Postfully Yours

Web applications and services build value based on the networks they integrate. By producing links and automating connections, they can improve communication, offer new ways of working, and vastly decrease transaction costs.

However, the value of these networks often depends on all key members being willing to use the service. Any one key individual not using the service can eliminate the value of the whole process. Often it becomes easier to just stick to the old methods rather than have a hybrid with some using a system and some not.

Many services have failed due to a small group of hold-outs. We’ve seen this in areas ranging from real estate to CRM to manufacturing. Metcalf’s Law fails to take into account the negative effect of key gaps on processes within the network.

The question is how to connect these legacy workers? The route generally tried is to convince them to change their habits. But what if we focused instead on making it easy to connect their old habits with modern systems? Printed mail is one piece that could serve as this bridge. Whether it’s document delivery, linking in offline workers, or providing hard copies for legal purposes, print is able to serve as a conduit.

In many cases this would not be as efficient as if everyone just got online. But it is far better than the status quo. For web services it offers the ability to jump ahead of the technology adoption curve and establish themselves. For the next decade or two, there will continue to be key gaps in our digital networks. We can either fail in the face of them or learn to incorporate them through alternate means.