It can be argued that the advent of the computer age and electronic documents is second in importance only to Johann Gutenbergs invention of the printing press in the 1450s. Once computers were firmly entrenched in the worlds offices in the early 1980s, it didnt take long for business people to start wondering whether electronic documents could become the primary means of communication. Futurists were quick to dream about the day when books would be presented strictly online as electronic documents, available to all and at much lower prices. Others saw electronic documents putting paper companies and many printers out of business.
While the reality of the electronic document revolution has panned out differently than the futurists predicted, the computer has brought extraordinary changes to communication. For example, the broad acceptance of electronic documents in everyday and business life has prompted the development of style guides and resources for citing electronic documents as references. Another sign of the impact of electronic documents is the arrival of the CIAs electronic reading room which citizens can visit online to read about items of national interest. Likewise, physicians are more and more frequently getting away from thick patient files and instead relying on electronic charts. This move to electronic documents reduces the chances of losing vital information and also dramatically cuts down the chance of prescription errors.