WRITINGS BY PETER BYERS

This page is in two parts, it talks about work, business and life in general

then (in the late 1980s and the early 1990s); and
now (in the second half of 2003)

Then

Life was about people, knowing them, talking to them. It was an era of 'knowing somebody that does'.

Even if you didn't, you had some folks that were masters in the art of 'knowing somebody that does'.

You had contact books - if you lost or mislaid the you were really in the 'do-do' !!

You tried to keep your contacts sweet,

you chatted to them on the phone;
you faxed them;
you visited them;
you invited them to visit you;
you arranged to meet them
you always, but always thanked them;

sometimes you showed your appreciation with a small present;
sometimes you showed your appreciation with a cash payment;
sometimes you showed your appreciation by taking them out,
where you took them depended on what they had done for you.

you sent them Christmas Cards;
You remembered their birthday;
as an absolutely last resort, you wrote to them asking your question !!

You travelled around attending meetings. Then folk sent you minutes (that frequently did not accord with your memory of the meeting)

You also needed to try and keep up with news and current affairs. It did your 'street-cred' no end of good to be seen reading a posh BroadSheet newspaper for a few minutes every day.

You also let yourself, your views and ideas be seen and known - it used to be called 'Networking' !!

It seemed like you got on in Work, Business and Life in direct proportion the the competence of your contacts - well that is how I remember it anyway.

Before you tell me, there were other things in Work, Business and Life that this, but this did really play a major part!!

NOW

Life is still about people, knowing them, talking to them. It is still a time of 'knowing somebody that does'. Actually, it might be more appropriate to say that you communicate with them rather than 'talking to them'.

As well as talking to them, you text them, you EMail them.

Now, rather than the person that can always find the best place, you look on the Internet.
You use Search Engines (the telephone directories of the internet!!) - the really up-to-date folks have forgotten the names of search engines like Google and Yahoo and use something like Copernic (a package that looks at lots of search engines simultaneously !!

Your contact books have been relegated to the archives of time.
Such lists have now been transfered to a computer - the really up-to-date folks have put their Contact Lists on a Web Site on the internet, so that they can get at the information where-ever in the world they are.

Contact lists no long only contain Name, Address and Phone Number !!
They now contain EMail Addresses, Mobile numbers etc.
Indeed such lists are now supplemented by lists of Favourite (and/or useful) Web Sites.

You still try to keep your contacts sweet,

you chat to them on the phone;
you fax them;
you visit them;
you invite them to visit you;
you arrange to meet them
you always, but always thank them;

sometimes you show your appreciation with a small present;
sometimes you show your appreciation with a cash payment;
sometimes you show your appreciation by taking them out,
where you took them depends on what they had done for you.

you send them Christmas Cards;
You remember their birthday;
as an absolutely last resort, you write to them asking your question !!

You arrange Video Conferences, Audio Conference calls even meetings on the Internet. Such meetings are recorded for posterity. Written minutes are starting to become a thing of the past.

You also needed to try and keep up with news and current affairs. The Newspapers have their own Web Sites, so you can read then on the internet. The more up-to-date folk use 'NewsReaders' and have the news in which they are interested delivered to then 'as it happens'.

You also let yourself, your views and ideas be seen and known - the fashion now is to publish WebLogs (called Bloggs) on the internet - it used to be called 'Networking' !!

It seemed like you got on in Work, Business and Life in direct proportion the the competence of your contacts - well that is how it seems to me anyway.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

If folk do not know you exist, cannot find you or cannot communicate with you, you will miss out on a major part of lifes rich planoply !!

I have heard stories of folks saying that "they did not need a telephone to have a succesful business and/or life"
The same was said about the Internet.
It was proven wrong for the telephone - it will be for the internet !!

As near to the internet as you are to a telephone !!

I have heard stories of folks saying that "I must go home to my telephone, I cannot make a proper call from your phone"
I have heard folk saying "I only ever go on to the Internet from my own PC - never from any others".
It was proven wrong for the telephone - it will be for the internet !!
PC kiosks are appearing in all sorts of places, even at Airports and Railway Stations !!

NewsReaders are a new way of life !!. See here now !!

Blogging (WebLoging) is a great new concept. I have to confess that I cannot see what all the hype and fuss is about - but I am going along with it anyway.

Face to face meetings are the only way to do business. I wonder how long it will take for folk to realise that time travelling is usually wasted. Have they really thought about the cost of travelling ?
Her Majesty the Queen of England, Great Britain and the CommonWealth talks to millions of folks at Christmas, but not face to face !!

Ah well, LIFE MOVES ON !!