Time machine, Network 54 where are you?

[GordonJ]

Oh, Car 54 Where Are You was an early 60's sitcom about two NY Cops who were bumbling their way to their own kind of success. Anyhow...

By 1999 my reputation online was established on many forums as a sometimes knee JERK response, and my recent Warrior Forum posts still show he hasn't gone away completely although I am a kinder, gentler Gordon than I once was.

Once in awhile I'll go back in the time machine. Here is a post made by Steve MacLellan on May 24, 1999. 17 years ago and we were already established online, makes one feel his age.

I complimented Ken Silver on his professionalism running his forum (wow, look at those names on his Network 54 forum, many IM successes)...and how I sometimes wished I could be more like Ken. Steve responded with:

*****
Yes! Ken's reply is very elegant. He is the personification of diplomacy. Not like web sites. Everyone is always trying to improve their own. The idea, of course, is to have these operate like a quality piece of software. Beautiful graphics! Top-notch "ad copy," super smooth navigational construction. Purge the human element. Is that always a good idea? I am under the impression that folks like to do business with REAL people. Real people have emotions. They get "ticked" when confronted and bothered. There isn't anything mechanical about it.
From the time you were were farming the "small potatoes" patch over on Dave's board, I saved a lot of the articles you wrote to disk. Not only is the ad copy compelling, but it is injected with SO MUCH human feeling...
Your stories were marvelous. I could almost see you marketing yourself as the World's Worst Singing Telegram. Yes, there were times when you SCREAMED, times when you were UPSET, and you darn well let everyone know. The point is, you produced credibility as a REAL person, one with emotions and feelings, that you put into your work.
If diplomacy is akin to professionalism in the "real world," that's acceptable and expected. You can see the person you are talking to; know that he/she is real. Do you think we risk losing something by striving to purge the human factor out of our responses on-line? Are we becoming to mechanical by doing so? Are we going to sharpen and mold ourselves so that we can be like our web sites, and always operate like a quality piece of software?
Me? I kinda' liked your occasional Knee-JERK response!
********


I think by this time, some of those early forums were gone, or dissolving or morphing.

The funny thing with this is some of those 1999 questions are the same as they are today about getting the most from a web site and all that.



Anyhow, we oldtimers are giving way to a new bunch of IMers, who seem to me, to all have knee JERK responses to MY posts...HA!


OK, back to now.



Gordon

And I still feel the same way. Society has become even more mechanical... using machines to replace humans in some situations.

A speeding ticket was mailed to me. Had a picture of my vehicle, the time and date of the infraction as well as the location. I didn't have to go to court. I could pay it online.

Go to a grocery store and the self checkout tallies up your items. You pay with a debt card, and it doesn't even say "Have a nice day!"

Want to apply for a job? You need to get subscribe to the job boards online. Most of the employers say, electronic applications only. No phone calls, no follow-ups, and do not come by the office. If you're chosen for an interview, we'll contact you.

How are you supposed to show them what a great guy and asset you would be to their business?

Got a complaint? Use the online form. Register your business or car online. Gotten lost in the city? No need to stop and ask for directions. Just punch the address into Google Maps and set your phone down. It will read the directions to you as you drive.

Heck, I remember years ago that if you wanted a website, you had to hire a developer. Not only are the younger people more computer savvy, things like Wordpress, Wix, Squarespace, Simplesite, Weebly, and a host of others make it so easy that you don't even have to ask a single "how to" anymore. And, if you do have a question about something.... you check their knowledge base for the answer.

But, I've been noticing a trend. REAL people aren't pretending to be mechanical. I find it's a lot easier to walk up to someone in a strange city and start a conversation than it was 10 years ago. People seem to be missing human interaction. It's like they are almost craving it. A buddy and I were driving through Quebec this summer. Stopped and asked a beat cop where there was a good coffee shop with homemade pie. 15 minutes later we knew of 4 wonderful shops to go to. He noticed the guitar in the back seat and admitted he played a little bit too. He and his girlfriend were thinking about moving in together...

Anyway... I stopped by the forum today to share something with you that some of you might find useful. I must admit, I did not check out all of the links. The article says:

"Writing your business plan. Ughhhh.

It’s definitely not the most exciting part of starting a business. In fact, if you’re like a lot of entrepreneurs, you’re probably going to find yourself pulling a few all-nighters to get one done before heading into your first pitch for funding."

Then he lists 10 places where you can download business plan templates for free: https://medium.com/the-mission/top-1...654#.gkym1g2fi

Regards,
Steve