Going digital: Barriers to Entry

I'm always amused to see how people react to the idea of using digital technologies or "going paperless." They all say that it sounds great, shake their head in wonder at the idea of going "off road" from the paper trail, and then say, "But…"

The "buts" are remarkably consistent:

• "I'm not technical, so I don't want a complicated system…"
• "I don't have time to create one…"
• "I need to be able to access info/take a note/enter data quickly…"
• "I don't like reading off a screen…"

The first three are easy to address with a little quick info. Most already have the tools they need to shift most work and processes to digital, so they aren't facing complicated, time-consuming, or tedious processes. In fact, going "digital" usually amounts to expanding and streamlining the processes we're all using already. I find that people are surprised -- and a little skeptical -- when I explain this to them.

The fourth one, "I don't like reading off a screen," is a tougher nut, because it's ostensibly a matter of personal preference -- it's not like you can respond, "Yes, you do!" But, the more I hear it, the more tempted I am to respond just that way.

Take last week, for instance.

One day last week during a long meeting, a colleague sitting next to me leaned over and asked if I had a copy of a document we were discussing. I looked up from my Tablet PC where I was taking notes, clicked on a tab in OneNote where I'd pre-loaded all the documents we'd be using in the meeting, immediately found the info she wanted, and handed her the computer to read it.

Rather than reading it, though, she handed the computer back and said, "Never mind. I don't like reading off a screen."

Now, here's the funny part: She then pulled out her BlackBerry and spent the next four hours reading through emails and who-knows-what-else as the meeting continued.

Later, I asked her if she liked reading stuff on her BlackBerry. She said she did, because it's so convenient and quick. Then, I asked her if it bothered her to read off the BlackBerry's screen. "No," she said, "this isn't really a screen."

Amazing, huh? I think it's telling, too. Looking at something that she knows will give her the information she wants the way she expects it -- on paper or a BlackBerry -- works well. But, looking at a screen that seems more technically complicated or unexpected is undesirable, even if it is aesthetically "equal" to the other options.

I wonder where the tipping point is that makes the fact and experience of reading off a screen invisible.