"97 per cent of the fiber optic capacity in Canada remains
unused."
Did I hear that right?
It was the voice of Danny Finkleman, host of CBC's long running
Saturday night radio show, Finkleman's 45s. Alongside his playlist of
tunes from the "50s, 60s, and early 70s," Danny lays on a critical
commentary on contemporary culture. I'll just say he's no fan of the
personal computer or debit card but regularly extols the "Lazy-Boy"
chair and the electric toothbrush. His fans look back with nostalgia on
a simpler time when "Sherri Baby" was a song with a message and the
presets on your car radio worked with levers.
Being the host of a national radio program, Danny usually has his
facts straight. But even if the numbers are open to interpretation,
what he said made sense. Look at the facts. The value of Nortel
Networks shares, along with those of other communications giants, has
plunged. A huge fiber optic network was built, and nobody came. You may
well wonder how major corporations could have misjudged the situation
so badly.
Conspiracy theories abound, but I'm not much of a believer. More
likely it's a case of investors falling for their own hype: A kind of
new age tulip
mania or gold fever sweeping the markets. Delirium kicks in, and
there is a mass hallucination of dollar signs.
What did Nortel and the other limping giants really think was going
to fill up their networks? Was everyone going to stop shopping at the
local hardware store and order their screws online?
Of course not.
Corporate planners no doubt believe that communications of all kinds
will expand to fill their networks. As with most developing
technologies, there is a lag while the rest of us figure out how best
to use it. The Interstate Highway system in the U.S. wasn't bumper to
bumper when it was built, either. Developments currently taking place
in the cable entertainment industry make it clear that Nortel went in
the right direction - they just got there too soon.
Change
Change is a problem for most of us. We don't like it. Our stomachs
get upset when there is something new in the can. Often change means a
lot of extra work.
Change also adds to uncertainty, and, among other things, that makes
investment less predictable. The more rapid the change the more extreme
our reactions. We tend to see the changing situation as either a
fabulous opportunity or a door slamming shut on all we hold dear.
Those of us who are comfortable with personal computers are perhaps
more receptive to change than the average. We like the idea of new
computers that will do more things more quickly. Still, some of us are
reluctant to abandon favorite software that has become, over months and
years, as comfortable as a second skin. Even those ready to embrace the
brave new world of OS X want the security of the Classic Mode.
Online Communication
I recently contacted the editor of a print magazine concerning an
article I was planning, and which I though would be suitable for his
publication. As is my custom, I used email for the contact, and within
hours I received a positive reply. When the piece was complete, I sent
it off by email. Since there is always someone using Windows 95 who
will claim not to be able to open an attachment sent from a Mac, I
copied the text into the body of the email as well as enclosing an
attachment. Days went by. Nothing. I sent an email. No response.
My experience points to a real problem with our new medium. Business
people, especially those in smaller traditional industries, frequently
haven't taken e-communication to heart. Lord knows government has. But
small business persons, needing to keep employee numbers to a minimum
and typically doing as much as they can for themselves, fail to realize
the potential of this most cost effective communication option.
Inconsistency in using email is a sure sign of their lack of
comprehension. Failing to follow up on a request for further
information is saying: I don't need your business.
The mandatory website is there, of course. It might look like
something done on the cheap, perhaps thrown together by the brother
in-law. It won't really tell you much other than they know the Web
exists.
Instead of presenting a catalog in Portable Document File, there
will be a list of items on sale with little more than a thumbnail
picture to whet your appetite.
Most recent update? Sometime last year.
To make matters worse, as in the case of my print publisher, the
website has to be located initially through an ISP provided web page
directory that isn't organized alphabetically and has no search
capability.
Yesterday's Technology
The fall back option in my case is MacComCenter with Drag'n Fax. My
article unspools itself directly onto the publisher's desk, although
there is a price. Since I'm sending it from my computer, formatting
will be minimal. There is also the cost of the long distance call - an
irritation, since I'm already paying for an ISP.
Faxing, however, can be done during evening hours to take advantage
discount rates. With that two-tone green dragon's head icon, it's only
slightly more work than using email. The fact that the publisher is
paying for the ink and paper is another reason he should get hip to the
digital option.
My point is that we have a ways to go before we've made a
revolution. The languishing fiber optic networks will gradually fill
up. Those of us still dangling on the end of a long copper wire may
even see the day we can access a low level satellite network (like that
of the failed Iridium telephone network?).
Technology is ahead of us. "Think Different" is more than last
year's advertising slogan. Its a shibboleth
for survival.
Share your perspective on the Mac by emailing with "My Turn" as your subject.
