Anybody got interesting stats?

[Chet Ensign <Chet_Ensign%LDS -at- NOTES -dot- WORLDCOM -dot- COM>]

Dear fellow TECHWR-Lers,

I'm working on a book about using SGML as a tool for automating the development
and management of document-based information. In the book, I am trying to bring
SGML to the attention of upper level management. In making the case for SGML, I
am making an argument that I think is important to all of us -- namely, that
technical information is becoming increasingly important to an organization's
success.

To illustrate the point, I'd like to collect some eye-catching statistics or
anecdotes showing how the information load has increased over the years.
Anecdotes like: "typical medical chart for a patient in 1950 -- 3 pages; in
1990 -- 30 pages." Or: "In 1965, the volume of paper published by US
corporations doubled every 5 years. In 1995, the time is 9 months." I strongly
believe that a number of pressures (more complicated products, more gov't
regulation, more consumer demand for information) are acting in concert to
drive up both the volume and the complexity of the information we must deliver.
Of course, I could be wrong. It could be that we really aren't generating that
much more info than we used to. Hmmmm............  Nayh!

If any of you have stats or anecdotes that you'd like to share, I am grateful.
If you can point me to some sources, that's great, too.

As always, thanks to you all. You are a tremendous resource.

Best regards,

/chet

---
Chet Ensign
Director of Electronic Documentation
Logical Design Solutions
571 Central Avenue                      http://www.lds.com
Murray Hill, NJ  07974                  censign -at- lds -dot- com [email]
908-771-9221 [Phone]                  908-771-0430 [FAX]