Podcasts about home shopping channel

This one is coming at you from Cleveland, or at least it was when it was recorded.  It was recorded after a long long night of watching the Home Shopping Channel or something like that.  They were selling combat boots to expecting mothers.  The irony was lost on everybody involved.There are no guests on this episode.  If you want to be a guest, let me know and you can be the guest on a different episode.  It's too late to be on this episode,Support the showhunchbunny.com

This week Meg and Alex discuss the rise in the number of white people within the neighborhood, something that was pretty rare a year ago. Then the two talk about Meg's newfound interest in the home shopping channel and give a quick We Got This update. 

BluBlocker™ & Direct Marketing Icon, CEO of JS&A Group, Inc., Tribute Show. Joe Sugarman (1938-2022) appeared twice on my show,  What a wonderful man! This is his first appearance on the show.Does the name BluBlocker™ ring a bell?? Joe introduced dozens of new innovations and concepts in electronic products during the '70s, including the pocket calculator, the digital watch, cordless telephone, computers and a variety of others.“My purpose in life to leave a legacy of helping people live long and healthier lives and I sincerely believe we have the technology and the products to do that now,” says Sugarman.Joseph Sugarman is Chairman of JS&A Group, Inc., BluBlocker Corporation, DelStar Publishing and President of a bio-tech company, Stem Cell Products, LLC—all based in Las Vegas, Nevada.He was born and raised in the Chicago area and attended the electrical engineering college of the University of Miami for three and a half years before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1962.Joe then spent over three years in Germany where he served with the Army Intelligence Service and later with the CIA. Returning home, he formed a company to market Austrian ski lifts in the United States and then later formed his own advertising agency to service ski resort accounts.In 1971, after six years of running his own ad agency, he saw micro-electronics as an exciting opportunity and formed a company to market the world's first pocket calculator through direct marketing—all from the basement of his home in Northbrook, IL.In 1973, Sugarman's company was the first in the United States to use the 800 toll-free service to take credit card orders over the telephone-- something that direct marketers had never done before. His line of BluBlocker sunglasses, which he sold in direct mailings, mail order ads, catalogs and on TV through infomercials, and the QVC, the Home Shopping Channel. BluBlocker™ sunglasses are sold currently at stores throughout the world with over 40 million pairs sold.  © 2023 Building Abundant Success!!2023 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

There is so much content to consume! Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, the Home Shopping Channel ... (Ok, maybe not that last one.) When the pandemic started, we were all confined to our homes, and many of us went a little haywire with the subscribing to content services to not go stir crazy. Now that the pandemic is over (?), it may be time to reassess the landscape and decide which of these services are must haves and which you might be able to live without. Teebs & KidPhoenix present their Streaming Services Consumer Report for 2023. New theme music produced by Danya Vodovoz. The link to this song and his Soundcloud are ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Like and follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow the show on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TeebsandKidVS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). We are on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  If you listen, kindly leave us a review. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teebsandkidphoenixvs/support

This week's episode of Win The Hour, Win The Day Podcast is sponsored by Win The Hour, Win The Day's Signature Coaching Program the Winners Circle.  Kris Ward who helps entrepreneurs to stop working so hard interviews, Keri Maletto. Keri Maletto takes us through the sales process steps. It's a dynamic conversation that will have you improving your customer experience, lead generation, and bringing in more potential clients. Keri Maletto is extremely talented in creating sales conversations. She developed a lot of this through extensive experience in the Home Shopping Channel. It's amazing to watch Keri build trust with her audience. We all know that's part of the sales process but watch Keri build it into her sales messaging, it's something to see! Being on TV sounds glamorous but you are competing with all sorts of interruptions like a busy household and commercials. Despite all this, Keri closes more deals than you could imagine on the most basic products. Keri teaches us that you don't need a sales team, and a bunch of team members to increase your sales. Learn-which sales words are game changers in sales-the sales steps and processes that can handle objections-how to create a sense of urgency regardless of your product or service-which step of the sales process and stage of sales you can't missAnd MUCH more!!!  W.I.N Time Back Quizhttps://bit.ly/WinTheHourWinTheDayScoreCard    Win The Hour, Win The Day! www.winthehourwintheday.comPodcast: Win The Hour, Win The Day PodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/winthehourwintheday/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/win-the-hour-win-the-day-podcast  You can find Keri Maletto at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmalettoTwitter: https://twitter.com/KeriMalettoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerimaletto/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kerimaletto  Win The Hour Win The Day  https://www.winthehourwintheday.com

