Monday, August 12, 2013

The Red Box

This picture at Cultural Offering reminded me of this Wikipedia item on the red boxes used in the British government. An excerpt:

The colour red has remained the traditional covering of the boxes.[1] The lead lining, which has been retained in modern boxes, was once meant to ensure that the box sank when thrown overboard in the event of capture.[2] Also bomb-proof, they are designed to survive any catastrophe that may befall their owner.[3]

[I bought some blue project boxes years ago - without lead so I'll have to avoid pirates - and have found them to be invaluable for keeping project papers handy. Unfortunately, my supplier no longer has them.}

2 comments:

Dan in Philly said...

Everyone under the age of 35 should be trained in old fashioned filing techniques such as box files. In a perfect world, they would have a 6-12 month period where they were not allowed to use the computer and had to do everything the old fashioned way.

This kind of thing trains the mind in ways that a computer just does not. Armed with a sharp mind, a computer is a powerful asset. Without such training, all too often the computer becomes a crutch.

Michael Wade said...

Dan,

I like that idea!

Michael