Am I the only one who finds using fax machines annoying? I’ve had a free eFax account for receiving faxes via e-mail for many years, but I have to use alternative methods for sending since I do not have a paid account.

For some reason, some agencies require that signed documents be faxed or sent via snail mail (e-mail not allowed). I understand the possible legal advantage of using a fax instead of e-mail, as well as the perception of added security (though I would aruge that point). Being at the tail end of generation X, I need instant gratification and thus U.S. mail isn’t always desirable.

So where does that leave me? I can pay for a land line just for a fax machine, which is not going to happen. I can also pay for online services such as TrustFax for $4.95/month, but I send faxes so infrequently that I dislike having the recurring fee. My final option is to pay $1 per page at the likes of Kinko’s and Office Max, which is what I often end up doing. Many of you may be fortunate enough to be able to use your employer’s fax machine.

Regardless, I find it funny that I can scan in a signed document in full resolution and quality, fax it via a service like TrustFax, and then have it come out in super-quality 5dpi chicken scratches. That method is acceptable, but simply e-mailing the higher-quality document (in PDF, no less) is not.

I think it’s time we embrace encrypted e-mail.