Colin Sapire is the founder of Beast Health & Nutribullet. Watch & subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lqSfvL7QHRo Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Snippet 0:00:39 - Sponsor: AppSumo 0:01:07 - Intro + Landing In The US 0:07:45 - Origins Of Nutribullet 0:11:21 - Finding A Differentiator + Landing On Pricing 0:13:17 - Reaching Half A Billion Dollars In Revenue 0:15:57 - Transitioning To Beast Nutrition + Getting Kids Interested In Nutrition 0:18:34 - Motivation After A Massive Business Success + Keeping The Hunger Alive 0:23:00 - Designing Product 0:26:27 - Day 1 of Designing New Product 0:30:20 - Creating a Prototype + 3D CAD Model 0:32:10 - 80/20 of launch + growth 0:35:42 - Customer Feedback 0:39:19 - Sponsor Break: Linkedin Jobs 0:40:23 - Lessons From Running The Most Successful Infomercials Of All Time 0:45:07 - Craziest Informercial Day 0:47:24 - Scale of TV advertising + using data 0:51:13 - Understanding ROI of Ad Spend 0:53:37 - Increasing Cost of Facebook & Google Ads 0:59:52 - Home Shopping Channel and China's Live Shopping App 1:03:27 - International Expansion 1:06:51 - Hiring Good People 1:09:03 - Logistics, outsourcing or keeping fulfillment in-house 1:15:14 - Staying Healthy Thank you to our sponsors: AppSumo - the marketplace entrepreneurs trust to buy and sell the products that grow small businesses into name brands: https://social.appsumo.com/creatorlab Linkedin Jobs: LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post a job for free on linkedin.com/creator

Adweek , Aerosmith 's Steven Tyler & Joe Sugarman, Chillin in Hawaii CEO BluBlocker™ & Pioneer Direct Marketing Icon, CEO of JS&A Group, Inc, Does the name BluBlocker™ ring a bell?? Joe introduced dozens of new innovations and concepts in electronic products during the '70s & 80's, including the pocket calculator, the digital watch, cordless telephone, computers and a variety of others. Joseph Sugarman is one of the greatest living copywriters. He's perhaps best known for his charismatic adverts for his direct mail company (JS&A), and his wildly popular copywriting guide “The Adweek Copywriting Handbook.” But what's most impressive is his ability to sell almost anything through the written word.He sold a used airplane valued at $190,000 for $240,000 through a single magazine ad.In 1973, Sugarman's company was the first in the United States to use the 800 toll-free service to take credit card orders over the telephone-- something that direct marketers had never done before. His line of BluBlocker sunglasses, which he sold in direct mailings, mail order ads, catalogs and on TV through infomercials, and the QVC, the Home Shopping Channel.In This Millennium, BluBlocker™ sunglasses are popular & sold currently at stores throughout the world with over 100 million pairs sold. © 2022 Building Abundant Success!! 2022 All Rights Reserved Join Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBAS

