Monkeys, Bananas, and a Fire Hose
December 8th, 2008
This story has been repeated in so many places that it has to be an urban myth, but all good myths contain a grain of truth. I was reminded of that this morning, when I found the new U of T phonebook in my mailbox. That’s right, a printed-on-paper phonebook: cheap paper, but a glossy cover. I’m guessing at least $2 per copy to produce. Multiply that by 5000 copies (I’ll bet the real number is closer to double that), and double it again for human labor and recycling cost, and you’ve got 1/3 of a person’s salary at a time when the university is facing a serious financial crunch, all for something that would have been out of date even before the presses started rolling. *sigh*
It is easy to overestimate the familiarity of people with technological tools (like an online phone list) and their desire to forgo the convenience of the “old tools”. I have witnessed first hand complaints from university faculty members about distributing memos and documents for consultation (in preparation for a strategic plan) by electronic means instead of in paper form; if it’s not on paper, they won’t bother to read it. What you witnessed may not be so much the result of a lack of critical thinking as it might be just someone responding to users demands. Still, if you bring it to the attention of your departement head or Dean, it might eventually get the attention of someone who has the authority to do something about it.
Don’t expect them to be reading your blog…
Hi, I’m afraid I’ll have to agree with Andrè about people’s familiarity with technological tools. I’m working on the development of a web-based platform for researchers, expecting to make their life easier to manage and organize, anywhere they should be. During the design phase we’ve spreaded an online survey to 20 possible users to monitor their expectations and use. This pilot group have revealed a very low knowledge of Web 2.0 possibilities, sometimes wondering why lab diaries should go online rather than being on paper. This tells a lot about the street to “real” technological development….