chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in Fix the Paper Hole

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Sea Freight — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:30:28 -0000

Plus they are not environmentally friendly; save a tree, don't print unless absolutely necessary.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

shokk — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:57:36 -0000

Visioneer makes some really nice, compact scanners that could be used for travel. Check out the RoadWarrior. Always keep a scanned copy on the laptop and back it up to the cloud, something like Mozy.https://mozy.com/?code=UXW2GB

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Jon Moss — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:27:55 -0000

Echosign all the way for me here - everything is now going through this.

Works flawlessly and is great value too.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Kyle Roussel — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:09:57 -0000

Hi Chris,
I work for a fax company (yes, we're still around!). The thing is our fax thing is done over IP networks, so there's no paper involved. Or at least there doesn't have to be. But faxing is still legally binding and secure, so sending and receiving important documents (like your contracts) this way works.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

steveellwood — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:15:39 -0000

Mike W nailed it in the first response. I've done this for 5+ years, originally faxing my signature to myself as a tiff

I fax stuff through my corporate outlook, or if at home I do have an MFD. Usually? Send 'em a pdf.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

An Bui, DocuSign Blogger — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:00:51 -0000

Hi Chris,

Thanks for giving voice to a frustration I hear about more often than I'd like to. Not only are electronic signatures more convenient, they're also more environmentally friendly - no more paper (and paper storage) from faxed or overnighted documents.

DocuSign provides electronic signature and online contract execution services. To DocuSign, all you need is a browser, internet connection, and Adobe Reader - it's really easy to use. DocuSign's electronic signatures are also legally enforceable, under the legal requirements established by ESIGN and UETA.

When I joined DocuSign, I had my papers in my email, downloaded them, clicked to sign, and sent them back - the entire process took less time than it takes to join a social networking app.

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or if there's anything I can help you with. I'm on Twitter @DocuSign, or you check out the DocuSIgn Blog: http://blog.docusign.com.

Thanks for throwing the question out there - An

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Jeffrey Blake — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:49:58 -0000

Ditto on EchoSign

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

pelle — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:59:22 -0000

I am a cofounder of a site called Agree2, where you can easily invite, negotiate and sign contracts all in the web browser.

Assuming that the contract you are signing itself is legal, the signatures are legally valid in common law countries (like the UK, the US, Canada etc) and the EU.

Most people focus too much on the signature however, while courts look at the whole process of negotiation, intention etc. We record the whole process for both parties to view, examine and provide as evidence through our evidence browser. We believe this provides you a much safer electronic contract than services that focus exclusively on the signature.

We have a free account which allows you to create one contract a month. Our commercial plans are not particularly expensive either and offer things like multiple users and web services support.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Gillian — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:52:32 -0000

Had a little contract to do some text editing for an international engineering firm last summer. Had to sign a 20 page contract and initial every flipping page. They're basedin Montreal, Canada and I was on a visit me mum trip to the UK. Had to print all 20 pages at the local library, sign them and fax them back as only the library had a scanner and it was not working. The time and the expense. Ridiculous. Totally agree that people out there should get a bit more paperless especially in a world where we constabtly are being admonished to stop our environmental footprints. Here's another gem - in the UK for many things you need to take a bank statement to prove you are who you say you are etc but I am paperless banking and, guess what, they will not accept a screen print of my account so have to have a paper statement sent - takes two weeks..... Go figure......

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

williamarruda — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:39:45 -0000

Hello Chris,

I too am a public speaker and have the same problem. I try to always use my contracts for speaking gigs - where they can sign electronically thanks to Adobe Acrobat's electronic signature or I copy a jpeg of my signature into their electronic document. All docs start in Word or something like that, so I always request a soft copy and use that. Otherwise I am using hotel or airport lounge faxes and wasting a lot of time. I would say I only submit 1 in 15 contracts the old fashioned way now!

All the best.
William
www.williamarruda.com

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Seth Goldstein — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:24:53 -0000

Chris,

Sadly, I don't think our legal system has quite caught up to the technology. I'm a Web designer and Internet Marketer and I still need signatures. What I commonly do is digitally sign my contracts with a scanned signature that I have on file (mine of course) and email the PDF of the contract to my client to sign and if I'm lucky scan back into the computer and email back (that's never happened so far). More commonly we either meet to sign the said contract or they fax it back to me signed. Either way I get the contract back. Honestly, faxes are old tech but they are still pretty hi-tech when you think about it. They enable us to conduct business across vast expanses.

Anyhow that's my take. You still need contracts. Sorry to say.

