I have recently been forced into a rather old fashioned method of communication..

   I am required to fill out a contract, it’s for a company whose business is focused on the internet world, I can communicate with them by e-mail in a speedy fashion, I can even receive the contract as an attachment. But the contract department still insist that I can't return this contract by e-mail.

   I can accept they want to see a real signature, but due to a remarkable confluence of requirements things have got very complicated. I can photograph each page of the contract with my digital camera. But I am required to put all 29 pages in one file. Stitching 29 pictures together into one resulted in a file they couldn't open! Stitching 29 pictures together and then reducing its size resulted in something that wasn't legible!

   So now I am sat here sending a transatlantic FAX. The whole process will take 3 hours to send black and white images at a lower quality than those transmitted by e-mail in about 10 seconds (and at no cost to my phone bill).

   The thing that I find absurd is that the contracts department still only accept legal documents by fax or post. I agree there are problems with confirming identity when it comes to electronic documents or digital signatures, but the basic fact is I am sending the same information just using an inferior technique.!!! Companies really need to get with the program on this problem, because the successful ones already make contracts online (think eBay et-al... its still legally binding)

   I do now understand why there are still many FAX machines in use in companies the world over. This understanding cost £5 and 3 hours of my life... but at least it keeps Panasonic in business.

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