discuss the difference between conducting business now with the internet and 30 years ago without it

Question

anonymous · Answer

Speed and efficiency would be a major reason - instead of waiting on phone calls to the stock market floor or to get the latest reports in order to make informed decisions about a business process, the internet has allowed a near instantaneous transmission of ideas through a huge selection of tools compared to what we had 30 years ago. Travel plans are only a few keystrokes away, business partners from the next continent can send you their ideas via email while traveling. Conversely, it also allows companies to be far more agile in responding to their customers or in gathering data on their prospective markets without waiting for someone to type up reports or send them via snail mail. To help illustrate this point, back then, cell phones were these things: http://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads/cellphone_design/dkmb86g_487pr55s2hc_b.jpg Today, people can also react to what they've learned in minutes instead of hours thanks to being able to look up stock and news reports on the fly thanks to devices that take advantage of what the 'net brings to the table.

ganeshie8 · Answer

i like it 30 years ago when you could see the customer physically, sit next to him, and do business.

anonymous · Answer

I agree. Having all of these advances are great, but it also feels a little too impersonal sometimes like ganeshie8 points out. I guess that's one of the problems of letting technology do a little too much in your life for you.

anonymous · Answer

Cost is also a major factor.  Retail space is *expensive*. It's one reason for the downfall of Blockbuster, for example.