Why does the future take so long to arrive?
This glimpse
of the future was crafted by: Sam Dungey
of the future was crafted by: Sam Dungey
In late 1971, a computer engineer
named Ray Tomlinson sent the first email message. It was ten letters long
(QWERTYUIOP) and he was probably oblivious to the fact that hitting ‘send’
would gain him entry into the history books. Tomlinson’s invention changed the
course of communication forever – usurping technology such as the fax. 205
billion emails are sent every day, and this will reach over 246 billion by the
end of 2019.
named Ray Tomlinson sent the first email message. It was ten letters long
(QWERTYUIOP) and he was probably oblivious to the fact that hitting ‘send’
would gain him entry into the history books. Tomlinson’s invention changed the
course of communication forever – usurping technology such as the fax. 205
billion emails are sent every day, and this will reach over 246 billion by the
end of 2019.
Yet, the email hasn’t yet
usurped the ‘paper trail’ and truly paperless systems are few and far
between.
usurped the ‘paper trail’ and truly paperless systems are few and far
between.
Paper
stubbornly remains a feature of our everyday lives. Decades later, the
paperless office is being called a ‘30-year old pipe dream’ and the United States Postal
Service still processes and delivers 509 million pieces of mail each day. There is no doubt that
the reliance on paper is decreasing, but we are still years away from actually
achieving the paperless nirvana we were promised.
stubbornly remains a feature of our everyday lives. Decades later, the
paperless office is being called a ‘30-year old pipe dream’ and the United States Postal
Service still processes and delivers 509 million pieces of mail each day. There is no doubt that
the reliance on paper is decreasing, but we are still years away from actually
achieving the paperless nirvana we were promised.
If paper
is stubbornly sticking around, what does this mean for other technologies that
are supposed to eradicate the problems of the past and deliver to us utopian
efficiency and productivity?
is stubbornly sticking around, what does this mean for other technologies that
are supposed to eradicate the problems of the past and deliver to us utopian
efficiency and productivity?
Is it a
harbinger for all things ‘paperless’, such as paperless money? Bitcoin (the world’s
first digital currency) claims that it will change finance in the same way the
web changed publishing – yet, we have had credit cards for decades, and
many still carry cash.
harbinger for all things ‘paperless’, such as paperless money? Bitcoin (the world’s
first digital currency) claims that it will change finance in the same way the
web changed publishing – yet, we have had credit cards for decades, and
many still carry cash.
Why can’t
we let go? What will it take to ‘kill’ analogue systems off once and for all?
we let go? What will it take to ‘kill’ analogue systems off once and for all?
Technology
is not ‘yet’ ready
is not ‘yet’ ready
The tools
for going paperless are both accessible and economical; you can easily scan a
key document and save it in PDF format; e-books can be downloaded and read
through myriad digital devices; and receiving all of your bills via email is a
cinch. But while this technology has come a long way, it still has an uphill
journey to be truly ‘ready’.
for going paperless are both accessible and economical; you can easily scan a
key document and save it in PDF format; e-books can be downloaded and read
through myriad digital devices; and receiving all of your bills via email is a
cinch. But while this technology has come a long way, it still has an uphill
journey to be truly ‘ready’.
Paper
does not need reboots, passwords, or charging. Paper notebooks do not ‘crash’.
Bic pens are ready to write, whether you have 4G connectivity or not. With
paper, there is no system to learn and shortcut keys to memorise. Alexa needs
to be plugged in, while Siri, Cortana and Google Now can’t doodle.
does not need reboots, passwords, or charging. Paper notebooks do not ‘crash’.
Bic pens are ready to write, whether you have 4G connectivity or not. With
paper, there is no system to learn and shortcut keys to memorise. Alexa needs
to be plugged in, while Siri, Cortana and Google Now can’t doodle.
The
transition of paper to electronic document has not solved the issue of content
chaos. We are still trying to remember which folder we saved that contract in.
When the system fails, which is unpredicted, we easily fall back on paper and
legacy paper processes. In addition, the reality for some organisations is that
there are multiple touchpoints in the workflow that remain analogue.
transition of paper to electronic document has not solved the issue of content
chaos. We are still trying to remember which folder we saved that contract in.
When the system fails, which is unpredicted, we easily fall back on paper and
legacy paper processes. In addition, the reality for some organisations is that
there are multiple touchpoints in the workflow that remain analogue.
Coupled
to this, many have said that the practicality of paper is hard to beat on
project sites; it is disposable, easily replaced and you can edit (using a red
pen) as you please. Decades have passed, and the use of paper still feels
natural and inherent.
to this, many have said that the practicality of paper is hard to beat on
project sites; it is disposable, easily replaced and you can edit (using a red
pen) as you please. Decades have passed, and the use of paper still feels
natural and inherent.
In the
words of Getting
Things Done author David Allen, “…the easiest and most
ubiquitous way to get stuff out of your head is pen and paper.”
words of Getting
Things Done author David Allen, “…the easiest and most
ubiquitous way to get stuff out of your head is pen and paper.”
