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From: ifarqhar@mqccsunc.mqcc.mq.OZ (Ian Farquhar)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Looking faxwards
Summary: This discussion needs a little perspective.
Message-ID: <93@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz>
Date: 15 Jan 90 11:44:59 GMT
References: <9001102206.AA04989@gslisf.lis.uiuc.edu> <1990Jan11.011847.9092@aqdata.uucp> <1314@scorn.sco.COM>
Sender: news@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz
Reply-To: ifarqhar@mqccsunc.mq.oz (Ian Farquhar)
Organization: Macquarie University, Sydney
Lines: 57

In article <1314@scorn.sco.COM> evanh@sco.COM (Evan A.C. Hunt) writes:
>
>I am for you, sullivan@aqdata.uucp (Michael T. Sullivan).
>>And about generating stuff electronically then faxing it:  the idea that
>>all fax messages come from word processors, or even computers, is ludicrous.
>>Can you "email" handwritten notes?  No.  Can you "email" articles out of the
>>newspaper without re-typing them by hand?  No.  Fax is in no way an
>>"incredible step backwards".

It is not a step backwards, but it is not a step forwards either.  It is
sort of a side-step.  Given the poor implementation of e-mail, and the
truly attrocious fax standard, it is impossible to say which is better.

[Evan's comments continue, refering to Michael's original statement]
>	I quite agree.  Most important to the business community:  Can
>you email a signature on a contract?  No.

Can you make a faxed signature legally binding?  Not in many countries,
as the resolution is too low to make definative handwriting verification
possible.

>	On the other hand, fax _is_ frequently used for things to which
>email would be equally well suited.  It would be a step forward if email
>got as broad an acceptance in business as fax machines currently have.

It has always seemed to me that fax and e-mail are practically the same
thing anyway.  Faxes are just an e-mail standard for sending images.
Not, the enterprising standards arbitrators (hows that for a
contradiction in terms?) should be able to marry the two technologies
quite simply.


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"A cynic is what an idealist calls a realist."
                                       Sir Humphrey Appleby
                                       (Patron Saint of Public Servants)
                                       Yes, Minister.
    
                                   Yes, Prime Minister.

+-----------------------------------+-------------------------------+
|  Ian Farquhar                     | Phone : (02)  805-7420 (STD)  | 
|  Microcomputer Support            |         (612) 805-7420 (ISD)  |
|  Office of Computing Services     | Fax   : (02)  805-7433 (STD)  |
|  Macquarie University  NSW  2109  |         (612) 805-7433 (ISD)  |
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D