I wanted to congratulate you on your August issue. In most trade journals, I rarely find articles that are interesting, let alone useful. And the level of self-centric articles (where the author spends more time gloating than informing) approaches 100 percent. In this month’s issue the article on dbase searches by Mr. Brown ["Searching for Effective CRM: CRM and E-Commerce Work Together to Achieve a Common Goal," page 40] was excellent. And two other articles were very good. Thanks for an excellent issue.

Kevin Brink, President

Computer Project Groups Inc.

Kevin100@ev1.net

Dear Charlie:

RIGHT ON!! Your column hits the nail right on the head. I’ve been in the computer business for 21 or 22 years, ever since I started doing CICS/DL/1 programming. I’ve done some PC work over the years, but I’m kind of behind the times now due to illness.

However, I know enough about what’s happening in the marketplace now to know that your comments are right on the money. We’re rushing new technologies into service without proper testing and without the proper infrastructure in place. I applaud your comments, especially coming from someone in your high profile position.

Congratulations!

Steve Reed

Charlie,

Your point on "information without action just becomes useless noise" is well taken. Another good analogy I read recently is that there are now more stock mutual funds to pick from then there are companies that issue stock for purchase.

It appears to be a rather recent phobia that the best way to make money is not necessarily to work for it, but to create a process or method and have others buy it – something for nothing. Many of us – you and I included – work in a service environment wherein we do not make something, but I would like to believe that we add value to something. For an economy to work, there must be value. E-commerce has vast potential, but is also very susceptible to something for nothing. You, as Editor in Chief of ESJ, have an opportunity to help guide and nurture e-commerce to be an added value process. I applaud your efforts.

Jim Hayhoe

Charlie:

What an excellent column in the August issue! This type of analysis belongs in the WSJ (The Wall Street Journal), not just ESJ.

Nice work.

Eric L. Vaughan

IntelliWare Systems Inc.

Charlie,

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your "information without action" editorial. It brought up some great points regarding e-commerce, as well as good old fashioned brick and mortar shops. I don’t see either displacing the other because of cost (i.e., sales tax v. shipping and handling v. economies of scale). If anything, SERVICE will be the proverbial nail in the coffin for either.

Anyway, I just wanted to say it was a great editorial…

Chris Miksanek

Hi Charlie,

Your editorial in the August 2000 ESJ was right on target. I think we’ve all experienced such mismanagement at the customer level in the past, but it’s now becoming e-mismanagement. This "advance" is even more frustrating, because it’s yet one more link away from the human chain.

Anyway, with a cold philosophizing beer in hand, we’ll just have to give the new technology some time to catch up to its full promise. We have no other choice, do we?

Cheers!

John C. Berry

I liked your August editorial ["Revisiting Walden? No Thanks," page 6]. Users of computer equipment expect computers to "error-check" their work and understand what they meant to input.

I am writing as a dedicated Pabst drinker for years. Everyone knew what beer I drank. Two to three years ago, I read a news article about the Pabst Brewing Company. It said they were losing money and, as a cost-saving measure, they were going to reduce the retirement benefits of workers who had already retired. I wrote them a letter to ask why, and I received no response (they had no Web site at that time). I did not agree with this policy and stopped drinking their beer.

Keep up the easy-to-read editorials.

Dwayne

Great editorial, but a Pabst man?

SHibl@milwcnty.com