Users are
(often) not the centre of things
(often) not the centre of things
Amazon
Kindle is an e-reader device that enables users to read e-books, newspapers,
magazines and other digital media. Tech developers saw the need to mimic a book
in tablet format, but still provide the feeling of reading a book (turning a
page, etc).
Kindle is an e-reader device that enables users to read e-books, newspapers,
magazines and other digital media. Tech developers saw the need to mimic a book
in tablet format, but still provide the feeling of reading a book (turning a
page, etc).
Why was
Kindle successful? Because developers placed the users at the heart of the
technology experience. We often forget that systems and apps meant for everyone
must be designed for everyone.
Kindle successful? Because developers placed the users at the heart of the
technology experience. We often forget that systems and apps meant for everyone
must be designed for everyone.
E-signatures
and encryption are only useful if the people you want to communicate with have
the same tools.
and encryption are only useful if the people you want to communicate with have
the same tools.
The Moleskin
Paper Tablet and Pen+ combo, which digitises your handwritten notes and
doodles for editing and sharing, is reliant on its smartpen and mobile app to
make it work usefully.
Paper Tablet and Pen+ combo, which digitises your handwritten notes and
doodles for editing and sharing, is reliant on its smartpen and mobile app to
make it work usefully.
Microsoft’s Courier Tablet, a book-sized digital journal with a native
stylus, held promise as a tool designed for the creative minds, in which
architects can sketch building plans or writers can draft documents, but it
didn’t catch on – content creation alone wasn’t enough.
stylus, held promise as a tool designed for the creative minds, in which
architects can sketch building plans or writers can draft documents, but it
didn’t catch on – content creation alone wasn’t enough.
Many
systems and apps fail to benefit those who use them. And for that reason,
creative professionals who write, sketch, or prototype by hand still carry
cheap notebooks and pens.
systems and apps fail to benefit those who use them. And for that reason,
creative professionals who write, sketch, or prototype by hand still carry
cheap notebooks and pens.
Until
technology can perform like (or better than) paper, we’ll incessantly default
to the original. Going paperless is likely to remain a stretch
for many and the past decades have taught us that no matter how smart,
technology is never ‘absolute’.
technology can perform like (or better than) paper, we’ll incessantly default
to the original. Going paperless is likely to remain a stretch
for many and the past decades have taught us that no matter how smart,
technology is never ‘absolute’.
People
will probably be stuffing wads of cash under their mattress for the next 50
years, possibly more. Vinyl records will continue to be played occasionally,
and we’ll still see horses and carts on the roads (the queen drives in one
every now and then).
will probably be stuffing wads of cash under their mattress for the next 50
years, possibly more. Vinyl records will continue to be played occasionally,
and we’ll still see horses and carts on the roads (the queen drives in one
every now and then).
In
reality, we’ll more likely experience a blended future in which new and
old systems co-exist. And this will apply to a plethora of new technologies,
not just paper, including those such as autonomous vehicles.
reality, we’ll more likely experience a blended future in which new and
old systems co-exist. And this will apply to a plethora of new technologies,
not just paper, including those such as autonomous vehicles.
Collectors
may always want to own a ‘self-drive’ vehicle and if that is the case, then
we’ll need systems and infrastructure that allow both systems to coexist. Going
forward, the ‘fast track’ to the future may literally be one in which the
Hyperloop jostles for space among ‘vintage’ Volkswagens, BMWs and Volvos. Look
left, and a drone will be delivering a pizza. Look right and you’ll notice
someone doing the morning ‘paper-run’.
may always want to own a ‘self-drive’ vehicle and if that is the case, then
we’ll need systems and infrastructure that allow both systems to coexist. Going
forward, the ‘fast track’ to the future may literally be one in which the
Hyperloop jostles for space among ‘vintage’ Volkswagens, BMWs and Volvos. Look
left, and a drone will be delivering a pizza. Look right and you’ll notice
someone doing the morning ‘paper-run’.
And
whilst we all may fantasise about efficient sci-fi future worlds filled with
Minority Report holographics, it is likely to be the transition from our
current realities to these future enabled utopias where the real engineering
challenge will lie.
whilst we all may fantasise about efficient sci-fi future worlds filled with
Minority Report holographics, it is likely to be the transition from our
current realities to these future enabled utopias where the real engineering
challenge will lie.
Such are
the “Back to the Nature” characteristics of ‘progress’.
the “Back to the Nature” characteristics of ‘progress’.
(Aurecon has launched a new futuristic blog! Called Just
Imagine, it provides a glimpse into
the future for curious readers, exploring ideas that are probable, possible and
for the imagination. This post
originally appeared on Aurecon’s Just
Imagine blog. Get access to the latest blog posts as soon as they
are published by subscribing
to the blog.)
Imagine, it provides a glimpse into
the future for curious readers, exploring ideas that are probable, possible and
for the imagination. This post
originally appeared on Aurecon’s Just
Imagine blog. Get access to the latest blog posts as soon as they
are published by subscribing
to the blog.)
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