New Direction

Since this blog is about writing, words and laws, I have decided to move in a slightly new direction. Starting with this post, I am going to discuss some well known (and some unknown) eponymous laws.

The first entry into this ongoing series is AMARA’s LAW, given to us by the late  Dr. Roy Amara.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Amara  The law is:  “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run”.

My favorite example of this law being true was the over reaction of the world to the steamboat designed by Robert Fulton. While it was a breath taking invention, it took years and years before steam and other engines finally overtook the sailboat as a means of transportation.

I remember years ago, when magnetic card typewriters first came on the market, they were ballyhooed as great labor saving devices for lawyers. Now, in the long run, these and subsequent developments in law office technology were vast improvements.  But, progress did not appear anywhere near as fast as was anticipated. The problem with the new technology was figuring out what could be done with it and then training people how to use that technology properly. It took a while.

Of course, in the long run, developments in office technology have truly revolutionized the practice of law. It is possible now to do things with a huge document that a generation ago would have been unthinkable, let alone impossible. But, these things all happened in the long run.