CEO BluBlocker™ to Victoria's Secret™ Marketing Copywriter Aerosmith 's Steven Tyler & Founder Joe Sugarman in Blu Blockers, Chillin in Hawaii CEO BluBlocker™ & Pioneer Direct Marketing Icon, CEO of JS&A Group, Inc, Does the name BluBlocker™ ring a bell?? Victoria's Secret™ ?? Joe introduced dozens of new innovations and concepts in electronic products during the '70s & 80's, including the pocket calculator, the digital watch, cordless telephone, computers and a variety of others. He sold a used airplane valued at $190,000 for $240,000 through a single magazine ad. Decades ago, Sugarman's company was the first in the United States to use the 800 toll-free service to take credit card orders over the telephone-- something that direct marketers had never done before. His line of BluBlocker sunglasses, which he sold in direct mailings, mail order ads, catalogs and on TV through infomercials, and the QVC, the Home Shopping Channel. In 2021 BluBlocker™ sunglasses are a Classic Brand, popular & sold currently at stores throughout the world with over 30 million pairs sold. © 2021 Building Abundant Success!! 2021 All Rights Reserved Join Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBAS Spot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23ba

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Getting good deals on computers from a home shopping channel, what are good soundbar options, why a phone might not work with a VPN, logging into a VPN multiple times on a Mac, can the M1 laptops work with GNU utilities, why your WiFi may act slow, talking to Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo, and more of your calls! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Scott Wilkinson, Johnny Jet, and Dick DeBartolo Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy. For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com. Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

The future of aviation is trying to be disrupted by supersonic flight, but the reality is that traditional commercial flight is safe, profitable, economic, and popular. Amazon Live premiered this week showcasing a number online products during their live broadcast with the anticipation of taking more eyes from television and providing more options to their customers. There are some really great apps out there (Truebill, SubscriptMe, Overflow) that can help you track all those pesky subscriptions you have to manage into your finances. A professor in New York came across his childhood Apple IIe that was still working and was able to play some vintage games in front of his children.

This week’s episode brought to you by Professor Buzzkill, Slice on Broadway, and Alex Kahrs Design & Media! Katie, Chilla, and Sorg are back in studio to run down the tech news you should know about, including: Katie is sharing the Butterfly Effect podcast as her Awesome Thing of the Week. Want to listen to your porn industry podcast episodes? Chilla recommends the Plantronics Rig 500 headset! Sorg had a chance to play some Apex Legends after last week's episode. He's sharing his thoughts. LinkedIn debuts LinkedIn Live. Do you know who's on LinkedIn? We're talking about some audience observations we've seen. The International Space Station uses a 3D printer to recycle old plastics into custom tools. PlayStation Classic has dropped in price, again. Remember those all-in-one video units with a built-in DVD player? Katie is totally getting the hook-up to get one. Amazon has launched a new home shopping channel live-streamed through an app. Is the Amazon home shopping channel feature a hybrid of QVC and Shark Tank? Speaking of Amazon, they bought Eero. Do you trust them with your WiFi? A digital billboard in Odessa went down because of fog - leaving a giant error code in the sky! Is Instagram bringing us desktop messaging? After the show remember to: Eat at Slice on Broadway (@Pgh_Slice) if you are in the Pittsburgh area! It is Awesome! (sliceonbroadway.com) Want to be part of our studio audience? Hit us up at awesomecast@sorgatronmedia.com and we’ll save you a seat! Join our AwesomeCast Facebook Group to see what we’re sharing and to join the discussion! Follow these awesome people on Twitter: Katie (@Kdudders), Sorg (@Sorgatron) and Chilla (@chilla) Have you seen our AwesomeTips videos? You can support the show at Patreon.com/awesomecast! Remember to check out our friends at the River’s Edge (@RiversEdgePGH) and The 405 Media (@The405Radio) who replay the show on their stream throughout the week! Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment; and view us livestreaming Tuesdays around 7:00 PM EST