-Seth Goldstein
http://www.twitter.com/seth...
http://www.sethgoldstein.net
http://www.goldsteinmedia.com

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Martin Thompson — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:42:25 -0000

1. Create a JPEG of your signature
2. Ask for all contracts, NDA's etc in Word or similar
3. Append JPEG in signature spot, PDF it, thus creating a unique digital signature.
4. Email back.
5. No print, no paper, no fax. Whole audit trail kept in your email.

Works for me.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Cheryl Allin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:30:31 -0000

Mike Whitaker FTW - I've been pure digital for years now - I hate faxes (as well as the phone!) And big kudos to Tom Gray for his tips, I'll be incorporating that stamp idea as it's easier than locating my signature graphic.

I use uReach.com and have for at least 6 years. For $9.99 a month (plus purchase of blocks of minutes) I get a toll-free number good for faxing in and out as well as VM that can be forwarded anywhere. I get a control panel to keep address book and files and an email that lets me pull incoming faxes into Outlook.

So I get a fax via email, I convert to PDF (I have full Acrobat as it's quite handy), insert my signature, save and fax back out via uReach.com which will automatically try 10 times before giving up and notifying me if successful or not.

When I send contracts out, I include my signature graphic in my contract template so the job is 50% done right away. A quick 'find and replace' for the dates and client name and disco!

Great topic, Chris!

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Jean MacDonald — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:50:00 -0000

Check out PDFpen for the Mac from SmileOnMyMac (we're also the makers of TextExpander). It's the affordable alternative to Acrobat and I think you'll find it's exactly what you need.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Brian B — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:48:47 -0000

I understand how you would be frustrated with this. I wonder how long it will take until someone finally finds a way to sign contracts without the use of pen and paper. Tom Gray's comment about the signiture stamp tool seems to be a solid temporary solution for you. However, I think the idea of placing your own signature over the internet scares many people off...including myself. I personally find it a little risky.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Gab Goldenberg — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:23:31 -0000

How about scanning your signature into an image file and then adding it to contracts, then sending it back as a read-only file?

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

@HughBriss — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:12:15 -0000

You could always put it in an envelope and mail it but you probably don't want to kill more trees for the envelope and pay for the postage. I must say that I find it hard to believe that any serious business person doesn't have a printer and a fax, digital age or not.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Chase Granberry — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:09:12 -0000

@tomgray That stamp deal is amazing. Much appreciated.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

William Muncrief — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:37:32 -0000

The voice of reason on paper. Thank you.

Sounds like one of the solutions to saving the planet is to get rid of the paper thing. I drove by a stack of phone books in front of the mailboxes on my street the other day, and thought how ludicrous they are. Now you really hit the nail on the head with the whole signature thing that is almost as outdated as cuniform in clay.

Count me in on the abolish paper program. Can we keep the toilet paper though?

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Liz — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:56:01 -0000

Printers are so cheap. Why not just go the old-fashioned route, spend $100 on a printer and 42 cents on a stamp and mail it back? Sometimes simple is the way to go instead of looking for complicated solutions.

I discovered this after my PDA address book was deleted (update gone wrong) and I had to depend on my paper address book which has never been lost or deleted. My computer address book has been erased several times, thank goodness there has been a backup copy most times.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Francine hardaway — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:36:15 -0000

For the past five years I have been inserting a picture of my signature, a .jpg, on every document I sign. The only time it's a problem is when someone sends me a form in .pdf, like a W-9, in which case I sign one form and save it and send the same copy to everyone else.

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Katybeth — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:56:30 -0000

I had exactly this problem today and after finally being told to get the contract in or lose the auctioneer--I headed over to Staple--lost fax number. I am reading every one of the comments and betting someone has a solution!

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Chris Walker — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:55:58 -0000

I use Echosign for digital contracts. I write about my experience with on-line contracts at my real estate website:
http://www.walkerswholesalehouses.com/get-signatures-on-your-contracts-via-email
Opening a small account is free and I get my signatures signed and delivered in under 1 hour. No faxes!
Chris Walker
Walkers Wholesale Houses

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

lawton chiles — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:56:02 -0000

I still think faxing is the coolest thing. There was nothing there and them WHAM!, I sent something physical to their machine. It blows my mind.

And yet, I hate it when people insist on getting a fax from me.

I mean, seriously?

Re: Fix the Paper Hole

Freddy Gipson — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:52:43 -0000

I completely agree that paper should become less used every year because of the fact that we are going so digital. The problem is, not everyone has a computer with internet access which means that they have to make an exception for those people by making it a fax standard for everyone which seems kind of ridiculous.

I am a sophomore in high school this year and I enrolled in online courses for a change which are so much better because I can go on my own schedule and even better. The use of paper is very minimal since it is only used by me when I am doing math but that's about it. Not only would things be easier to manage and file and organize, but we would be saving the environment too because we would be cutting down less trees to produce all of this stupid paper.