needs to be reading from the same page ("on the same page"). Everyone is "on the same page" when they are all following along and understanding the basic idea that the group is sharing. "On the same page" has a further meaning of people being in basic understanding and agreement on something. Example: "Before we make any decisions today, I'd like to make sure that everyone is on the same page." People are "on the same page" when they look at a problem or a situation in the same way and agree on a course of action. Example: "Each of us has been busy with his own projects lately, so I called this meeting today to bring us all together on the same page."
Sullivan, Adam. “On the Same Page.” GoEnglish.com. 4 Oct. 2007. http://www.goenglish.com/1703.asp
Pre-Dewey Document Storing
Item 8017 Small Secretary Desk. “Architectural Antiques Exchange.” 4 Oct. 2007 http://www.architecturalantiques.com/sunday1022/Item%208017%20Small%20Secretary%20Desk%20Center.jpg
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