Comments on: Printed Documentation: Only One Foot in the Grave http://www.gryphonmountain.net/2008/10/printed-documentation-only-one-foot-in-the-grave/ Technical Communication and Other Writing Topics, by Ben Minson Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:05:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Craig http://www.gryphonmountain.net/2008/10/printed-documentation-only-one-foot-in-the-grave/#comment-185 Craig Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:51:34 +0000 http://www.gryphonmountain.net/?p=154#comment-185 Printed documentation is NOT a goner, despite what we might and hope. It may be slowly diminishing in popularity, but it is still going strong. From what I can see, electronic media is not dependable enough. Laptops can get fried or break. A printed reference is there when you need it in your messenger bag or briefcase. I have heard of more than one instance where a big presentation was otherwise doomed because of a lost or stolen or damaged or finicky laptop. The presenter then remembered they had a hardcopy of the presentation marked and stickie-noted in their backpack. They ran it down to the local Kinko's, had 50 copies printed out, and handed them out at the presentation. People were grateful for the hardcopy. They didn't have to take notes or squint at yet another screen. They liked having a physical hardcopy they could bang around. Printed documentation is NOT a goner, despite what we might and hope.

It may be slowly diminishing in popularity, but it is still going strong. From what I can see, electronic media is not dependable enough. Laptops can get fried or break. A printed reference is there when you need it in your messenger bag or briefcase.

I have heard of more than one instance where a big presentation was otherwise doomed because of a lost or stolen or damaged or finicky laptop. The presenter then remembered they had a hardcopy of the presentation marked and stickie-noted in their backpack. They ran it down to the local Kinko’s, had 50 copies printed out, and handed them out at the presentation.

People were grateful for the hardcopy. They didn’t have to take notes or squint at yet another screen. They liked having a physical hardcopy they could bang around.

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