We can't seem to break the 2000-year-old tradition of documenting and communicating our thoughts and actions on paper. Look at all our high-speed copiers, printers and fax machines spewing out reams and reams of paper. More than 230 million trees are consumed annually just to make copier and printer paper. In most offices there is paper all over -stacked up on desks, pushed in drawers and file cabinets, tacked up on bulletin boards, and tossed in the trash.
About two years ago I began working toward a paperless office. It's not that I don't like paper; it's just that I think I can be more efficient without it. My quest is now about 60 percent complete. By the end of this year, I expect to have cut out 80 percent of the paper I use. I'll tell you how I'm doing this, but first, let me state the obvious: To go paperless, you need technological tools. It's essential to possess a computer equipped with a floppy drive, CD-ROM and modem.