TechCrunch’s piece “10 Office Tools And Workplace Norms That Are Going Extinct” with an endangered species list for the “new work world” habitat. (thanks Geoff). Half are obsolescing technologies, but the other half are victims of surging Dynamic Work…

1. Tape recorders (79 percent)
2. Fax machines (71 percent)
3. The Rolodex (58 percent)
4. Standard working hours (57 percent)
5. Desk phones (35 percent)
6. Desktop computers (34 percent)
7. Formal business attire like suits, ties, pantyhose, etc. (27 percent)
8. The corner office for managers/executives (21 percent)
9. Cubicles (19 percent)
10. USB thumb drives (17 percent)

I would add a few more to the list…

• Network cables – Put your money into wireless infrastructure and don’t be put off by the nervous nellies who are convinced that performance and security won’t be adequate.
• Assigned desks – An extension of the ‘corner office’, ‘desk phone’ and ‘desk computer’ items above.
• Briefcases – This one was proposed by Geoff and highlights the shift from the ‘paperwork’ office (that briefcases are designed to carry and protect). This item is the most nostalgic for me as I carried a briefcase for many years of my life. They evoke something more solid, aesthetic, and professional that the black nylon computer sacks of today.