# Are you a net paperclip importer or exporter? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303 "2010-02-01T23:32:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/21 "2010-02-02T15:50:25Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > …Plus, two boxes of staples, which at my historical rate of consumption, will probably rust away to dust before I have a chance to use half of them. > > I’m tempted to pour clips into inter-office envelopes and send them off to random buildings with no return address. Just to get rid of them and hopefully get them to a good home. I know they’re cheap, but it seems terrible to just throw away perfectly good clips, so they languish in the dark. By not giving them away, you are condemning them to be wasted as surely as if you put them in the waste basket. Put them in the supply cabinet, or the interoffice mail, or even just near the coffee machine. Someone will want them and use them. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/22 "2010-02-02T15:52:46Z")
I’m reasonably paperless, but the rest of the school isn’t. I take in far more paper clips than I send out. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/23 "2010-02-02T15:58:08Z")
I try to maintain a solid balance of document-binding-implement trade, but I generally run a small deficit and have to go to the mail room to restock once every two weeks or so. I run a massive bulldog clip deficit, though. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/24 "2010-02-02T16:34:32Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > Paper!?!?! At work??? I’m in the technology industry! I go weeks and weeks without using, seeing, or thinking about paper clips. But how do you keep the cover sheet on your TPS report? ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/25 "2010-02-04T03:27:16Z")
Rats, I miss-voted. I’m a digital archivist - papers and their accoutrement come to me, and leave via the shredder or the various cups on my desk (Can’t have them size-mixing, now, can we? Or binder clips with paperclips? Sheer anarchy) Its kind of fun seeking out people who need clips when my cups get full - like I’m Santa, bringing office supplies to the needy. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/26 "2010-02-04T16:27:51Z")
I’m a clip thief/hoarder. I steal pretty, colored paper clips and binder clips that find their way to my desk. Then, I raid the supply cabinet for boring metal clips. Those go out, the pretty ones stay in my desk drawer, waiting for something important enough to be used on. That something will never come. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/27 "2010-02-04T16:32:25Z")
I voted that I’m an exporter but we use binder clips instead of paperclips, same idea though. I _never_ get any binder clips, they’re always leaving. Where do they go? Do our clients have barrels of binder clips strewn about? _off to RFID tag some office supplies_ ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Not_Appearing_on_This_Site)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303/28 "2010-02-04T23:26:20Z")
Paper clip? What would I need that for? I try to keep all documents I need on the computer. If I print something out, it is usually to just mark-up some changes, and recycled. I am not sure I have used a paperclip in the 4+ years in this job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-net-paperclip-importer-or-exporter/527303.md?page=1)