Detail of Preamble to Constitution of the United States Polski: Fragment preambuły Konstytucji Stanów Zjednoczonych (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently had a conversation with a tech-savvy person. He asked me what I thought would win out in the long run: paper or digital technologies. A year ago, I might have said digital. However, now, I don’t think that is the case.

If you think about it, our society depends heavily on paper-based communication. Even though digital technologies are becoming more prevalent, I just don’t see them winning out in the long run. My primary reasoning is that there is an uncertainty about technology. What if the screen goes blank? What if I get a virus and lose everything? This uncertainty is what I believe will keep paper at the forefront. In addition, if you think about it, our society spends a lot of money preserving paper. For example, the Constitution of the United States, the King James Bible, and photographs just to name a few.

Technology usually becomes outdated within a couple of years or so. Then what happens? Maybe a couple of each game-changing product is preserved for museums. The rest are either recycled or sent to the less fortunate. Even though what is written on the paper may become outdated, it usually doesn’t make it irrelevant. Books have a much longer life-expectancy than most technology does.

Now I don’t think technology or paper will become obsolete in the long run. I believe both will and should complement each other.

Share your thoughts on this topic. In the long run, do you think paper or digital technologies will win out or do you think it will be a combination?

Related articles

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A drawing of an envelope (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The debate facing many corporations today is whether or not to stick with traditional mail marketing, switch to e-mail marketing or maybe a combination of both.  According to an article on piworld.com titled, “Nielsen Study Proves the Impact and Attraction of the Printed Envelope,” customers still value the printed envelope.

According to the article, the study confirms the unique aspects of the printed envelope. Here is a short excerpt from the article demonstrating the success of the envelope.

“The study shows that the printed envelope stood up during the whole purchase decision process. The envelope is most effective in drawing attention and generates the highest number of readers compared with the standard envelope, the self-mailer, the wrapper and the email.”

The article and study found:

• The printed envelope: the medium for success.
• Printed envelopes influence the purchase decision the most.
• Young recipients prefer envelopes – as long as they are personalized.
• The customized enveloped has to become more efficient.

According to the article, speed of delivery is one of the drawbacks. However, if marketers can get printed materials to consumers in a reasonable amount of time, Phillip Schilling, managing director of RAPP Germany, an international advertising agency, said the envelope will improve its future standing in society.

Here is another short excerpt from the article:

“Schilling suggests that the Nielsen study shows that if envelope-based communication can manage to combine its high quality with individualization and a reduced time-to-mailbox, it will increasingly be the medium of choice when addressing customers directly.”

I think an envelope adds suspense to what’s inside. Although we may know it is “junk mail,” we still can’t be sure unless we open it. An e-mail is kind of like receiving a Christmas or birthday present without wrapping. Without the wrapping, the surprise of what’s inside is spoiled.

What are your thoughts? Do you prefer e-mail marketing or paper-based marketing?

A stack of copy paper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In today’s ever-changing digital society, many think old-fashioned paper will soon be a thing of the past. However, according to an article by Douglas Hanks of the Miami Harold titled “Paper appears to be winning battle to digitize paperwork,” “Walk through the modern new document depository in Medley, Fla., and one thing becomes clear: Paper can be a hard habit to break.”

According to the article, the company can scan millions of pieces of paperwork; however, a lot of their business includes storing paperwork.

Here is a short excerpt from the article that explains the vast amount of paper stored:

“The warehouse now contains roughly 10 million files and 500 million pieces of paper. They fill 90 rows of shelves 30 feet tall, running the length of two football fields. The warehouse purchased 193,000 labels to set up the shelving system.”

I believe this is a prime example of the importance of paper.. It just goes to show that our society still values paper. Paper is something tangible that we can hold and there is no fear of a virus or the screen going black. Whatever is on the paper will always be there (unless something is spilled on it or it is in a fire).

People have a sort of emotional attachment to paper. There is always the question “what if” that runs through people’s minds when they consider destroying important paper documents. What if I need to reference that paper document in the future? What if my computer crashes and I lose everything? For that reason, I believe most companies will keep paper copies as backups, just in case. I think the process of converting paper documents into digital documents will prove extremely helpful in the future. However, I believe paper-based communication will continue to be a vital part of our society.

What are your thoughts? Do you think companies will eventually go all-digital or do you think many will keep paper copies just in case something happens?

Pumpkin spice cupcake. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Many people send cards every year; however, sometimes you want to do something unique and special. I was thinking about other uses of paper on Mother’s Day and realized that paper plays an essential part in baking. Take cupcakes for example.

Most cupcake liners are made of paper. These paper cupcake liners can be hand decorated, hand-cut, or pre-purchased with designs. In addition to the Mother’s Day card, you and your family could bake your mom some cupcakes and decorate the paper liners (unless she doesn’t like cupcakes!).

Here is a link to Pinterest that shows all kinds of paper cupcake liners.

Also, for the little kids, there are some arts and crafts projects they can make for mom out of paper cupcake liners.

For example, they can make a paper cupcake liner bouquet. Click here to see a picture and for step-by-step directions from pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com.

