Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!microsoft!philba
From: philba@microsoft.UUCP (Phil Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Low Productivity of Knowledge Workers
Message-ID: <7826@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 24 Sep 89 21:23:40 GMT
References: <9676@venera.isi.edu> <189@crucible.UUCP> <291@voa3.UUCP> <7765@microsoft.UUCP> <425@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <5978@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: philba@microsoft.UUCP (Phil Barrett)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 37

In article <5978@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> toma@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy) writes:
>
>Yes. But what do you do about computer-phobes that refuse to read their
>email on a regular basis (or at all), and those people (who are typically
>important) who demand printed copies of everything? I tried to go paperless
>back about 1979, to no avail. 
>

Even through this has had some quite reasonable answers, since the question
was directed to me, I'll answer it.

simple. we just don't hire people that are afraid of computers.  I have
never heard it said here but I personally believe (the preceding words for
the lawyers) computer literacy is an absolute requirement for working in a
technology related company such as microsoft.  In this company, anybody
who demanded printed copies of everything would be weeks behind.  That,
in fact, was a cornerstone of my orriginal thesis -- decision making occurs
at a rapid pace in an E-connected workplace.  

This brings up an interesting point.  In an E-connected environment, there
needs to be an easy provision for printing out email.  Some people like paper
for their files and I like to sometimes print out my mailbox when I get
behind (100+ messages per day builds up fast -- one time I came back to 500
pieces of email).

You tried this in 1979, the world has come a long way since then.  Its probably
worth another shot at it.

now, what I really want is an email program that is a combination
mail manager, database, cross indexer and calandar.  The current crop
of tools is really running out of gas fast.

disclaimer time! yup, you guessed it, the above comments are my opinions
and are in no way an official representation of Microsoft corporate policy.

Phil Barrett
msft