[imatfaal]

Thursday: finished filing the paperwork generated; note to self: do it as you are going along!

If you find a way of actually sticking to this could you tell me please.  I cannot count how many times I have resolved to do this. 

[Geezer]

Thursday: finished filing the paperwork generated; note to self: do it as you are going along!

If you find a way of actually sticking to this could you tell me please.  I cannot count how many times I have resolved to do this. 

Of course, you could always try the old "box" method.

Obtain a box, or several boxes, of reasonable proportions. "File" everything into the box when you think it no longer needs to be on your desk. Once a year, or when you run out of boxes, go through the contents of the box starting from the oldest material and decide if any of it is worth keeping.

[Mazurka]

working for local governement means that the box of reasonable proportions would need to be in the order of a cubic metre or so...

[imatfaal]

We had to move to a new building because our version of the 'old box method' was the spare offices method.  When we moved we chucked about 25% of the total paperwork and assorted rubbish we were hanging on to - 2 years later not one ill effect.

[Geezer]

We had to move to a new building because our version of the 'old box method' was the spare offices method.  When we moved we chucked about 25% of the total paperwork and assorted rubbish we were hanging on to - 2 years later not one ill effect.

Hehehe! That's what I always found, only in my case, about 90% of the stuff was not in the least relevant after a year. Not only that, but as most of the documents had been created and transmtted electronically, there were probably about fifty other copies floating around on our intranet, in peoples laptops, etc. I figured that we could reduce our electronic storage space requirements by at least 90% (probably a lot more) simply by eliminating redundant copies of everything. However, as we were in the business of selling electronic storage equipment, that might have been frowned upon  []

[imatfaal]

I have identical contracts that go back within my company for 50 years - the size of the file has gone from less than a centimetre thick to over 5 centimetres; god bless the paperless office.  Even a raving technophile like myself sometimes wishes for the old days of telex communication where you knew the rough cost per character and communicated accordingly (about 5p a letter via inmarsat telex).   

[Variola]

Dear Diary

Today nothing grew, whatsoever, despite being put in yummy broth and placed in a heated shaker for 6 hours.
I have even resorted to showing my texts books and journal papers to my bacteria in the flasks in an attempt to make them realise what they should be doing. Upon doing so, my lab colleagues suggested I should get a coffee, and a life.

[Geezer]

Dear Diary

Today nothing grew, whatsoever, despite being put in yummy broth and placed in a heated shaker for 6 hours.
I have even resorted to showing my texts books and journal papers to my bacteria in the flasks in an attempt to make them realise what they should be doing. Upon doing so, my lab colleagues suggested I should get a coffee, and a life.

Maybe you sterilized them with ultraviolent light. Tell your colleagues they'll have to work with the lights turned off tomorrow.

[CliffordK]

I have identical contracts that go back within my company for 50 years - the size of the file has gone from less than a centimetre thick to over 5 centimetres; god bless the paperless office.  Even a raving technophile like myself sometimes wishes for the old days of telex communication where you knew the rough cost per character and communicated accordingly (about 5p a letter via inmarsat telex).   

I never used a telex, or a telegram. 

However, I can tell you the wonders of cutting and pasting.  Make a generic contract...  and cut and paste large chunks of it into the next contract.

I could not imagine having to sit down and type out a new contract using a manual typewriter every time.  Especially if the BOSS insisted on no white-out, and not a single error on a page!!!

[imatfaal]

Clifford - my predecessor remembers actual cutting and pasting; way before computers we had telex machines that worked off punched tape storage.  To make a complicated message you could either work on a live connexion (very expensive), re-type the message (very laborious), or literally cut and paste sections of tape together.  Two of our old machines are housed in BT's museum (where-ever that is)

I wasn't clear on my comparison btw - the actual contracts have remained exactly the same (pre-printed forms have become protected msword templates), but the files dealing with the voyage fulfilling the contract have increased at least five-fold.

My predecessor's career spanned an era when international calls had to be booked with the operator in advance to instant mobile communication around the world; from ticker tape via telx and fax to email, and of course manual calculators that strengthened your biceps to computers that can run sophisticated scenario evaluation.    That's in a little over 40 years! What's the next sea-change that will aid us - I suppose if I could imagine it, I wouldnt be writing about it I would be patenting it.

[Mazurka]

Dear Diary

Today nothing grew, whatsoever, despite being put in yummy broth and placed in a heated shaker for 6 hours.
I have even resorted to showing my texts books and journal papers to my bacteria in the flasks in an attempt to make them realise what they should be doing. Upon doing so, my lab colleagues suggested I should get a coffee, and a life.

I would urge caution - boredom and frustration can lead to poor decision making and (presumably) you would not want to mix up the coffee flask with the bacterial broth flask.

Just out of interest have you tried setups involving lightning rods and blade switches?

[graham.d]

My mobile phone has died. More specifically the LCD display has cracked and displays pretty colours rather randomly, although the phone still works if one can remember the key presses. Fortunately my company has an identical replacement so all that needs to be done is to transfer my address book across without the benefit of being able to see the screen. Hmm!

I must not keep my phone in my trouser pocket in future.

[Variola]

Just out of interest have you tried setups involving lightning rods and blade switches?
 

No I haven't although unless they start behaving then I may threaten them with such  []

[demografx]

My mobile phone has died.

That would have have helped me when I accidentally deleted a thread on my iPhone. Everything is so dangerously close on the iPhone screen!

[Daerana]

Well, as at the end of last year I graduated from high school, today I watched my younger sister return for another year.  The morning was filled with much joy, happiness and laughter... for me at least anyway before I decided to go back to bed for another our or so as uni doesn't start yet for another month and a bit.

So with all the insanity of senior year going on I havn't had much time recently for being ablee to do much posting until now.

[imatfaal]

Just finished my tax return - phew!  Only 7 days to go for anyone else who hasn't yet done it.  HMRC owe me money :-D

[demografx]

Maybe they'll send you a taxed message on your mobile phone.

[Geezer]

No. They'll probably send the money electronically in a Tax eCAB.

[Karen W. (OP)]

Dear Diary, I hope you all here are doing well and that the new year is bringing you good luck and loads of fun new adventures!
  Anyone do anything new and fun?

[demografx]

No. They'll probably send the money electronically in a Tax eCAB.

I hail that remark.