Also, they could make a paper cupcake liner corsage for mom. Click here to see a picture and for directions on how to make this corsage from Raising Arizona Kid’s website.

Who knew there are so many different uses for paper cupcake liners!

Do you know of any other uses for paper cupcake liners that would make good creative gifts for Mother’s Day?

Earth worm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you think of recycling paper, what is the first image that comes to your mind? A big blue bin? A shredding container? Worms? When most of us think about recycling paper, we think of putting it into a big blue pin or shredding container.  However, I recently went on a tour of Louisville, Kentucky’s Mega Cavern. It is an underground cave that was created by miners for limestone. It would have been a safe-zone in case of a nuclear explosion during the Cold War Era. Our tour guide told us the Louisville Mega Cavern is very committed to recycling.  However, one of the most interesting and unsuspecting parts of the tour for me was the worm paper recycling center.

In the middle of the tour, we encountered a large dumpster. The tour guide got out of the jeep and told us that they shred all of their office paper and put it into the dumpster. The dumpster was full of worms. She said the worms decompose the paper, which in turn creates a very rich fertilizer. She then ate one of the worms, and offered us the chance to eat one too. She said they are full of protein! No one else on the tour ate a worm.

Now not all companies can create worm composting facilities. However, it is the premise behind it. We should recycle everything we possibly can to help the Earth. This just shows how paper can be both useful and beneficial to the environment. Instead of throwing away paper, we should always find a way to recycle it.

If you are ever in Louisville, Kentucky, you should stop in and take the tour at the Louisville Mega Cavern.

Have you ever seen a worm recycling farm? Do you know any companies or people that have one?

Plastic Ocean (Photo credit: Kevin Krejci)

Many companies are beginning to make the shift from plastic to paper to help the environment. Plastic bags are polluting our environment and harming our wildlife.

I recently gave a presentation on this topic. Many sea animals, especially sea turtles, are mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish. Click here to look at this picture…can you tell which is the plastic bag? It’s hard for humans to tell the difference, imagine how hard it is for sea creatures. In case you are wondering, the picture on the right is a jellyfish.

According to a press release on market watch’s website titled “From Gift Bags to Beverage Cups, Theme Park Visits More Planet-Friendly–SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Parks Say Good-bye to Plastic Bags – Precedent-setting Move Keeps 4 Million Plastic Bags Out of Landfills Annually,” SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are replacing plastic bags with paper bags.

According to the press release, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment are the largest theme park to make this commitment. Guests will have the option of purchasing a reusable shopping bag or using a paper bag made from 100 percent recycled paper.

Here is a short excerpt from the press release:

“Approximately 1.4 billion tons of trash, including plastic bags, enters the ocean annually. Wildlife such as endangered sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods.”

In addition to eliminating plastic bags, the press release indicated SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and the Coca-Cola Company have made a 10 year partnership to provide guests with paper cups made from 85 percent renewable resources. This will help significantly as guests currently use more than 13 million paper cups annually throughout the 10 parks.

I think it’s great that a large company, like SeaWorld, has made this commitment. SeaWorld knows firsthand the harm human trash can cause to marine life. Humans need to be more committed to recycling.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think plastic bags will eventually all be replaced with paper and reusable shopping bags?

Here is a YouTube video about plastic and our ocean.

US Navy 040422-N-3019M-001 Sailors assigned to Pearl Harbor Security Detachment help plant a Ku Kui tree at Webling Elementary School in honor of Earth Day (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most children receive a tree in elementary school in honor of Earth Day. This year, Earth Day is on Sunday, April 22.

I was recently walking in my yard and noticed a lone pine tree growing in the middle of an open area in our woods. It wasn’t very big and is a little lopsided. My dad told me that it was one of the trees I brought home for Earth Day in elementary school. I didn’t pick the best location for the tree to be planted, but nevertheless, it survived! It has grown since then; however, now as much I expected. It’s only a little over 6 feet and it was planted over 10 years ago.

According to Earth Day Network’s website, Earth Day began in 1970. Here is a brief excerpt about the history of Earth Day from its website:

“The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.”

Earth Day reminds us that Earth’s natural resources are precious and limited. It allows us to take a step back and realize the destruction humans have caused. We need to take better care of the Earth, its animals, and natural resources.

So this Earth Day, go out and plant a tree or help pick up some  trash to help restore Earth to its natural beauty.

Do you or your family do anything special for Earth Day? Do you remember receiving trees to plant in elementary school? Do you remember or visit that tree to see how it has grown?

Shredded Paper (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you ever wonder what happens to old currency? Most of us know it is shredded and disgarded in some way. However, one company is looking to give old, shredded paper currency new life. Ford is looking at possibly using shredded, paper currency in its cars and trucks.

According to press release on marketwatch.com titled “Higher Oil Costs Could Speed Up the Use of New ‘Green’ Materials Such as Old U.S. Paper Money in Future Fords,” “Potential alternatives to petroleum-based products, including old U.S. paper currency retired from service and shredded, could join soybeans, denim, plastic bottles and other materials used in Ford vehicles.” The press release also stated, “…8,000 to 10,000 pounds of retired paper currency are shredded daily – more than 3.6 million pounds annually. The shredded money is either compressed into bricks and landfilled, or burned.”

