[LINK] Greenhouse contribution of letters

[Rick Welykochy]

Stephen Wilson wrote:

> Sorry, I don't get it.  How can you lambast banks for not printing heaps 
> of paper, on the basis that you are so very sure that all people are 
> printing the statements anyway, but then say so proudly (I guess) that 
> you never print e-mails yourself?  Are you typical or not?  If you are 
> typical then your analysis is at odds with your own experience. If 
> you're not, then perhaps you could temper your dead set certainty that 
> the banks are somehow misbehaving?

Of course I don't have the stats to back up my assumptions. But I thought
I clearly explained why this is a "green" scam disguising externalisation
of costs.

I am NOT typical. I see people all the time hitting the Print button,
only to read a document and then "recycle" it. If that.

But I make no apologies for accepting a printed statement from the bank.
A few of my invoices for my own business are machine-readable only,
i.e. on the HDD. And they are a pain to deal with from an accounting
point of view. Not impossible.

But I don't think one could really run bank-statement driven accounts
(i.e. SME type accounting) with only files on the computer, i.e. sans
a printout. Probably less important for personal accounts.


> The truth of course is probably somewhere in between.  It seems clear to 
> me that we are in an intermediate stage of technology adoption, where 
> many people still like paper, while those on the leading edge are moving 
> on to new paperless practices.  If so, why not try and spread the word 
> about better practices?  And consider the more optimistic view that for 
> banks to offer the option of electronic statements might actually be an 
> appropriate way to deal with an increasing subset of customers?

Leading edge? The paperless office was proposed over twenty years ago.
And yes, I do spread the word about the ridiculousness of faxing. My
verdict is on how "green" electronic statements lies firmly in the area
of it being a furphy.

Hey, whatever happened to the electronic paper developed years ago at
MIT? That seems like an ideal solution. I'd drop paper statements if I
could load up my electronic sheet with a year's worth of statements so
I can do my accounts. I'd probably read an electronic book that way
as well. As it stands, a computer monitor or laptop display is no
substitute when having to read volumes of detailed data. Or a story.

Although I don't know if electronic paper smells like the real thing.
Or if it is nice to curl up with a single electronic sheet on a rainy
afternoon and read it by the fire.

cheers
rickw


-- 
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Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services || Internet Driving Instructor

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