Comments on: The Power of Paper http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/ Pieces of the productivity puzzle. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:02:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Mark Shead http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/comment-page-1/#comment-112240 Mark Shead Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:37:28 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=67#comment-112240 @Ricky - I don't have my computer hooked up to a phone line, but I haven't used that functionality before. I've managed to solve most of this by scanning my signature and using Acrobat Pro to sign things. I then fax things using RingCentral Still, if someone hands me a stack of papers to fill out that requires diagrams and stuff like that, a pen and fax machine are probably going to be faster than scanning it in, editing a PDF, scanning it back in and faxing. @Ricky – I don’t have my computer hooked up to a phone line, but I haven’t used that functionality before. I’ve managed to solve most of this by scanning my signature and using Acrobat Pro to sign things. I then fax things using RingCentral

Still, if someone hands me a stack of papers to fill out that requires diagrams and stuff like that, a pen and fax machine are probably going to be faster than scanning it in, editing a PDF, scanning it back in and faxing.

]]> By: Ricky Buchanan http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/comment-page-1/#comment-112233 Ricky Buchanan Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:08:02 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=67#comment-112233 I seem to recall you have a Mac computer - do you know you can print directly to a fax number if you have a modem connected up? It's stupidly hidden in the "print to PDF" dialog box - select file->print then click on "PDF" and the third option is "Fax PDF...". It'll ask you for a phone number and that's about it! Sometimes the trick isn't to buy a hammer, it's to look at the nail again from a different angle - perhaps it's actually a screw. OK, that's stretching the metaphor way too far but it was fun to do :) And as a person who has physical difficulty manipulating paper - not to mention no fax machine - it's a very handy thing. I seem to recall you have a Mac computer – do you know you can print directly to a fax number if you have a modem connected up? It’s stupidly hidden in the “print to PDF” dialog box – select file->print then click on “PDF” and the third option is “Fax PDF…”. It’ll ask you for a phone number and that’s about it!

Sometimes the trick isn’t to buy a hammer, it’s to look at the nail again from a different angle – perhaps it’s actually a screw. OK, that’s stretching the metaphor way too far but it was fun to do :) And as a person who has physical difficulty manipulating paper – not to mention no fax machine – it’s a very handy thing.

]]> By: David http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/comment-page-1/#comment-111858 David Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:46:13 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=67#comment-111858 The correct tool for the user is still part of the question. For instance, for me, the hPDA is still my best capture tool, and in some instances, I need to use it for my TODO list because I don't have Internet/computer/electronic access all the time. As a side irony, why would someone have a category for "paperless" and a link to "Print this article"? Just something that tickled my funny bone. The correct tool for the user is still part of the question. For instance, for me, the hPDA is still my best capture tool, and in some instances, I need to use it for my TODO list because I don’t have Internet/computer/electronic access all the time.

As a side irony, why would someone have a category for “paperless” and a link to “Print this article”? Just something that tickled my funny bone.

]]> By: Adam Rice http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/comment-page-1/#comment-111222 Adam Rice Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:57:12 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=67#comment-111222 Those particular things you mention DO belong in a safety deposit box, but copies of them belong in your digital archives so you can reference them at will. For your sheet music I'd suggest scanning it then filing the originals in your Memories box(es). You know the trunk or box that contains all the stuff you want to keep for sentimental reasons. I keep my baby pictures and school photos and year books, awards, trophies, that kind of stuff in it. The particulars that I can't seem to figure out in y filing system are things like CD-ROMs (which I don't have the HD space to copy them to HD then mount them as necessary) or Blank Thankyou cards, or those random bits and pieces that come with gadgets...I've never figured out what to do with that (almost junk, but still useful enough to save). I know I need to bite the bullet and scan scan scan and purchase a 1 or 2 TB HD for the CD ISOs...but the current cash situation won't allow for it. Maybe I need to build a file server or something... Those particular things you mention DO belong in a safety deposit box, but copies of them belong in your digital archives so you can reference them at will.

For your sheet music I’d suggest scanning it then filing the originals in your Memories box(es). You know the trunk or box that contains all the stuff you want to keep for sentimental reasons. I keep my baby pictures and school photos and year books, awards, trophies, that kind of stuff in it.

The particulars that I can’t seem to figure out in y filing system are things like CD-ROMs (which I don’t have the HD space to copy them to HD then mount them as necessary) or Blank Thankyou cards, or those random bits and pieces that come with gadgets…I’ve never figured out what to do with that (almost junk, but still useful enough to save).

I know I need to bite the bullet and scan scan scan and purchase a 1 or 2 TB HD for the CD ISOs…but the current cash situation won’t allow for it. Maybe I need to build a file server or something…

]]> By: Mark Shead http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/comment-page-1/#comment-111216 Mark Shead Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:39:57 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=67#comment-111216 @Adam - That's a funny comic. I have found that most of the stuff I don't want to digitize and shred really belongs in the safetly deposit box anyway. This includes things like birth certificates, marriage certificate, life insurance policy, etc. I was going to scan in all the sheet music I wrote in college, but haven't because I can't bring myself to think about tossing the physical paper out. :) @Adam – That’s a funny comic. I have found that most of the stuff I don’t want to digitize and shred really belongs in the safetly deposit box anyway. This includes things like birth certificates, marriage certificate, life insurance policy, etc.

I was going to scan in all the sheet music I wrote in college, but haven’t because I can’t bring myself to think about tossing the physical paper out. :)

]]> By: Adam Rice http://www.productivity501.com/the-power-of-paper/67/comment-page-1/#comment-111213 Adam Rice Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:17:27 +0000 http://x.xeric.net/productivity501/?p=67#comment-111213 Yeah, I still have a love-hate relationship with paper. For instance, my files soooo need to become digital pdfs. But I also know that not all of my files can go digital (yet). And then there's my guilty pleasure, as expressed by Penny Arcade... http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/3/9/ Yeah, I still have a love-hate relationship with paper. For instance, my files soooo need to become digital pdfs. But I also know that not all of my files can go digital (yet).

And then there’s my guilty pleasure, as expressed by Penny Arcade…
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/3/9/

]]>