This week’s episode brought to you by Professor Buzzkill, Slice on Broadway, and Alex Kahrs Design & Media! Katie, Chilla, and Sorg are back in studio to run down the tech news you should know about, including: Katie is sharing the Butterfly Effect podcast as her Awesome Thing of the Week. Want to listen to your porn industry podcast episodes? Chilla recommends the Plantronics Rig 500 headset! Sorg had a chance to play some Apex Legends after last week's episode. He's sharing his thoughts. LinkedIn debuts LinkedIn Live. Do you know who's on LinkedIn? We're talking about some audience observations we've seen. The International Space Station uses a 3D printer to recycle old plastics into custom tools. PlayStation Classic has dropped in price, again. Remember those all-in-one video units with a built-in DVD player? Katie is totally getting the hook-up to get one. Amazon has launched a new home shopping channel live-streamed through an app. Is the Amazon home shopping channel feature a hybrid of QVC and Shark Tank? Speaking of Amazon, they bought Eero. Do you trust them with your WiFi? A digital billboard in Odessa went down because of fog - leaving a giant error code in the sky! Is Instagram bringing us desktop messaging? After the show remember to: Eat at Slice on Broadway (@Pgh_Slice) if you are in the Pittsburgh area! It is Awesome! (sliceonbroadway.com) Want to be part of our studio audience? Hit us up at awesomecast@sorgatronmedia.com and we’ll save you a seat! Join our AwesomeCast Facebook Group to see what we’re sharing and to join the discussion! Follow these awesome people on Twitter: Katie (@Kdudders), Sorg (@Sorgatron) and Chilla (@chilla) Have you seen our AwesomeTips videos? You can support the show at Patreon.com/awesomecast! Remember to check out our friends at the River’s Edge (@RiversEdgePGH) and The 405 Media (@The405Radio) who replay the show on their stream throughout the week! Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment; and view us livestreaming Tuesdays around 7:00 PM EST

Aerosmith 's Steven Tyler & Joe Sugarman, Chillin in Hawaii CEO BluBlocker™ & Pioneer Direct Marketing Icon, CEO of JS&A Group, Inc, Does the name BluBlocker™ ring a bell?? Joe introduced dozens of new innovations and concepts in electronic products during the '70s & 80's, including the pocket calculator, the digital watch, cordless telephone, computers and a variety of others. He sold a used airplane valued at $190,000 for $240,000 through a single magazine ad. In 1973, Sugarman's company was the first in the United States to use the 800 toll-free service to take credit card orders over the telephone-- something that direct marketers had never done before. His line of BluBlocker sunglasses, which he sold in direct mailings, mail order ads, catalogs and on TV through infomercials, and the QVC, the Home Shopping Channel. Even in This Millennium, BluBlocker™ sunglasses are popular & sold currently at stores throughout the world with over 30 million pairs sold. © 2019 Building Abundant Success!! 2019 All Rights Reserved Join Me on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/BuildingAbundantSuccess

We've got a double-header this week! And not just because the first half of the show is the 2 headed Barry White creature, preparing for their holiday party! They'll plan out all their holiday favorite things. Hot Everybody Paste, Sheepwax, and a pinata full of crusty oil. And then, the Home Shopping Channel are here with some holiday treasures sure to delight everyone in the family. And also that walkoon, which is a raccoon that walks instead of runs. Get yourself a nice glass of glove juice, and enjoy the show!

In today's episode, John Di Lemme asks Did You HEAR it Or DO You Miss Out? (Home Shopping – Channel for Success)!   Subscribe to John Di Lemme's Motivation Plus Marketing Podcast to receive daily teachings on success, motivation, and marketing.      To Discover More about John Di Lemme and How He is Changing Lives Worldwide, Call or Text (561) 847 - 3467 or Email Team@LifestyleFreedomClub.com to Speak with One of John Di Lemme's Elite Team Members.

BluBlocker™ & Direct Marketing Icon, CEO of JS&A Group, Inc., Does the name BluBlocker™ ring a bell?? Joe introduced dozens of new innovations and concepts in electronic products during the '70s, including the pocket calculator, the digital watch, cordless telephone, computers and a variety of others. In 1973, Sugarman's company was the first in the United States to use the 800 toll-free service to take credit card orders over the telephone-- something that direct marketers had never done before. His line of BluBlocker sunglasses, which he sold in direct mailings, mail order ads, catalogs and on TV through infomercials, and the QVC, the Home Shopping Channel. BluBlocker™ sunglasses are sold currently at stores throughout the world with over 20 million pairs sold. Stem120.com Join Me On Facebook ~ Facebook.com/BuildingAbundantSuccess

It's kind of like a poker night without the poker.

