The Myth of the Paperless Office | 
 enlarge | Authors: Abigail J. Sellen, Richard H. R. Harper
Publisher: The MIT Press
Category: Book
List Price: $21.00
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 260108
Media: Paperback
Pages: 245
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 026269283X
Dewey Decimal Number: 651
EAN: 9780262692830
ASIN: 026269283X
Publication Date: April 1, 2003
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Product Description
2002 IEEE-USAB Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions Furthering Engineering Professionalism
Over the past thirty years, many people have proclaimed the imminent arrival of the paperless office. Yet even the World Wide Web, which allows almost any computer to read and display another computer’s documents, has increased the amount of printing done. The use of e-mail in an organization causes an average 40 percent increase in paper consumption. In The Myth of the Paperless Office, Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper use the study of paper as a way to understand the work that people do and the reasons they do it the way they do. Using the tools of ethnography and cognitive psychology, they look at paper use from the level of the individual up to that of organizational culture.
Central to Sellen and Harper’s investigation is the concept of "affordances"a the activities that an object allows, or affords. The physical properties of paper (its being thin, light, porous, opaque, and flexible) afford the human actions of grasping, carrying, folding, writing, and so on. The concept of affordance allows them to compare the affordances of paper with those of existing digital devices. They can then ask what kinds of devices or systems would make new kinds of activities possible or better support current activities. The authors argue that paper will continue to play an important role in office life. Rather than pursue the ideal of the paperless office, we should work toward a future in which paper and electronic document tools work in concert and organizational processes make optimal use of both.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Wonderful Service June 13, 2007
Gayle L. Blayney (Australia)
0 out of 7 found this review helpful
I received the "The Myth of the Paperless Office" book within a few days of ordering it. It was in perfect condition just as it was stated on the promo.
In praise of paper? March 12, 2004
Harald Groven (Tromso, Norway)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
There are copious amounts of research on how people interact with computers or machines. However, there is very little research on all the hidden features of paper. "The Myth of the Paperless Office" brings attention to how office workers actually organize their information needs. In many ways, it's probably a pioneering work in computer usability, even though it doesn't specifically deal with computers, but rather anthropological research on the use of paper in organisations. This book can be very useful for anyone. Especially for designers of computer systems that wonder why people still stick to yellow labels and printouts, even its technically "inefficient", compared to a digital solution. Its also recommended reading for bosses that plan to implement a "clean desk policy", or employees that are wondering how to get around clutter on their desks. For an excellent review of the book, read the article "In praise of clutter" from The Economist Magazine (Dec 19th 2002)
 What the UK media say December 3, 2001
14 out of 25 found this review helpful
New Scientist, 10 November, 2001
This is a book that all managers should read...It explodes the paperless myth, and highlights the strengths and weakenesses of electronic paper-based systems. The Guardian, 26 November, 2001
If you wish to read anything at all on office management, read this book
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