Oooh, this is such an interesting topic to me too, Maribeth! I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread - such great perspectives!
I fall into the camp that technology is ONLY a tool. Don't get me wrong: I spent a decade working in technology companies immersed in the technological revolution, and am a huge proponent of technology... when it makes sense. I think the most important thing to know is how you and your cohorts function, and then use it if it helps more than hinders. As clever and responsible people, our job is to assess the situation, choose our tools, and understand the trade-offs.
Pyromnt, in the near future, I think we will go paper-less, but we won't go paperless. Until there's a day that we can have virtual callboards, or all theaters are equipped with monitors and doors to post the running orders of each show that inhabits it - or the invention of "virtual paper", paper is essential. Once upon a time, paper was a new invention too - it was a major, major technology with many advantages, including being a very lightweight, versatile, compressable 2-dimensional surface for the representation of information. There are some things about paper that modern devices don't compete with (e.g., foldable, inexpensive, ultra-lightweight). And of course, there are also things it does not do as well as modern devices (e.g., distribution, legibility, a flashlight or timer in a pinch). Still, I don't see paper becoming obsolete any time soon - economically, it's too cheap and universally accessible. Paper has been around for eons because it's a great technological choice, and I just don't see that changing in the blink of an eye.
Some trade-offs of paper are hard to see: My awesome mentor is so super old school, she doesn't even use Post-Its! She writes everything directly into her score. She manually erases and rewrites changed cues in tech, and it's tedious. Really you would think Post-Its are a great invention. Well but her system is not all bad - she isn't not limited by the size of Post-Its or stickers! She writes directly above the music where she starts her call, so her calling is impeccably consistent from show to show - it's just so easy, she doesn't even need to think.
Things I use paper for: I have never worked on a show that does not require a score. A search feature is not as useful when people sing the reference. I like to be mobile in case I need to cue an entrance (common in opera), and I like having a portable score that I can take into the wings or (if I am assistant-less) to the other side of the stage. (If someone invented an extra-large touch-screen kindle, I might like that, but that seems to be going in the opposite direction of the trend.) I also like carrying around a clipboard for notes more than a device - it's not a big deal if I drop it or have to put it down, and it's faster for me to write on the surface because I don't need to press any buttons to turn the screen on or to navigate to the right app. (Context switching actually has huge costs.)
For me, the most useful part of modern technology is: a) distribution, and b) collaboration. Distribution: I find that multiple versions of documents are confusing. So I use Google Docs so that I have one link that is always updated. The cast especially likes this for the schedule because they always know where to find their latest calls. I don't need folders for my paperwork because I haven't needed to create more than 10 different documents (usually the number is closer to 6). Collaboration: when I am creating new paperwork to share, I make my documents editable by others. I'm a proponent of transparency, so I always share my paperwork with whomever wants to see it.
In terms of etiquette, I often use a laptop but I keep angled away from me or closed when I am not typing, to signal that my attention is focused on the stage. I try to only use it for rehearsal notes or things that are important to the moment. I consider unrelated paperwork (run lists and the like) to be homework because, although I have my laptop, my job is to be focused on what's going on now.
Also, I don't know how much of this is generational. My first manager wanted me to make all these binders of creative concept images, and my first thoughts were: we're in the digital age! we work at a cutting-edge technology company! I thought she was hip, but also SO old-school (that was 10 years ago; she was in her 30s and I thought she was a dinosaur). But nowadays, I want my binder! I want to be able to take things out of it and give them to people. I want to be able to pass out cheat sheets of crew assignments. I want to be able to look at images side-by-side without needing to scroll or tab between pages. I want to be able to share whole, unshrunken images of what the Costume Designer's inspiration, in all their 17" x 24" glory! For me, it's a functional decision. The creative human mind likes to spread out; mobile devices just don't have enough screen real estate for me. I personally feel that the current generation of devices limits my ability to grasp creativity, but I didn't have a full enough view of the world to understand that 10 years ago.
More on the limits of technology: I am wired. I have a smart phone with a data plan and a laptop (that I spend way more time on than I should). I know my hotkeys and can manipulate a spreadsheet like no one's business. I live in California, own a hybrid car, and am super into green. I am going to continue to use new technology. But I still print out the schedule and cast phone numbers - it's just easier to reference and foolproof. Sometimes we need tactile or kinesthetic information because that is just how our brain works and we are human beings, after all - not robots or pixels. We inhabit the world through all of our senses - not just the visual and aural ones. There is something about analog life that engages people's gut and soul - and at the end of the day, that's what motivates and moves us. Or maybe that belief is just why I moved into theater...