John Viera, Ford’s global director of Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental matters, said in the press release, “The potential to reuse some of the country’s paper currency once it has been taken out of circulation is a great example of the kind of research we are doing,”

So you may be wondering where in the world will the shredded paper currency will be used in a vehicle. According to the press release, it is being considered for interior bins and trays. There is not a guarantee it will be used; however, it is a possibility.

Click here to read the entire press release. It’s pretty amazing what materials are already used in some of their cars. For example, “Focus Electric uses a wood-fiber-based material in its doors and recycled plastic bottles in its seat fabric.”

I think it would be neat if Ford incorporated old money into their vehicles. In addition, it would prevent the paper from ending up in landfills or being burned, which is just another way that paper can be environmentally-friendly.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Stack of books in Gould's Book Arcade, Newtown, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In today’s technological society, many believe, especially technology specialists, that the printed book will eventually be replaced. However, one technology guru is trying to keep one copy of every book ever made to preserve history for future generations.

I saw a segment on CBS Evening News about this topic. His name is Brewster Kahle. Libraries and colleges send him their old books. He scans every book and makes it available online, copyright permitting. The website where these books are available is www.archive.org. However, he also keeps the hard copy in storage.

Librarians send him old books. In the segment, one librarian said it made her feel better because she knew the books were going to a good home.

In the segment, Kahle said all e-books look the same. However, he said physical books provide a different experience.

In an article on Business Insider’s website by Dylan Love titled “Meet The Guy Attempting To Collect Every Book Ever Published Before They’re All Digitized,” he favors digitization but feels that digitization should not make physical books obsolete.

I believe Kahle’s message is a strong one. In the segment, he said that we mustn’t forget where we came from.  In an article on CBS News’ website by Edecio Martinez titled “Archivist builds Noah’s Ark for books on the web” Kahle said “there is always going to be a role for books.”

This just goes to show that even technology specialists recognize the important role the printed word plays and will continue to play in our lives.

Watch the video from CBS Evening News.

Share your thoughts on this topic.

Related articles

• In a Flood Tide of Digital Data, an Ark Full of Books (nytimes.com)

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, April 15, 2012, marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of The Titanic. America’s fascination with this ship is astounding. I was watching a television show this morning and it said that this year, over 100 books have been published about the Titanic. It’s amazing that something that happened so long ago is still so popular. The movie, Titanic, was just recently re-released in 3D and is bringing long-time fans back to the box office.

However, I just found out that the R.M.S. stands for Royal Mail Ship. The Titanic was a Royal Mail Ship!

According to an article by Jennifer Rosenberg on about.com titled “10 Facts About The Titanic That You Don’t Know,” the Titanic had its own newspaper, The Atlantic Daily Bulletin, on-board that was printed daily. Here is a short excerpt from Rosenberg’s article:

“The R.M.S. Titanic was a Royal Mail Ship, a designation which meant the Titanic was officially responsible for delivering mail for the British postal service. On board the Titanic was a Sea Post Office with five mail clerks (two British and three American). These mail clerks were responsible for the 3,423 sacks of mail (seven million individual pieces of mail) on board the Titanic. Interestingly, although no mail has yet been recovered from the wreck of the Titanic, if it were, the U.S. Postal Service would still try to deliver it (the USPS because most of the mail was being sent to the U.S.).”

I have always been fascinated with The Titanic since I was young. I guess there is just something magical about it. Still to this day, if the movie in on television, even though I’ve seen it a hundred times, I always end up back on that channel.

I think when people watch the movie; they can relate and wonder how they would react in that situation. They sort of place themselves in the movie. However, what those people went through is unimaginable and we must remember that it isn’t just a movie, it really happened.

One survivor, Jack Thayer, wrote a book titled “Jack Thayer and the Wreck of the Titanic.” Here is an overview from Barnes and Noble’s website about the book:

“The Seventeen-Year-Old Son of a Pennsylvania Railroad Official Tells the Moving Story of His Rescue

ONE of the calmest of the passengers was young Jack Thayer, the seventeen-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Thayer. When his mother was put into the lifeboat he kissed her and told her to be brave, saying that he and his father would be all right.

He and Mr. Thayer stood on the deck as the small boat in which Mrs. Thayer was a passenger made off from the side of the Titanic over the smooth sea.

The boy’s own account of his experience as told to one of his rescuers is one of the most remarkable of all the wonderful ones that have come from the tremendous catastrophe. Here, in his own words, is his story.”

Any documents that survived that dreadful day are extremely important to history and are also extremely valuable. Just imagine if you have the front page of the newspaper with the sinking of the Titanic. Also, any tickets or papers offer some glimpse into that night and are probably very valuable.

So if you are a Titanic buff and have some extra time this Sunday afternoon check out Jack Thayer’s book and get a first-hand account of the sinking of the Titanic or go see it in 3D.

Share your thoughts on this topic. Did you know the Titanic was a mail ship?