90's: Age of the Fax

The Brother of the USOWK (otherwise known as my brother-in-law) sent me this email:

I was having a conversation the other day with an ex coworker about business technology, after he asked if he could fax me something. I laughed and said something like "I don't even own a land line, much less a fax machine. I don't think I've faxed anything in like 3years."

It got me thinking: we went from the letter (the only game in town),to the telephone (a revolutionary advance). Then, the telephone was the gold standard for a long time, until we discovered the ability to fax. However, fairly quickly after faxing started, we discovered scanning and e-mail attachments and the Internet and cell phones and stuff.

It seems like faxing sort of got the shaft, right? Will people look back on the 90's as the age of the fax?

Think about it, my loyal readers, when do you ever use a fax* machine? The Senior VP of my group questioned a few weeks ago why we still had a fax machine as no one ever actually uses it (though a week later, we got a fax**). He's right though. Who doesn't have a scanner?** It's much easier to use (I'm never sure if the paper needs to be upside down or not) and, as many of my loyal readers know, the Great Wiki Karmel loves email. Honestly, I've used a fax machine only a few times.

Maybe the BOTU was right. The fax could be technology of the 90's. But I think its advanced technology of the Baby Boom generation. Many Baby Boomers have been slow to embrace the Internet (my parents, especially). Sure, they email and look up the weather, but that's pretty much it. They don't use Feed Readers, Myspace (though neither do I), etc and they don't know what to do with routers, external hard drives, and scanners. Faxing was pretty much where they ended learning new technology. It's like that generation and music: They listened to Elvis, then the Beatles, then maybe Led Zeppelin, but at some point, they just stopped listening to new music. They certainly never made it to Neutral Milk Hotel (though I burned Arcade Fire's Funeral for my dad, and he liked it). Maybe the fax is their technological Beatles. Thoughts?

*Fax is a great Scrabble word. However the official father of Wiki Karmel, or Homer Simpson as he is known in certain circles, disagrees. According to HS, fax is not a word. Facsimile is. Fax is an abbreviation. Well HS, you are wrong. According to dictionary.com, fax is a synonym for facsimile machine or facsimile or the act of sending a facsimile. Fax is considered a SOWPOD.

**The Kansas City office does not own a scanner. Why? Who knows. Is scanning too advanced of a technology for Kansas City? Perhaps.*** So for them, we justify keeping a fax machine.

***The Great Wiki Karmel does not mean to imply that**** Kansas City is not the technological equivalent of New York (well, I kind of do, but it's just a joke).

****This sentance orginially read, "imply to Kansas City". Loyal reader Isabel (formerly de Sevilla, España) pointed out the typo. Thanks Ees.