Don’t ask me why, but when readers subscribe to my blog, the system ignores the request and sends an email asking for verification. Subscribers who fail to reply eventually write me to ask why my blogs aren’t arriving.
In the past, I knew how to fix the problem. Recently, however, someone at the publishing site decided to make a change. An hour passed before I figured out the new system. I’m proud I managed it, but I couldn’t help wishing those young whippersnappers who live in the Cloud would quit playing god.
Geoff Colvin captured my frustration in a recent essay. (“In a Digital Era, Does Youth Trump Experience?” by Geoff Colvin, Fortune, December 23, 2013, pg. 49.) He wrote, a chasm exists between the young and the old with regard to the internet, one which only Time can bridge. Eventually, we old fogies will die off and leave the internet to the young.
Naturally, I took umbrage at Colvin’s observation, but he was quick to redeem himself. While it is true that to stay current in the World Wide Web requires stamina and flexibility, that quality isn’t the exclusive property of the young. Research shows that getting lost in the virtual world can happen to anyone. Take Andrew Mason, the 28 year-old founder of Groupon, for example. He lost his company because his business model was out of tune with the times. On the other hand, Dick Harrington, a man much older, anticipated the demise of his print news company and made an early switch to digital to the delight of his shareholders. (Ibid pg. 49)
Innovation may be the watchword of the new age, a daunting prospect for those of us whose little grey cells have slowed down a bit. But not to worry. A little fearlessness will allow any of us to keep up with the digital age. It’s all a matter of attitude. Fortunately, I was born with a stubborn streak. Each time some procedure, button or gizmo has changed on the internet, I repeat this mantra: “Innovation is good. I can do this. I will do this. ” After that, I scream.
(Courtesy of www.mysecretattheistblog.com)
