How To Do Stuff Well

07. How to Xerox Well

I could be wrong but I think that Xerox is one of those words like Hoover or Jockey that are actually brands that have come to be used instead of the thing that they actually do. Hoovers are vacuum cleaners and Jockey makes undershorts. Hence, when we say that we are going to hoover the carpet we mean that we are going to vacuum it. Similarly, when we say that we are going to put on a clean pair of jockey shorts we mean that we are going to put on clean underwear.

So, yeah - Xerox is, I think, a company that makes copier machines. Thus, when you say that you are going to Xerox something, it means that you are going to make a copy of it. Of course, no one does this anymore so all this is kinda moot. Other technologies have taken over the Xerox machine.

Personally, I use the camera on my mobile phone when I want to make a copy of something. Say, for example, I see a document or a page from a book that I want to keep a copy of, I can take a picture, use a piece of software to convert this to text and then I can store it or send it wherever I want. Isn't it wonderful how life has moved on!

If you want to Xerox well then you just need to pick a piece of tech that gives you a copy in a form that is convenient to you. It's not much of a stretch to say that taking photographs of a particularly beautiful sunset is the equivalent of taking a Xerox of it. For that, you can either use the camera on your phone or, if you want a more detailed shot, shell out for a more expensive camera. Simples.

This applies to everything you want to copy. Nowadays you can buy 3D printers that'll make a three-dimensional copy of whatever you want to scan. In the future, you'll be able to get computer software that'll scan your brain and make a copy of your memories. Further forward, you'll be able to scan and copy your entire consciousness into a machine that you (or your copy) will be able to move around as if you were moving your own body. Imagine that!

The key to making a good copy is to make it faithful enough to the original for your purposes. It doesn't have to be exactly like the original, it just has to turn out how you want it to turn out, and that's for you to decide.

So decide.

That's all. Happy copying, my friends. And if that didn't suit you then try the next chapter and hope for something more intelligible.