I read recently that cursive writing is becoming obsolete. Handwriting, in general, has given way to typing. Specifically, texting has all but eliminated putting pen to paper among the younger demographic.

Digging a bit deeper, there are all kinds of “skills” that are quickly becoming outmoded. Some that come to mind include:

• Operating a camera (Another casualty of cell phones)
• Tying your shoes (Velcro)
• Programming a VCR (DVR)
• Understanding the Dewey Decimal System (Search Engines)
• Using a map (GPS)
• Vacuuming (Robot vacuums)
• Parallel parking (Self-parking autos)

There are those who argue that the art of memorization is also on the way out — claiming we are outsourcing our ability to retain information because the internet puts everything at the tip of our fingers.

I’m a big advocate of better living through technology, but I’m an even bigger advocate of the right technology for the right application.

Here at Clearfield, our design philosophy can be boiled down to the difference between the pen and the pencil . As defined on the products page of our website, “Designing a pen when a pencil will do only increases the cost to the customer with no real added benefit. Ensuring that the basic rules of fiber management are met and reliably maintained, simple, yet innovative, features are only added when the benefit results in lower deployment costs through reduced installation and service turn-up time, elimination of other material costs, and total cost of ownership.”

As impressed as I am with Clearfield’s technological sophistication (our R&D department makes my head spin regularly), I’m equally impressed with our simplistic and cost-effective customer solutions. Our stream-lined and practical approach to distributing, consolidating, managing and protecting fiber is designed to provide unsurpassed performance at the lowest total cost of ownership.

From our foundational FieldShield StrongFiber, Clearfield understands the importance of state of the art technology and thinking. But we also know that sometimes a pencil is a better solution than a pen.

And often times, a handwritten note is better than a text.