nytimes.com — "The printed information on the document ?disappears? within 16 hours. The documents can be reused more quickly by simply placing them in the copier paper tray. The researchers said that individual pieces of paper had been printed on up to 50 times, and the only current limit in the process appears to be paper life."
Nov 27, 2006 View in Crawl 4
bobonotNov 27, 2006
Interesting idea, but not all that practical for most offices. Once the paper leaves the copier it get crumpled, stapled, folded, curled, and so on.I can picture all sorts of paper jams ensuing.
jbusNov 27, 2006
Maybe a document shouldn't be printed if it's not worth keeping longer than 16 hours. What's wrong with a PDF?
Closed AccountNov 27, 2006
Problem: by the third use, the paper is so horribly wrinkled that you wouldn't want to reuse it anyhow
canthrosNov 27, 2006
Balderdash. It's *much* easier to read code on paper than on screen. Not that there aren't advantages to on-screen code browsing, but paper is hugely advantageous for a whole list of indispensable but basically trivial things.
ascusNov 27, 2006
@canthros.The main problem with paper is there is no "Find" function. I will agree with paper is easier for reading for small programs single source file code, but when they start hitting 2K lines or worse modularized into 100's of small programs, the Find and Multi-monitor is far superior to paper. I will read a 22" LCD running 1200x1600 (portrait) any day over paper. If you are still using TSO and ISPF, your right, paper is a necessity 42x80 characters does not go far.
iamcanmanNov 27, 2006
Just make sure not to leave your TPS reports in direct sunlight. Doh!
molecoolNov 27, 2006
Great idea - given the following:a) the paper is not really 'paper' in that it can't be crumbled easily and is perhaps more 'plastic like' in textureb) it should probably be resilient to coffee stains, dust, etc. - again if it's based on some polymer it would solve those problems - it would also visually distinguish it from 'plain paper' and therefore allow people to more easily recycle it (it's all about habits and getting people to do it)c) the ink should only disappear once it's inserted into the print tray - I just don't feel comfortable being 'on the clock' if you will - sometimes I need something longer than 16 hours and after that it still winds up in the circular binGiven the above I think this could actually revolutionize paper since it would change the 'relationship' people would have with it. Right now everyone sees paper as something that is fragile and disposable.Finally, I need to point out that they are actually competing with e-ink and other companies that intent to produce 'electronic paper' - could this be an attempt to save the printer/paper paradigm?
legendarysockNov 27, 2006
Paper-RW????HAH impossible.
nimbosaNov 28, 2006
"This would have been a bigger deal 10 years ago. These days there's so much getting read online I wonder if time hasn't passed this by."