Wow. I got a fax spam today.
It's hard to believe that any company still does this.
Then again, there are plenty of people who simply don't care how much they annoy potential customers.
Welcome to my "never buy anything from these people ever" list. Say hi to the guys who cut me off in traffic while driving a company vehicle, and the bank that insists on calling me weekly at dinnertime to try to sell me insurance.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Welcome To The Present
Why are so many organizations so old fashioned?
I'm buying a townhouse. The sale couldn't be closed today because it's a holiday for government staff. So what? The entire process is electronic. The appropriate data could have been entered into the system several days ago and set to take effect today.
I wanted to buy some groceries yesterday. The little veggie store that I wanted to shop at was closed because it was Easter Sunday. Why? I could understand closing early so that staff could have Easter dinner with their families. I could understand having just a skeleton crew on hand because of the extra cost of paying time-and-a-half to staff. But they didn't even bother opening. By comparison, I went to the big supermarket down the street and it was just as busy as any other Sunday. So it's hardly conceivable that it's just not worth opening.
We're in a multicultural society where not everybody celebrates the same holidays.
It's a 24/7 world where people are no longer just working 9-5, Monday to Friday.
Everybody seems to be busy all the time, and we need to take advantage of whatever free time we can get.
We don't need a human being to connect our phone calls, give us money at the bank, or send a memo for us.
It's not 1955 anymore, yet so many businesses and other organizations seem to think it is.
I'm buying a townhouse. The sale couldn't be closed today because it's a holiday for government staff. So what? The entire process is electronic. The appropriate data could have been entered into the system several days ago and set to take effect today.
I wanted to buy some groceries yesterday. The little veggie store that I wanted to shop at was closed because it was Easter Sunday. Why? I could understand closing early so that staff could have Easter dinner with their families. I could understand having just a skeleton crew on hand because of the extra cost of paying time-and-a-half to staff. But they didn't even bother opening. By comparison, I went to the big supermarket down the street and it was just as busy as any other Sunday. So it's hardly conceivable that it's just not worth opening.
We're in a multicultural society where not everybody celebrates the same holidays.
It's a 24/7 world where people are no longer just working 9-5, Monday to Friday.
Everybody seems to be busy all the time, and we need to take advantage of whatever free time we can get.
We don't need a human being to connect our phone calls, give us money at the bank, or send a memo for us.
It's not 1955 anymore, yet so many businesses and other organizations seem to think it is.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Too Much Attention on Too Few Examples
I was getting annoyed last night while reading an article about Facebook. In the writer's mind, that site is the greatest innovation in human history and is the de facto standard for "social" activities on the Internet.
It reminds me of a few years ago when everybody was saying "AdWords AdWords AdWords AdWords AdWords..."
I don't disagree that these are incredibly powerful, useful, and innovative tools. However, I get really tired of people who focus their attention so narrowly.
To me, Facebook itself isn't the exciting thing. The bigger picture is. It's about the massive influx of people willing and eager to socialize and share their lives online. There are literally thousands of social media and social networking tools out there. Facebook is just one of the sexiest right now.
Likewise, AdWords isn't the big deal. Accountability in advertising results, contextual targeting, and dynamic pricing are the really important things.
This narrow-minded focus on a handful of tools, rather than the greater trends, leads to several problems. It puts undue pressure on a small number of providers. It ignores the equally great small players.
But, most importantly, it limits future possibilities. I don't want people thinking "What would be a cool Facebook app?", I want them thinking "What would be another cool way for people to get together through technology and do some powerful things?"
It reminds me of a few years ago when everybody was saying "AdWords AdWords AdWords AdWords AdWords..."
I don't disagree that these are incredibly powerful, useful, and innovative tools. However, I get really tired of people who focus their attention so narrowly.
To me, Facebook itself isn't the exciting thing. The bigger picture is. It's about the massive influx of people willing and eager to socialize and share their lives online. There are literally thousands of social media and social networking tools out there. Facebook is just one of the sexiest right now.
Likewise, AdWords isn't the big deal. Accountability in advertising results, contextual targeting, and dynamic pricing are the really important things.
This narrow-minded focus on a handful of tools, rather than the greater trends, leads to several problems. It puts undue pressure on a small number of providers. It ignores the equally great small players.
But, most importantly, it limits future possibilities. I don't want people thinking "What would be a cool Facebook app?", I want them thinking "What would be another cool way for people to get together through technology and do some powerful things?"
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