kierthos: (Default)
kierthos ([personal profile] kierthos) wrote2011-09-07 08:29 am

Heh

There's an article (which I found linked from Slashdot) on why the fax machine refuses to die.

I have to say, I wish the fax machine would die too. Mostly because of customers I deal with who can't seem to grasp how the fax machine actually works. It's like a phone, but sends documents. That's it. If it's a long distance number, you have to dial 1-area code first. Put the pages in the way the little logo says to. (Yes, that's face down. It's a fucking pictogram. Deal with it.)

But nothing irritates me more then when customers complain about how much faxes cost to send. Look, I have no control over the pricing. I don't. I really don't. So when you decide to come in at 2 a.m. to send a 20 page fax to whoever, yes, it's going to be pricy. Long distance? Even more expensive. International? Well, I can tell you're going to lose it right then and there when I say it's going to run big bucks. Like dinner for 4 at a decent restaurant level of cost. (To note, it's something like 7 bucks for the first page, 4 bucks each additional page to fax something internationally. It's far cheaper to scan it in and e-mail it. Which isn't always an option either.)

You don't like the price? Don't fax. E-mail.

[personal profile] jdack 2011-09-07 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Fuck fax machines. Goddamn horse and carriage of tech. I've wasted so much of the last five years dealing with them.

We finally got ours moved into a VOIP system so it's far less trouble but moron customers still email us going "MY FAX WONT GO THROUGH!!{
kimwright: (Default)

[personal profile] kimwright 2011-09-07 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Working as a veterinary tech I'm still amazed at the number of vet hospitals that don't have the ability to email their documents let alone receive said emails. And don't get me started on how many still use hand written charts (including one of our local emergency clinics) they fax that we then spend countless minutes trying to decipher, because a) faxes suck for clarity and b) the doctor &/or tech's writing is chicken scratch. Sigh