BluBlocker™ & Direct Marketing Icon, CEO of JS&A Group, Inc., I always enjoy talking to 'out of the box creators' & pioneer's in various business niche's. You are familiar with BluBlocker™ Sunglasses?? Their popularity is due to an unforgettable ad campaign! Joe introduced dozens of new innovations and concepts in electronic products during the '70s, including the pocket calculator, the digital watch, cordless telephone, computers and a variety of others. In 1973, Sugarman's company was the first in the United States to use the 800 toll-free service to take credit card orders over the telephone-- something that direct marketers had never done before. His line of BluBlocker sunglasses, which he sold in direct mailings, mail order ads, catalogs and on TV through infomercials, and the QVC, the Home Shopping Channel. BluBlocker™ sunglasses are sold currently at stores throughout the world with over 20 million pairs sold. As a well-respected and visionary entrepreneur, extraordinary teacher, leading real estate investor and super successful marketer, Sugarman shares with one and all how "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem." By creatively looking at his problems and turning them into many new and innovative opportunities, Joseph Sugarman has created a wonderful life for himself and his family in Las Vegas and at his beautiful home on Maui. Stem120.com Join me on Facebook ~ facebook.com/BuildingAbundantSuccess

Chelsea Peretti returns to the show! We hear a scene from a new reality show, Lynn sings some songs, and we get another peak at The Home Shopping Channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1996 I presented a series on CBC Radio’s Island Morning program, produced by Ann Thurlow, called Consumed by Technology. I’ve managed to recover the audio of the episodes, along with the “show notes” and transcripts, from The Wayback Machine and I’m posting each episode here for posterity. This first episode of Consumed by Technology focused on the coming of the commercial realm to the Internet; it aired on July 9, 1996. Wayne Collins was the host. It’s hard to believe that only two years ago we were talking about the Internet as a lofty academic sort of place where you could do things like search the Library of Congress catalogue and read research papers on fruit fly migration patterns. The business world has now discovered the Internet and it’s as if a giant shopping mall has suddenly moved in next door to the old “Internet public library.” Show Notes These are the original links that I released with the episode; each is a link to the Internet Archive’s cache of the site at the time. Carville, Matalin and Speechless Information about the movie “Speechless” James Carville’s website at Random House James Carville’s column in Salon Magazine The Mary Matalin Show’s website on CBS Radio Buying Stuff Online Amazon.com (where I bought the books) Books Stacks Unlimited (another place to buy books) CD-Now (where I buy my CDs and tapes) Paying Online: The Big Boys VISA Mastercard American Express Digicash Paying Online: The Hackers 2600 Magazine: The Hacker Quarterly Phrack Magazine Cyber/Phreaker/Cypher/Cracker Shit Metal Strapping Metal strapping and plastic wrap keep lumber secure, employees safe and customers happy from The Lumber Cooperator Transcript INTRO: It’s hard to believe that only two years ago we were talking about the Internet as a lofty academic sort of place where you could do things like search the Library of Congress catalogue and read research papers on fruit fly migration patterns. The business world has now discovered the Internet and it’s as if a giant shopping mall has suddenly moved in next door to the old “Internet public library.” In the first of a new series we call “Consumed by Technology,” Peter Rukavina joins me now to talk about “going shopping in cyberspace.” QUESTION: So business has jumped online…? ANSWER: Yes, in a very, very big way. As you suggested, it’s hard to believe that just a couple of years ago there was still raging debate about whether even mentioning something vaguely commercial-sounding on the Internet was acceptable. Many long-time Internet users — people in universities and colleges and governments — were convinced that if the Internet “sold out” to business, it would loose the sort of fuzzy, anarchic “information sharing” feeling that had developed over 20 years of being something of a “secret nerds-only club.” Now, all that’s changed and you’d be hard pressed to find a business, small or large, that isn’t on the Internet right now or in the processing of getting there. QUESTION: Now when you say that a business is “on the Internet,” what does that mean? ANSWER: That can mean many things. What it usually boils down to is