Ramble On

Discussion Question

So when in the samheck are we going to get rid of the Fax?

Commentary

So let’s go down the list of things that are so early 19th century

• It generally requires an Analog line (1)
• The resolution is generally terrible (2)
• The general workflow with faxes is terrible (3)
• Security, Schmurity (4)
• Two Words: Paper Jam (5)

FootNotes

1. No, I don’t want to hear about internet-steal-your-money fax services. Or the fact that you faxed over your cellphone. I mean honestly if you fax over your cellphone, or you are applying a crappy resolution analog data transmission over TCP/IP you are a complete geek. But not a modern geek, you are like the geeks that build their own telegraph, or re-record your Peter Cetera on your way rad Edison wax cylinder. Actually the latter crowd is way cooler than you.
2. Okay, so I know that Group3 faxes are like 400 lines an inch. But really give me a dollar for how many messed up, illegible faxes have you seen. Now give me five dollars for each clean, clear, fax you have seen. HEY LOOK OUT THERE’S NEIL DIAMOND RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
3. Play along with the home game. Make word document. Print it out, fax it. Recipient gets it, carries it to the IT person to scan it in and give them a word document of it. IT person forces intern to use pirated 5 year old version of OCR software running on Windows ME. Which they do because Myspace keeps crashing. I mean really, why print it out when you can just email it to that person and 14 other people on the CC: line?
4. Like they don’t get enough practice already forging their spouse’s/significant other’s/parent’s signature already. <serious> Really, when are we going to allow digital signature admissibility? Sure, they aren’t secure, but it’s not like crappy resolution forged signatures are any better</serious>
5. Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

Okay. Discuss amongst yourselves.

But, hey, it’s a technical blog, and it is Friday. And I was going to be on vacation today, and may even call this vacation, because it’s almost work, only not quite. But it is Apple and Linux, and about developers, developers, developers and that is pretty relevant you know?

Okay, I’ll just shut up already - and link to Wil Shipley. Because if 50 people a day walk in and sing a… wait, that’s not right. Just read the article, because there’s choice quotes like:

It’s like saying, “Should McDonald’s worry because vegetarians are boycotting the restaurant?”

Although I’m a little worried about my paint now.