Should we be moving to paperless offices?

[Petrushka]

Last Monday morning our office computers crashed and I was twiddling my thumbs for over an hour and a half before the IT bods got the system up and running again. We are frighteningly reliant on computers, much too much so, in my view, and there is ample scope here for cyber-terrorists to bring this and other countries to their knees far more effectively than any bomb.

Yes. I remember the paperless office talk from the 1970's and as with all the rubbish about increased leisure time I give a hollow laugh now.

[Petrushka]

I had a real 'run-in' with Lloyds a few years ago.
In order to gain access to my late mother's bank account I was asked to provide a COPY of her will, to Lloyds.
Knowing how valuable a will is, I duly sent them a copy - a photocopy - but it was immediately returned by the bank, who said that 'photocopies are not acceptable'.
I then visited the bank in person.
Its manager told me that the word 'copy' really means ( of course )
the ORIGINAL!
How stupid of me not to be able to translate this absurd bank-speak.
I am now a client of HSBC.

20 odd years ago I had to provide the original of my birth certificate (a copy wouldn't do) to my company pension people. They lost it.

[Don Petter]

20 odd years ago I had to provide the original of my birth certificate (a copy wouldn't do) to my company pension people. They lost it.

But at least with a birth, death or marriage certificate you can obtain another 'original' (which is actually a certified copy of the register entry). In Dave's case, the P60, as I understand it, cannot be replaced.