I’m the proud owner of an HP LaserJet P1006, which is a great laser printer for the price (about $100). Lately I’ve noticed that the print is getting a little light, so I wanted to check the toner level. After going through all the menus and settings pages, I couldn’t find any indication of the toner level. So as a last resort I decided to read the manual.

It turns out that to check the toner level, you have to print a report. On paper. Using toner. It’s on a dialog buried deep within the printer settings:

OK, if they already know the toner level, why can’t they display it on this dialog, instead of forcing you to print it? To add insult to injury, you don’t get to choose which printer to print the report on, thus using up even more of the toner that you’re trying to check! (Technical note: I suspect this information is only available inside the printer, and is not shared with the computer to which it’s attached.)

The printed report is about 75% white space (after all, how much space does it take to show the toner level?). At least they include recycling instructions…

That’s a good question. I just happen to be re-reading Alan Weiss’s “Value-Based Fees“, and Alan has this to say in a section about the ethical nature of Capitalism (pg. 2):

Russia has failed (at least thus far) at capitalism, not because of an underlying or lingering communist belief system and not because of a lack of resources or unwilling populace. It has failed because the ethical basis required for the system to work is not firmly in place. There is still too much of an attitude of “Can I get away with this?” and “How can I take advantage of the other party?” We can also see this situationally within some professions, within certain industries, and within some organizations.

This comment about Russia could easily apply to some former Iron Curtain regions such as Slovakia. Some readers will point out that capitalism in the United States hasn’t been exactly ethical. Refer to the last sentence in the quote above. The only reason these so-called American “capitalists” get away with losing other people’s money, and getting more money from the taxpayer, is because of their willing accomplices in the Democratic and Republican parties. That’s not capitalism, because the people footing the bill (you and I) aren’t doing so freely and receiving fair value in exchange for our money.

Main Street capitalism in the United States works, and it works best when a business delivers value to its customers, makes sure customers perceive that value, and asks for fair payment in return. Trying to make that work in an environment where everybody is out to get you just might be a lost cause.

I’m a member of the QuickBooks consulting team at CFO Selections LLC in Bellevue, WA. I specialize in QuickBooks Point of Sale and Enterprise Solutions, and am also certified in Field Service Management and QuickBase. I’ve helped several clients integrate their eCommerce web sites with their QuickBooks or QuickBooks Point of Sale software, using PDG Commerce and T-HUB from Atandra.

Please feel free to contact me regarding your QuickBooks needs at mike@cfoselections.com or 425-941-7648.