something called a “home page” which is really just a starting place, a “page one” for a business’ electronic presence. Some businesses just have a very simple home page: they list their address and telephone number, have a paragraph about what it is they do, maybe a picture or two of their building or their products and that’s it. Other businesses dive in with both feet and have thousands of pages of product information, online order forms, lifestyle magazines, contests and whatever else they can dream up to get people to come to their Internet site and hang around for a while. No matter how extensive their Internet presence is, most businesses are trying to do two things online: first, to generally build their “brand identity” and second to “sell stuff.” QUESTION: By “selling stuff” do you mean something along the lines of “electronic catalogue shopping?” ANSWER: I can answer that best with a couple of examples. I must admit to being something of an “home shopping” cynic. I’ve never been one to order things from the “Home Shopping Channel” and I’m not really a catalogue shopper. But recently I’ve become something of an bona fide “online shopper” so I can tell you some real life “stories from the field” to give you some idea what it’s actually like. For me, online shopping really works for three things: buying CDs and tapes, buying books, and buying computer software. Lately I’ve found myself doing each of these at least a couple of times a month. QUESTION: When you talk, for example, about buying a book online, explain to me how the process actually works. ANSWER: Well, typically I’ll have a specific book in mind. I’ve not really found the Internet a very good place to browse around for books — it lacks the “feel” of a genuine good bookstore. So with my specific book in mind, I’ll dial up the Internet, go to a online bookstore’s “home page” and select the option to search their catalogue of books. I can enter a title, or an author, or a subject and get a list on my screen of all the books in their store that fit the bill. One example: a couple of months ago I rented the movie “Speechless”, which is about a man and woman set inside the centre of a U.S. federal election. She manages the Republican campaign, he manages the Democrat campaign… somehow they meet and fall in love and get married. Now I knew this was all based on a true story and I’d read somewhere that the two “real people” had written a book about it. But I had no idea who they were. To find the answer to that question, I relied on a low-tech solution and phoned my brother Steve. When he heard what I was looking for, he immediately said “oh, you mean the book by James Carville and Mary Matalin…”. So I had my answer. Now, being the home shopping cynic that I am, the first thing I did was phone my local bookstore. No sense in buying something online if I can just go down the block. I told them I was looking for a book by James Carville and Mary Matalin that has something to do with the U.S. election. They searched in their computer and nothing came up. They looked on their microfiche and there was nothing there. They suggested, perhaps, that no such book existed. They sort of sounded like maybe I was bothering them and I should leave. So I did. And I went home and sat down at my computer and decided it was time to give online shopping a whirl. I ended up at a bookstore called “amazon.com” (which, I later found out, is somewhere in Seattle). From their “home page”, I clicked on “search our catalogue, ” entered “Carville, James” in the blank, clicked on “Search Now,” and, a couple of seconds later, the titles of seven books were listed on my screen, including three different versions of why I came to know was called “All’s Fair: Love, War and Running for President” — paperback, hardcover, and audio cassette. I clicked on “Audio Cassette” and then “Buy Items Now”, entered my name, mailing address, and credit card number, told them how I wanted the book shipped and that was it. A week later the book was waiting for me at the post office. Sub’ in CDs and tapes for books, and the process works much the same way. QUESTION: When I hear you talk about giving your credit card number out over the Internet, alarm bells go off in my head… is that something that’s safe and secure? ANSWER: It depends on who you talk to. And it all depends on who you give it out to. Nothing that passes through the Internet is ever 100% secure. There will always be someone, somewhere, trying to get at that information and use it for evil purposes. Just as there will always be people breaking into houses and people stealing cars. But just as you can put a deadbolt on your front door, you can be careful about how you give out “secret” information — like your credit card