I discovered a new scientific law!

[KAL 9000]

Any bureaucratic system will tend towards paperwork and away from getting things done. 

Equation: P_b=(B_t-((2t)/(t²))) 

P_b = Paperwork bureaucrats, bureaucrats that only make paperwork. 

B_t = Total bureaucrats in the system. 

t = Time since creation of the bureaucratic system. 

(If this belongs in The Lounge, mods, feel free to move it)

Edited December 14, 2016 by KAL 9000

[Snark]

Yes, this is definitely Lounge turf.

[kerbiloid]

On t = 0 this function looks like neganive infinity.

You would have a look at the classic mathematical task about lake (the job) and algae (bureaucracy)

 

[KAL 9000]

Special rule: If the function says it's greater than B_t, it's B_t. If the function says it's less than 0, it's 0.

@Snark Just because it's Lounge turf doesn't mean it's not true, though .

[razark]

1 hour ago, KAL 9000 said:

P_b = Paperwork bureaucrats, bureaucrats that only make paperwork. 

Clarification:
Is this the people that create a need for paperwork to be done, or people that actually create the paperwork?

And if B_t is total, should the variable be B_p instead?

[KAL 9000]

4 minutes ago, razark said:

Clarification:
Is this the people that create a need for paperwork to be done, or people that actually create the paperwork?

And if B_t is total, should the variable be B_p instead?

Both. B_p would be too similar to P_b.

[razark]

Just now, KAL 9000 said:

Both.

Simply put, that's wrong.

The people that create the paperwork are very different from the people that make the need for paperwork. 

[Snark]

3 hours ago, KAL 9000 said:

@Snark Just because it's Lounge turf doesn't mean it's not true, though

Well, sure, never said it wasn't. 

Somewhat related topic, for folks (like me) who are amused by this sort of thing:

 

[LordFerret]

14 hours ago, KAL 9000 said:

Any bureaucratic system will tend towards paperwork and away from getting things done. 

Equation: P_b=(B_t-((2t)/(t²))) 

P_b = Paperwork bureaucrats, bureaucrats that only make paperwork. 

B_t = Total bureaucrats in the system. 

t = Time since creation of the bureaucratic system. 

(If this belongs in The Lounge, mods, feel free to move it)

I have a hunch this is directly tied to The Peter Principle. You could sprinkle a little of The Dilbert Principle on that as well.

[kerbiloid]

Point of paperwork do not get you.

Spoiler

 

[lajoswinkler]

As a former bureaucrat, I can tell you that bureaucrats don't create paperwork. They're trying to get rid of it and are making order in the mess created by the bosses of departments they work for, and mess delivered by clients.

All bureaucrat wants is to get rid of junk, extract the essential and meaningful, and establish and preserve a backup line, so that each thing can be tracked. That way, if something goes wrong, you can find the origin of the problem and, hopefully, get away from being blamed for it.

 

You should blame the people who create laws which make clients' lives miserable. And bureaucrats' lives. We really hate paperwork. Less paper, less work.

[razark]

43 minutes ago, lajoswinkler said:

You should blame the people who create laws which make clients' lives miserable. And bureaucrats' lives. We really hate paperwork. Less paper, less work.

The "Paperwork Reduction Act".

Which only creates more needless paperwork for all the paperwork.

[Robotengineer]

On 12/14/2016 at 9:19 AM, KAL 9000 said:

Equation: P_b=(B_t-((2t)/(t²)))

You shouldn't be complaining about excess (in this case paperwork) when you forgot to cancel a t. It should be P_b=(B_t-(2/t)).

Bureaucracies suck but they are necessary. I'm curious what experience caused you to discover this 'law.'

[KSK]

Sometimes 'paperwork' is exactly equal to 'getting things done'. Taxes for example. You want everyone to pay their fair share? First of all define 'fair share' then establish an audit trail for establishing that everyone has paid it. Ideally with a minimum of ridiculous loopholes favouring the special interest de jour from twenty years ago but that way lies forum unfriendly politics.

Now if only we could find a better way of getting things done than naked greed, then we might have considerably less bureaucracy and considerably less paperwork. Behind many regulations lies an unscrupulous person who decided to cut corners, treat people badly or generally not care about anything other than profit.

[DoctorDavinci]

On Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 0:05 PM, razark said:

Clarification:
Is this the people that create a need for paperwork to be done, or people that actually create the paperwork?

There's another paper creation category to consider ... those who create paperwork when there is no need (red tape) 

[razark]

1 hour ago, DoctorDavinci said:

There's another paper creation category to consider ... those who create paperwork when there is no need (red tape) 

Any "paperwork about paperwork" should probably fall into that category. 

Hence:

9 hours ago, razark said:

The "Paperwork Reduction Act".

 

Also, any paperwork that is grossly unnecessary.

Seriously, if you want to declare something as not "Publicly Available" ten years later, there's something wrong, and no amount of meetings and paperwork is going to fix it.  Especially when the paper is available on ebay, Amazon, and assorted booksellers; contains a particular typo that makes it very clearly responsible for an entire line of Apollo hoax theories; and has been cited in numerous books, papers, and internet forum arguments to show that there's no way the Chinese haven't noticed it yet.

 

What we need is a reduction in clueless bureaucrats, really.

 

[DoctorDavinci]

1 hour ago, razark said:

Any "paperwork about paperwork" should probably fall into that category.

I agree wholeheartedly ... There have been many times that I have been required, due to my responsibilities when I was working, to attend meetings about meetings

Starting to cook a recipe when you have 20 cooks and a few chef's in the kitchen always leads to disaster

Edited December 16, 2016 by DoctorDavinci

[razark]

29 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

meetings about meetings

"Let's have a telecon to discuss the meeting we'll be having tomorrow to set up the agenda for the videoconference next week."

 

>Hey, <coworker>, what's the videoconference about?

"I think we're supposed to be discussing the lack of output.  Something about the reports we spent last week putting together."

Edited December 16, 2016 by razark

[kerbiloid]

Paperwork scks. Excelwork rules:

1. Because it can be structurized much easier.
2. Because it saves forests.
3 and the main. Because instead of one piece of paper scrap they get twenty e-mails and excel books, which provides many IT guys with job.

Edited December 16, 2016 by kerbiloid

[razark]

32 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

Paperwork scks. Excelwork rules:
2. Because it saves forests.

I consider it "paperwork" even if it's handled electronically.