I think this article would be stronger if it didn't open with its weakest example: The problem with whiteboard pens is that (a) they wear out over time as the ink dries, so you can't solve your problem by buying and distributing them in one large batch; you need to constantly and continuously resupply them over time; and (b) they can be instantly ruined by misusing them, e.g. by not capping one tightly when you put it down.
So I'd argue that whiteboard pens are frustratingly close to the category boundary between "things that are so cheap that you should just buy them in bulk and spread them all over the environment" and "precious personal tools, where the optimal strategy is to buy the best that you can afford, carry them around with you in a special holster, and never let anyone else touch them on pain of death". The latter category includes things like a chef's knife, a mechanic's micrometer, a microsurgeon's favorite tweezers, and your cellphone.
Whiteboard pens are legendarily annoying because they're not clearly in one category or the other, so no matter whether you fanatically carry around a personal set or choose to rely on their ubiquity you're inevitably going to end up kicking yourself at one time or another.
I'm firmly in the ubiquity camp for this, but with a just-in-time delivery system rather than buying in one giant batch.
Every whiteboard should have a large stock of great pens. If I start to write with a balky pen, I throw it out instantly. (Please, HNers: if you ever see somebody put a bad pen back in the tray, smack them.) When we get down to a merely adequate number of markers in some room, I spend 60 seconds on Amazon and order a bunch more. Prime + One Click + purchase history search makes this a breeze.
Given the risk of cross-infection, I really hope microsurgeons acquire these in multiplicity rather than just buying one pair and carrying them around with him. :-)
If I was a teacher that had to have working whiteboard pens all the time, I'd treasure some sort of holster that could hold a good whiteboard pen or two.
It's funny how whiteboard pens are these ugly things that we use all the time. I've never seen a really nice whiteboard pen (do they even exist?). All I've ever seen are those expo white-barreled pens that, while certainly functional, are incredibly spartan.
What would a "worlds-best" whiteboard pen look like? Does it have to be a round, fat plastic thing?
So I'd argue that whiteboard pens are frustratingly close to the category boundary between "things that are so cheap that you should just buy them in bulk and spread them all over the environment" and "precious personal tools, where the optimal strategy is to buy the best that you can afford, carry them around with you in a special holster, and never let anyone else touch them on pain of death". The latter category includes things like a chef's knife, a mechanic's micrometer, a microsurgeon's favorite tweezers, and your cellphone.
Whiteboard pens are legendarily annoying because they're not clearly in one category or the other, so no matter whether you fanatically carry around a personal set or choose to rely on their ubiquity you're inevitably going to end up kicking yourself at one time or another.