Double Sided

“Am I the folly of the fool, am I the wisdom of the wise man?”  Hmmmm… give me a week and I will get back to you.  Actually, I think I am a bit of both.  I am from a printing background.  What I am is probably double sided.
Photocopiers get a really bad wrap.  It is no doubt partially deserved.  A lot of them seem to cause real problems and according to the ads, end up out the window. 
They evolved while I was with Printing Services.  At first photocopying was really all they could do.  That was real handy though, as the book did not need to be taken out.  Relevant bits could be photocopied and looked at later.  I remember seeing a guy who’s job it was to photocopy the contents of books.  Sometimes that meant pressing the book really hard because the writing near the spine needed to be captured.  This guy was not always successful.  Instead of taking another copy he would write in what was needed.  That was really time consuming.  I wondered how long he would last.    
When something was copied double sided then money could be saved.  Using the paper feeder was good to, because a person did not need to wait around for the coping.  They could walk away and come back.  Of course, it was really frustrating if the machine had a problem while I was gone, or it had run out of paper.
Now they can copy, print, fax, and scan.  They are called MFD’s or Multi Function Devices.  When their age limit has been reached many are sent to places like Jordan or Bangladesh and refurbished.  Those that are disposed of, are made into chairs and the dump is avoided.  That does not happen enough, but it is happening.
We have a small MFD at home.  We have gone through a few.  We buy our cartridges of toner on line.  They are refurbished ones and way cheaper than originals.  As a result, duds are inconvenient but not the drama that original duds are.  The last MFD we rejected only took original cartridges.  When it detected something was not original it would cease to function at all.  Originals are way expensive.  It is understandable why companies want us to use their products.  After I purchase their MFD there is a chance I will not need to purchase their product again – unless of course I use their consumables.
Me, I hate to be locked into anything unless it is what I choose.  “you set me free with that ball and chain and I threw away the key.”  That’s me.  I like choice.  Some wars I have given up.  McDonalds I avoided and now love their bacon and egg McMash.  Microsoft I boycotted but have given up.  I was against anyone that wanted to rule the world and/or tried to take away my choice.
It is sad really. I was so excited when I could afford to purchase a printer.   I was hardly spending at all as I was purchasing a house.  It was like wow I can afford this, and it is what I need.
I do think I am double sided.  There is good and bad in me.  What I want is more good and less bad.  I sorta think of it as the good is on one side and the bad on the other.  My aim is that both sides contain good.  It is work in progress.  A life long work really.  Oh, and it is in colour.