Am I alone in finding it extremely annoying to still be forced to use fax technology in this day and age? I have found that often when I have to have dealings with entrenched bureaucracies (typically government or academia), they will absolutely NOT accept emailed documents. Even simple letters; if it contains anything that has to be signed, not even an emailed pdf will do. Curious about why governments and academia cling to outdated technology, I found a pretty good explanation. Fax technology is deeply entrenched and will not go away soon — thanks in particular to lawyers:
3. Traceable
Outgoing faxes generate notifications which are delivered to the sender informing him/her about the status of the fax delivery (sent/failed). A successful notification is only generated when the remote device signals that everything was received correctly.
Fax servers go even further since they can be configured to log and archive copies of all inbound and outbound faxes. By integrating multifunctional peripheral devices (MFPs) with a fax server (instead purchasing a fax card option AND providing an analog line), all of your fax messaging can be logged and archived in a central location, optimizing both administration and security while also providing consistent and professional coversheets for outbound faxes.
4.Legally binding
There are legal precedents for faxed documents such as signed contracts to be legally binding in a court of law. The intrinsic nature of the T.30 fax protocol, accurately reproducing documents between two remote points, meets the legal requirements of custodianship – that no third party could reasonably intercept and/or make changes to the document between the sender and the receiver. Fax server software often includes support for digital signatures which further ensures the integrity of the fax data.
5. Assured delivery
Unlike with email and mobile text messaging, with faxes the receiving fax machine must acknowledge that the document was received successfully – that the call wasn’t interrupted half way through and the device didn’t run out of paper, toner, or ink. Your notification is proof that your document has been successfully delivered to the recipient.
Little wonder that government agencies insist on them.
FWIW, I think fax technology is backwards and just plain sucks. I have a fax machine, but I don’t have a landline, and the fax machine is completely worthless without it. So, when I have to “send a fax,” I go through this stupid rigmarole of creating a signed document, then uploading the file to fax zero and sending it out as a “fax.” How that is more secure or less likely to result in fraud, I don’t know. I suspect that part of the problem is that government agencies have robotic idiots working for them who lack basic computer skills and hence cannot be relied on to download, process, or read emailed documents. But faxes are just spit out, and are therefore seen as moron-proof.
If that’s the case, I think we can expect the moronic technology to be here forever.
Comments
9 responses to “Faxes are so 20th century!”
Eric, while I agree that in many cases fax technology is redundant to simple e-mail, there are still instances when it is better. For instance, a purchase order for a business that is faxed over a land line isn’t likely to be hacked. Have you ever tried to sort through spam to get to an important business communication? A printed fax is there waiting in the morning without logging on and sifting through personal messages & advertisements. In my printing business I regularly fax documents with art work attached for proofing. There would be extra steps involved in placing the proof into a letter and scanning it in for an e-mail, while a fax requires a piece of tape. All my line artwork and typesetting in composed in Adobe Illustrator and saved as an EPS file (Post Script) in case it is sent out for plate making. While EPS files can be opened in Word or QuarkXPress, not everyone has Illustrator and then must convert EPS into Word to open it. So if sending a proof as an e-mail I convert it to a PDF so it can be opened by Acrobat. Another step for me.
The problem with computer technology is that it is constantly changing, there are too many file formats, too much software written for specific businesses, and don’t get me started on Windows.
I prefer old fashioned, out of date fax technology for my particular business. It’s simple and safe.
Strangely, faxes are still big in Japan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/world/asia/in-japan-the-fax-machine-is-anything-but-a-relic.html?_r=0
As a designer, I have to agree with Frank May. I’d rather clients email me individual art elements, but fax a mock-up. Quicker on both ends.
It’s too often a disaster when a client tries to email you a mock-up they “designed” in PowerPoint. Or worse, Word.
As a user I’m with Frank and LS May.
I have no problem with people using them, but I still find it as inconvenient as hell to be told that I have to fax something to one blasted agency or another — especially when I am in a hurry!
BTW, does anyone know whether there is any way to use my perfectly good fax machine without a land line? It will not even work when plugged into a telephone jack in my Internet-based router modem, so I’m thinking that I should either give it to the Goodwill, or turn it into art.
Yes you can use your fax without a landline. There are cordless phone systems that have link-2-cell technology. If you have a cellphone with bluetooth and a link-2-cell phone system you have a connection into the landline phone system, but it will dial out on your cellphone via BT connection.
This is how I have a home alarm connected to phone system without paying extra for wireless monitoring.
You should be able to connect fax to a VOIP box like Vonage, Oomah, even MagicJack
Thanks! It absolutely will NOT work on MagicJack, and I tried repeatedly.
Some fax machines will work, but it’s iffy:
http://faxanswers.com/answers/can-i-use-a-fax-machine-with-magicjack
I might try looking into link-2-cell technology.
[…] Eric Scheie will pass, thank you very much: FWIW, I think fax technology is backwards and just plain sucks. I have a fax machine, but I don’t have a landline, and the fax machine is completely worthless without it. So, when I have to “send a fax,” I go through this stupid rigmarole of creating a signed document, then uploading the file to fax zero and sending it out as a “fax.” […]