number — online. Most Internet stores operate something called a “secure server.” This means, in essence, that when any information you send form your computer to their computer over the Internet, it’s encrypted so that, even it is intercepted somewhere along the line, it will be useless gibberish. Now encryption has been around for a long, long time. But encrypting credit card numbers and the like on the Internet has only been around for a little more than a year, so it’s not exactly what you would call a “mature” technology. That said, there are thousands of people now buying thousands of things every day online and it’s rare if ever that you hear of a major security problem. Pretty soon places like Mastercard and Visa and the major banks will be getting into the game themselves and, presumably, things will only get more secure. But there will always be a risk. I feel about as comfortable in typing my credit card number over the Internet as I do in giving it to some anonymous order clerk at a toll-free catalogue order desk; I know there’s some risk, but I’m willing to take the small risk for the convenience it offers. QUESTION: You mentioned buying computer software over the Internet — is that any different that buying books or CDs? ANSWER: The real difference is not in the actual ordering — that works pretty much the same — the real difference comes in the delivery. Whereas a book or a CD is sitting in some large warehouse somewhere in Seattle and has to be physically shipped from there to here, computer software is, quite literally, invisible. Software is digital information, and the Internet moves digital information, so the neat thing about buying software online is that you can get it delivered right over the Internet. Enter your name and credit card number and the software you order gets automatically transferred to your computer where you can set it up and use it right away. This is true whether it’s a word processor or a spreadsheet or the latest video game. QUESTION: Instant delivery, in other words…? ANSWER: Not exactly instant. If you’ve ever bought a piece of software from a store, you know that often it comes on upwards of 10 or 20 floppy disks, each which holds quite a lot of information. To squeeze that amount of information over the Internet takes a bit of time. I recently ordered a scheduling program over the Internet, for example, and it took about 45 minutes to transfer from the store’s computer to mine. So it’s not quite instant, but it’s a lot easier than getting in my car and driving to Seattle. QUESTION: Should Island retailers fear this losing business to these new “cyberstores?” Yes and no. I think retailers in general, no matter where they are located, are going to have to start looking at their competition not as the guy down the street but the guy — or the thousands of guys — all around the world. As much as I’d like to be able to buy locally, why should I order a book or a CD or a piece of software from someone down the street with a poor selection, grumpy staff and high prices when I can get great selection, responsive staff and decent prices online? There are obviously some businesses that have to worry more than others. I don’t think buying furniture or tractors or heads of lettuce online is going to take off anytime soon — there are certain things that people are, I think, always going to want to pick up or kick the tires of. But if you’re selling something which is pretty generic — books and CDs and software yes, but also everything from jeans to modems to tea towels — being quick and lean and very customer friendly is going to become more and more important or you’re going to find your customers “going to Seattle.” Or to a new upstart just around the corner with a low-rent warehouse, a big computer and zero overhead. What the Internet cannot offer, and what I don’t think it will ever be able to offer, is the feeling that comes from truly amazing customer service be real friendly local people. Perhaps the best example of the this for me came up last summer. It was Saturday night at 7:30 and we were in the middle of renovating our bathroom and we needed 4 inches of metal strapping before we could continue. I got in my car a drove up to Bobby Clow’s store in Hampshire before he closed at 8 o’clock and, sure enough, he had metal strapping. Now a whole roll was about 100 feet or 1000 feet and cost about 12 or 15 dollars. I only needed 4 inches. No matter. Bobby snipped off 4 inches and charged me 37 cents and I was on my way. I don’t think I’m in any hurry to look for 4 inches of metal strapping for 37 cents on the Internet. EXTRO: Peter Rukavina operates Digital Island in Kingston. He’ll be back next week for another in the series “Consumed by Technology.”