Instant Zeitgeist.

Like many people today, I am tethered to a computer most of my working day. Since I work in a home office in the Chicago suburbs and "telecommute" to the TAPPI office in Atlanta every day, I am even more dependent on the computer than most office workers. I do virtually all my work (pardon the near pun) through electronic documents, email, the TAPPI web site, and other web sites. This has its advantages and disadvantages, but I have adapted to it well.

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One thing I like about being perpetually wired is the ability to participate in "instant polls" that pop up on sites such as AOL, the Wall Street Journal, and recently on www.tappi.org. Some people see these polls as gimmicks, but I am fascinated by the ability to vote in a poll and instantly see the results. Sometimes I can accurately predict the outcome; other times I am surprised. Either way I like to see the ebb and flow of opinions from day to day. This is a great way to measure the "Zeitgeist"--the collective mood of a community.

For example, in a recent AOL poll more than 80% of people felt their professional future was uncertain. That is a startling number but probably quite accurate considering how fluid and unpredictable employment has become. Previously people usually felt very secure in their career and with their company. Now the mood is overwhelming insecurity.

Polls among paper industry professionals are even more interesting to me since part of my job is to understand what is happening to this industry and how people feel about it. As part of "Ahead of the Curve," a weekly electronic newsletter published by TAPPI that is free to anyone who wants to sign up, we include a Weekly Survey related to the subject of the feature article. Although obviously unscientific, the results provide insight into the paper industry Zeitgeist.

One poll asked readers if they would invest in the paper industry and if so where. Nearly 57% said they would not invest in the paper industry, 16% said Asia, 11% North America, 9% South America, and 7% Europe. Although the results are not surprising, given the tough times the industry has endured, they still hurt.

China rated highly on another poll that asked, "Will China eventually surpass the United States as the number one paper producing and consuming nation?" Slightly more than 73% said yes, 23% said no, and 4% were not sure.

Polls have also indicated some positives. One poll asked if pulp and paper companies encouraged creative thinking and innovation from their employees. I thought the answer would likely be a resounding no since the industry has received frequent criticism for being conservative and slow moving. Surprisingly, almost 40% of the respondents said yes to this question. Another poll confirmed that 78% felt fundamental research and development is extremely important to the future of the paper industry. Less than 10% said it was somewhat or not important.

If you enjoy this kind of instant information, I encourage you to participate in these surveys. As we say in Chicago, vote early and vote often!

Note: To sign up for "Ahead of the Curve" and its Weekly Surveys, go to www.tappi.org, click on the "Newsletters" link under the People heading in the yellow shaded area (on the left-hand side of the home page). You will see several options for Ahead of the Curve. You can enroll to receive it, see this week's edition, or view previous editions that include the poll results.

ALAN ROOKS Editorial Director

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