Giraffe Forum

Gerry

This is a subject that I should whole heartedly be behind, I work on peoples websites from wherever I like, I can be contacted wherever I am - but there’s the rub.

Previous to the 2000s when I finished work I finished work. When I went on holiday I was not contactable and got a real break from my working life.

Yes, shopping from my own home is great - or is, there are no longer any music shops in my town. At the whim of a text I can cancel a night out at the last minute - too late really for other people to plan for. Hotels - with all my web knowledge I still insist on phoning to book my accommodation.

With the overload of information the web can inflict, are people stopping to think clearly, make considered decisions, maybe that’s why the 2000s aren’t looked back on with too much pleasure.

I do agree that the web has created a far greater informed consumer. Customers, clients and even employees now have far more ways to connect, engage and create dialogue. However, do we as consumers, customers and employees have far more empowerment? I sincerely doubt it. There are some examples where individuals influence a brand, a product or a service, however, these are minor. Since the development of the web we have seen a rapid decrease in elements that have major impact on the empowerment of consumers - such as government commissions, trade unions, industry bodies etc, that had an interest in the long-term, sustainable development of sectors and products. US Presidential election is a prime example. Through the web we now have thousands of access points to interrogate, discuss, engage, question, comment on the process, however, do citizens of that process (or product) have more influence now than 20-30 years ago? The web has given us the ability to learn and discuss more, but has it given us real power?

The web course I teach uses the creation of a conference website as the central project and I am often told by people “Ooh no, you shouldn’t put the price on there.”

That seems bizarre to me. Price is one of the ‘Top Trumps’ pieces of info that has to be prominently displayed: where is it? when is it? what is it about? how much does it cost?

People who are initially attracted to the event are looking to see if there is anything stopping them going: I’m busy that day (or it has already happened); I can’t get there (or don’t want to go there); it’s nothing that would interest me; I can’t afford it.

Everyone falls into one of three categories:
* Can afford it (in which case, that’s one less thing to worry about).
* Can’t afford it (but thanks for letting me waste my time by researching all the other details of this event that I now find I can’t attend).
* Not sure: need to check bank balance/ask boss/etc. (so I need to know how much it costs).

In all three cases, the customer benefits by knowing the price - and the customer will get frustrated at not knowing the price. The only exception is certain sections of the public sector where there is money to burn and cost is immaterial, even if it’s extortionate.

Yes, the internet has gotten better - a LOT better. However with 2 wars being fought in at least 5 countries, the background noise is wholly negative. Throw in a population that cares more about comparative online shopping, Facebook, Twitter, MafiaWars, etc., and it’s actually easier to look back negatively on the last decade than try to flout any successes. Every day it’s ‘terror this’ and ‘terror that’. Wow, Obama used the Internet to get elected, wow. That’s so great. We all pulled together and what do we get but more war and more excuses?

Now that I’m 30, I can say my entire 20’s were colored by a background of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and their disastrous illegal occupations. The internet has become like a shopping mall with its occasional bookstore, than a resource for citizens to come together and make the world a better place. Sorry if this is the wrong blog for such commentary but if you want to know the truth about why the last decade was such a disgrace to any rational person, all you have to do is take a look at the headlines.

The question that another commenter pointed to in regards to how technology overlaps with our personal lives, is worth reasking: Is technology helping humanity progress, or is it just keeping us busy? I used to think the latter, now I wonder. This is coming from a systems/web designer.