CAUGHT IN THE WEB!

   WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST., 2017
           CAUGHT IN THE WEB!

       These days you're more likely to see
an email rather than a street address for
business places looking for your business.
And some will say we've grown far too
dependent on the world wide web.
         There also seems to be an
assumption that everybody is "on line."
Not true! I know several people, my
wife and best friend included, who  just
don't use the web or any of the devices
designed to get you there. I have to read
my daily blogs to my wife if she's to be
aware of what I've written. I'm pretty
sure they aren't the only ones who feel
that way.
         That's why I'm so disappointed in
some of the folks in the media who have
surrendered their public service obligation
to that web!
          It began with local radio which, in
many cases, isn't really "local" anymore.
Back in the day if the weather got bad and
schools or businesses either closed or cut
their hours you could tune to your local
radio station and  listen as the announcer
read the list of closings. Now, they simply
refer you to their web page.
         My latest shocker came this week
when a "trumpet sort of blast" was heard
from my television set as the station that
happen to be on posted an on-screen alert
that there were school closings or
postponements which, like local radio,
referred you to the station's web site.
         If you didn't have access to a computer
you were either left wondering which schools
were closing or starting late or shutting down
early or forced to switch channels to another
station which constantly ran a crawl on the
bottom of the screen with the information
you needed. I didn't want to switch. But I
had a need to know, So I went where the
information could be found. I'll bet a lot
of other viewers switched stations at that
point too.
          I suppose the folks who came up with
the "alert" had good intentions. But I didn't
need an "alert." I needed to know what was
happening ON the media I was using at the
time!
         Hope the folks that still "crawl" the
closing list send the people at their competition
a "Thank You Card." I also hope you don't miss
a cancellation and that all your NEWS is good.