The Price Of Computers

The office computer went kaput two days ago. The past two days consisted of extremes: extreme frustration, extreme aggravation. Hopefully, tomorrow finds the computer running again in its mysterious ways. I hate my dependence upon computers while simultaneously I adore the advantage provided by the computer, Computer Manage information and my “job” requires me to bend, shape, and interpret information.

Now I am cut off from easily accessing the address, telephone numbers, and even names of clients, courts, contacts and opposing attorney’s. Note that adverb easily. The raw gross information remains in the files, the telephone books, the online sources, but the time to find and use that information is now so much longer, more tedious, as I write this, some of that lost and keenly desired information is being placed into my laptop.

Poor timing on my part and on the computer’s, for otherwise I would have most - maybe all this information in place and ready to use. Tomorrow fails in bringing me total repair, of my situation, I will have enough to fight my fights next week.

Computers bring joy and terror to a lazy man. Joy comes from being able to automate those simple tasks. The terror caused by knowing the amount of work required for reaching that state of seamless use of information. Avoiding the bog of paperwork can mean landing in the bog of mucking about computers.

Such is the price of computers in the practice of law. We cannot do with them nowadays but can any business? I remember the days I practiced law before my first computer and I cannot see how we handled the volume of business that we did. Perhaps the world was a bit slower as well before 1992.