This is not about cults, or sickness, or even social crimes blamed on the web. It's a new kind of sickness... the ìWe forgot everything we knewî syndrome!

#79 The Web made me forget __ Have you noticed? Does it seem like the WEB has made everyone forget everything they ever knew about marketing and public relations? __ The other day a press release caught my attention that looked like the sort of thing our readers would really like. So I followed up with the three email addresses in the release. One was automated and the other two were two contact names of real people -- or so it read. __ The next day I had my response. It was automated, and it carried an attachment. __ Great! NOT. __ Nothing I could do would open the file. I even tried Canopener, and it revealed but a page full of code. The data fork said WORD 6, so I replied again explaining to the PR person that the document was somehow corrupted and could they send me another. __ Sho'nuff the next day there were three responses. Now I got their attention... right? Wrong. All automated - same bad file, except this time one of the messages was an invitation to "visit our website." __ Okay, I'll bite. It takes a lot for me to go to someone's website for something to write about. I only have several thousand articles started. When I arrived, it was the worst mess I've ever seen. Java errors, broken graphics, the works. Worst of all there were no contact names, numbers addresses or even email addresses. These people obviously didn't want to be bothered, nor sell anything to me... and once I've arrived at their web site I can understand why - they're embarrased. __ Here's a clear case of people thinking the web will replace work. The web has caused PR and marketing departments all around the world to forget the main rules of customer relations, and hide their heads in the sands of the web. They've fallen into a false sense of security that customers will come to their web site, be wowed and buy something. But it just doesn't happen that way. __ Have you tried to get any information from Netscape recently? Go ahead, try it. They'll spam you on the phone and then tell you to log onto their website for the info you came looking for. Then you spend a half hour on the site, and the only thing you'll find is that you can't find it there. When you inquire, you're thrown back into the same loop... "Visit our website... Visit our website... Visit our website... " __ Smart PR and marketing folk know that there needs to be a human involved if the equation is going to work. They know that an address and phone number are far more important than all the web pages you can buy. And don't ever forget it.

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Best regards, Fred Showker