
One of my causes in the interest of promoting productivity is to uphold the value of low-tech solutions. I often speak to people who immediately assume that I'll insist they use a PDA or other electronic device for staying organized.
But my philosophy is that people should use what they like and what works (yes, it has to be both!). I like paper too and I use it for tasks that it seems better suited to than electronic media. Even today, high-tech professions also continue to use paper.
Air traffic controllers use "flight progress strips" to keep track of planes. These have persisted even though software has been designed to do the same job because paper works better. A physical strip of paper can be seen by others across the room, it can be silently passed between controllers who can mentally register that a new plane is coming into their area without taking their attention from the screen in front of them, and it provides a lightning quick way to be reminded of how many aircraft they're monitoring, again without looking away from the screen.
This is a great example of using what works best, even if it's not modern or "organized" looking. FYI, this information came from a fascinating Malcolm Gladwell article called "The Social Life of Paper."







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