I hate technology

(some of the time)

(3/28/2000)

I've got a customer trying to get a quote for me. In a phone call, this process would have been completed in 5 minutes. Due to the marvelous technical advancement known as "E-mail", we're up to about a half hour now and counting.

The first 2 E-mails got me a picture. So far, so good and of course E-mail was the only quick way to get me a colored picture.

I can't be sure of exactly what is to be done from the picture though, so I make an educated guess and send back some pricing. Get another E-mail back saying "no, it's such and such", but not telling me if it's on one side or two.

This great feat of technology doesn't allow for the give and take of the old telephone. You tell me what you need. I verify that I understand. If I don't have it right, you correct my misunderstanding. It's done in less time than it takes to write about it.

Looks like in the process of saving a $.50 to $1.00 phone bill we've wasted about $20 worth of my time, not to mention your time.

There are a lot of things that this machine makes easier, in fact there are things, such as weather info that I couldn't get without it. Let's just be smart enough to see and understand the difference.

Pete Asp

2000