Image not recoveredCards Visit Business cards have always been a drama to me. They pile up. They pile up. They multiply. They blend in.

Today, I remembered to look for the “History” of these pieces of paper.

Apparently, they were created in the 17th century in France. But further research made me find references dating back to the 15th century in China.

In any of the cases, they were titled “Visiting Cards” (around here, they were always “Visit cards”), they acted as a kind of invitation and were used for any purpose in which a quick writing was appropriate.

They quickly evolved to “Trade Cards”, providing information about companies/shops and included a map with location.

With the development of printing methods I have become an increasingly popular way of distributing contact information and advertising about a particular person/company. Around here, they remained as “Visit cards”. That way... “Visiting cards”.

In the last (many) years the format has not changed much. More or less creative, with less or more color or types of paper. And with the world changing around us, why haven't these annoying pieces of paper changed? The answer is simple: although they seem like a thing of the past, they remain a simple and efficient way of distributing advertising about a business (not even that business is the “I”).

Of course we have several ways to store “contacts”. From the PC, to various web services, CRMs and... the most used: Mobile. Despite this, the “paper piece” remains necessary and these new formats only increase the drama by creating another need: synchronization.

There was a time around 2000 when I actually believed in a change. It was in the expansion period of the Palms. I remember my Palm V (it never gave me so much pleasure to have a 'gadget') and that at almost every meeting there was someone who also had one. This always served as an “unlocker” when instead of exchanging “paper pieces”, we pointed the Palms at each other, carried the button and heard the sound of transferring personal contact.

Why don't mobile phones, increasingly the new type of Swiss pen, have a “send my contact” key? Something that was universal between brands? Nokia, SonyEricsson, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, whatever... a key!

I leave a big announcement that made me look for my old man. Palm V: