Bdtyk

The classic definition for paperwork says

Routine work involving written
documents such as forms, records, or
letters.

Now, given that we are in the digital age and computers have taken many tedious tasks away, we still have to cope with clutter... What would be the equivalent word for

Routine work involving electronic
documents such as forms, spreadsheets, or
emails.

The equivalent will be used in the context of phrases like

• Spare me the paperwork


• Take the clutter away

p.s. It seems that Woody Allen is still using a typewriter.

For the time being, I would stick with "paperwork."

Notice that in a modern automobile, you still "roll up the windows." You still "dial a phone." Often, we retain words and phrases that would seem to be obsolete, because language generally changes more slowly than technology does.

However, in this specific case, 'paper' seems unnecessary - you could just say "I have a lot of work," or "please don't send me more work." The 'paper' bit is kind of superfluous.

I've heard (and used) administrivia (a portmanteau of administrative and trivia) to indicate the additional unimportant but still necessary stuff that has to be done.

In my work (as an Engineer) the final step is 'document everything'. This may be actual paperwork, but it often consists of electronic documents.

I'm sure if I called it 'paperwork', my colleagues would understand what I meant.

I'm not able to find anything that works nearly so well as "administrivia." The problem with all the other suggestions such as "paperwork," "deskwork," or "clutter," is that they don't convey the additional tone of tediousness and menial, and yet, necessary quality often intended with the word "administrivia." "Administrivia" is unique in that it embodies all these adjectives at once better than any other single word, yet it is not precise enough to fit modern life. Its composites, "admin" and "trivia" have the connotation of trite, but not the consequentiality it needs. We need a word that more precisely conveys the intense combination of drudgery and urgency one continuously encounters in modern life.

The term "bureaucracy" may be used in the sense of "excessively complicated administrative procedure" (according to the OED), such as filling out forms, writing useless reports etc. It has a pejorative connotation and is slightly more general than "paperwork", though.

deskwork

works for paper or electronic .

In March, we have endless keying in to do before we can eFile the eReturns.

It is also what takes the fun out of vacation planning.