Back when I started high school, it was encouraged that you take a typing class so that you were equipped to effectively complete all the papers you would have complete during the remainder of your academic career. I heeded to the pressure and took typing class. I regret it somewhat because it was the lowest grade I ever received and I probably could have more efficiently picked up the skills by spending time practicing by myself.
There are several lasting memories from that class. One is that our grade was based on how fast we could accurately type and on how accurately we reformatted/typed a lengthy paper. I did okay with typing speed but no so great with accuracy. I wasn’t alone. As the end of class approached, I should have done what many students did, and dropped the class. They picked up the typing skills but didn’t wreck their GPA in the process.
The second vivid memory I have from the class is that the standard page margins were one inch on the top and left, three-quarters of and inch on the right, and a half inch on the bottom. I am not sure how are why these were the standards, but that’s what they were.
Now leap forward several decades and what is the norm? Well according to Bill Gates and his Microsoft programming lackeys, the answer is 1.25 on the left and about an inch the rest of the way around the page. I guess I will have to admit it is a little easier to read a page with shorter lines. But compare the global cost of additional paper with the nearly insignificant benefit of greater ease in readying and, as any salvation economist who is worth his salt would tell you, there are telltale signs of a conspiracy.
Where is Microsoft based? Washington. Where do they harvest a ton of trees? Washington. I think the only reasonable conclusion is that some lumberjacks called Bill one day and very subtly hinted that they have sharpened axes and chainsaws and know where his family lives. Bill quickly concluded supporting the paper industry by making a change to the default page margins was probably a good thing to do.
Insofar as I am fairly certain lumberjacks do not read this blog, I am encouraging you to change the default margins on your word processor and do your part in decreasing paper consumption.
Tags: Bill Gates, paper waste, typing class
