Ask HN: Do academics still use printers? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#31

Post by nonrandomstring » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 5:38 PM UTC

tengbretson wrote: post #23

nonrandomstring wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To some extent we can support them ourselves (as I do with my Canon). It can can be easily set with an IP/hostname and "just works". When it's not in use, it's unplugged. The main support issues are probably physical, right? Newer printers tend to break too easily. And yes, some academics are too dumb to fix a paper jam or change a toner cartridge. Hasn't it always been so?

To a certain extent, you are correct that the physical support like jams and toner replacement was typically handled by the lab. However it still meant having 30 printers, all of them of different makes and models and firmware versions on the network. Thirty ethernet runs having to be patched in, and 30 more ports on the switch lit up, and 30 more static IP leases doled out. All of that is relatively minor on its own…

I suddenly see your point in the last stanza.

Why can't we share a communal printer? Good question. Especially considering how sparse usage is compared to the 80s/90s.

My guess is a "tragedy of the commons" type snafu, with the printer always seeming broken by someone else's job.

I actually liked going to the print room - kinda like the water cooler where you could meet people and talk - catch a look at their print job and strike up a conversation "Oh I see you're running regression tests...". IIRC at UCL CS the print room was also where the coffee pot lived.

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#32

Post by solardev » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 6:27 PM UTC

nonrandomstring wrote: post #21

Yes. Printing is amazing and essential. I print the end of term maths exams. And handouts we want to discuss and annotate with comments. Paper is an unbeatable technological medium for some things. Problems arise when dismissive techno-neophile administrators fail to maintain the printers. So I keep some spare toner aside for an invincible 2005 Canon desktop laser hidden in a lab.

All hail the Invincible Laser, burner of maths, bane of admins!

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#33

Post by abricot » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 7:44 PM UTC

diffeomorphism wrote: post #30

tengbretson wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To a certain extent, you are correct that the physical support like jams and toner replacement was typically handled by the lab. However it still meant having 30 printers, all of them of different makes and models and firmware versions on the network. Thirty ethernet runs having to be patched in, and 30 more ports on the switch lit up, and 30 more static IP leases doled out. All of that is relatively minor on its own…

Convenience and confidentiality, e.g. you don't want to print grant proposals or recommendation letters on shared printers. A common setup is to have shared printers for high volume things like exams and additionally have low volume printers per group. > 30 printers all different Have you tried endorsing certain models? Most researchers don't want to spend time picking out printers and will just get a random one. If…

Have you never had to use an id-card to start your print?

Takes care of the confidentiality issue.

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#34

Post by Symbiote » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 8:20 PM UTC

tengbretson wrote: post #20

Based on my time working university IT, yes. And they all insist on having their own, grant-purchased printer in their lab on the network, supported by you.

Based on my time at the universities, everyone uses the huge printing/copying/scanning machine in the corridor or printer room.

Reliable A3 duplex colour every time, activated by an identity card, and far faster than anything that fits on a desk.

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#35

Post by paultopia » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 9:01 PM UTC

I don’t, but I’m an outlier.

Why lots of people do: for prose projects, seeing a printed out version of the thing is superior for proofreading, editing, etc. The context switch helps break you out of your “this is text I wrote so I can’t see the errors in it” rut.

Also, reading long documents is still easier on paper than on screens——the screen alternatives all still kinda suck. iPad and the like have glare, hard to read outside, etc. remarkable and kindle and other e-ink devices are just filthy with compromises, like, kindle screens are all too small when most documents come formatted in letter size pdf, remarkable has no backlight and in addition the remarkable 1 at least is agonizingly slow and the software is utter shite.

I put up with the iPad/remarkable mess personally because (a) I refuse to own a printer at home, since the damned things never work right, (b) I also hate clutter and already have too much paper generated by others sitting around in piles, (3) pdfs and such are much easier to travel with

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#36

Post by paultopia » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 9:22 PM UTC

pkoird wrote: post #14

Any reviews on Remarkable/Remarkable2 tablets?

I hate hate hate hate hate my remarkable 1. Discussed why here a while back [1] but the TLDR is that it’s incredibly slow and the software is garbage. Would love to try a remarkable 2 but only for free after wasting money on the last one. Considering trying the impending Amazon thing, scribe or scribble or whatever they call it

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27517285

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#37

Post by sfpotter » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 9:37 PM UTC

Aaron2222 wrote: post #16

justaguitarist wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks like I need to understand my users better. Edit: holy crap, read all of the responses so far and I have some emails to send and thought processes to change. Thanks for helping me realize this.

Requiring students to print out assigned reading is ridiculous though. I'd also argue that they should print the assignments out themselves if they want a paper copy to use as opposed to making students do it, though I suppose that's also a budgetary thing (fob the costs onto the students, where it's spread out more).

Maybe so, but it isn't someone in IT's job to point this out.

I have a good relationship with my department's IT guy. If he started telling me how to run my classes, we'd have a much less good relationship all of a sudden.

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#38

Post by diffeomorphism » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 9:43 PM UTC

abricot wrote: post #33

diffeomorphism wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Convenience and confidentiality, e.g. you don't want to print grant proposals or recommendation letters on shared printers. A common setup is to have shared printers for high volume things like exams and additionally have low volume printers per group. > 30 printers all different Have you tried endorsing certain models? Most researchers don't want to spend time picking out printers and will just get a random one. If…

Have you never had to use an id-card to start your print? Takes care of the confidentiality issue.

No and it doesn't. There is a shared printer available to all faculty (by network from their workstations) in a locked room. So you go there to collect your print outs and usually they are between colleagues' print outs that were sent at around the same time.

So that doesn't fix the issue and is already much more annoying than a small printer (other room, lock, finding your print out). Add any further hassle like id cards on top and nobody will use it.

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#39

Post by leros » Mon, Nov 21, 2022, 11:01 PM UTC

When I was in graduate school, I printed out hundreds of pages of papers a week. I probably went through a ream of paper a week. I just can't efficiently read on a screen and taking notes on paper is much easier for me.

Re: Ask HN: Do academics still use printers?

#40

Post by Aaron2222 » Tue, Nov 22, 2022, 6:37 AM UTC

sfpotter wrote: post #37

Aaron2222 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Requiring students to print out assigned reading is ridiculous though. I'd also argue that they should print the assignments out themselves if they want a paper copy to use as opposed to making students do it, though I suppose that's also a budgetary thing (fob the costs onto the students, where it's spread out more).

Maybe so, but it isn't someone in IT's job to point this out. I have a good relationship with my department's IT guy. If he started telling me how to run my classes, we'd have a much less good relationship all of a sudden.

Never said it was.