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> Many business owners in the 90s looked at computer and internet technology and dismissed it as a fad that would cease to exist in 5 years Well I've been arou

by gist 9y ago

> Many business owners in the 90s looked at computer and internet technology and dismissed it as a fad that would cease to exist in 5 years Well I've been around this for much longer than the 90's. Since the late 70's actually. I don't remember it that way at all. What I remember was that at the time it was either to expensive or the company (small ones) didn't have the time or resources to stop what they were doing and get a system up and running (say for inventory or shipping). There was not at all (and I was around plenty of small businesses btw) any sense that it wasn't something they needed. Anyone who typed invoices at the time (on a typewritter) and had to look up or remember pricing and/or work with inventory could easily see what a computer could do for them. The only issue was the cost. With respect to the internet it was seen as unusable and not needed because of the speed primarily. If the speed wasn't fixed by broadband it would not have taken off. If you told people back then 'in 2 years you will have 'always on internet'' they would have thought differently.

v64 9y ago
Out of curiosity, where did you live and what sector did you work in? From my own experience, I agree that the businesses that were excited about computer technology were businesses with high amounts of inventory and paperwork where automation could greatly simplified their business processes, and that many of these businesses were located in urban centers that were at the forefront of infrastructure. These large businesses can make large profit by cutting margins by a few points, so it made sense for them. It was from small to medium sized businesses where I saw the most resistance, both from a cost and a cultural point of view. I demonstrated broadband internet to individuals at the time and still couldn't convince them of its merits, so I don't think everyone then understood the implications of fast, always on internet. Even just 5 years ago, I worked for a tech company in the self-storage industry, and many large operators were still running their entire businesses in physical ledgers with no equivalent computerized records. There is still a strong resistance among many older businesses to convert to computerized records, despite the clear cost savings that can be demonstrated at this point. Reasons include not wanting to learn a new system and being afraid that the business couldn't run if the internet goes out. As I said, this was in 2012.
- gist 9y ago
  > Out of curiosity, where did you live and what sector did you work in? On the east coast near a major city and in wholesale and distribution primarily.

by gist 9y ago

v64 9y ago

Out of curiosity, where did you live and what sector did you work in? From my own experience, I agree that the businesses that were excited about computer technology were businesses with high amounts of inventory and paperwork where automation could greatly simplified their business processes, and that many of these businesses were located in urban centers that were at the forefront of infrastructure. These large businesses can make large profit by cutting margins by a few points, so it made sense for them. It was from small to medium sized businesses where I saw the most resistance, both from a cost and a cultural point of view. I demonstrated broadband internet to individuals at the time and still couldn't convince them of its merits, so I don't think everyone then understood the implications of fast, always on internet. Even just 5 years ago, I worked for a tech company in the self-storage industry, and many large operators were still running their entire businesses in physical ledgers with no equivalent computerized records. There is still a strong resistance among many older businesses to convert to computerized records, despite the clear cost savings that can be demonstrated at this point. Reasons include not wanting to learn a new system and being afraid that the business couldn't run if the internet goes out. As I said, this was in 2012.

gist 9y ago
> Out of curiosity, where did you live and what sector did you work in? On the east coast near a major city and in wholesale and distribution primarily.