Newsroom Notes: New technology should be embraced by everyone

|tab|

Before I talk about the relationship between communications and technology (and there definitely is one) I should like to first point out that until recently, I wasn't one of those people who was fascinated by technology. |ret||ret||tab|

During college, I got my first e-mail address it was a class requirement but I never used it. The majority of my coursework was done on an old Brother word processor, which still, in fact, has a place of reverence in my home. It was that same word processor I used to write freelance articles for the Business Journal, back in the days before I was on the payroll. No computers for me, thank you. |ret||ret||tab|

As often happens to people, though, I was forced to change (for the better, I might add) by time and circumstance. In late 1999, then-SBJ editor Paul Flemming called and offered me a job. As a cub reporter awaiting her first "real gig" on a newspaper staff, I was elated. |ret||ret||tab|

When I went in for the interviews, though, it was a different story. SBJ wanted a reporter to develop the SBJ Daily Update, which originally was sent to readers via fax, but today has evolved into a daily e-mail newsletter. Even when it was a fax, one requirement that went with the job was that I'd have to e-mail the document to a fax distributor in Connecticut or some far-off place. |ret||ret||tab|

What I can now tell people with a smile is that I very nearly turned down the job offer, simply because I'd never sent an e-mail, and the thought of doing so scared me to death! |ret||ret||tab|

In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't, because not only is sending an e-mail do-it-in-your-sleep simple, but taking the job has allowed me to be exactly what I've always hoped to be a newspaper reporter, with hours that are compatible with the fact that I'm also a mother to two small boys. It's also gotten me a lot of hands-on experience with the new technology that abounds today. |ret||ret||tab|

Right now I work on an iMac computer, and it's a very efficient machine. Prior to that, I was able to use an iBook, which was handy when it came to going to the courthouses and collecting data. I'll never forget all the times people would stop and gawk, and one man even asked to hold the iBook so he could see how heavy it was.|ret||ret||tab|

While I still enjoy sifting through faxes and sorting the mail, it's been neat to see the increase of companies and individuals who have realized that sending an e-mail is a quick and efficient way to spread the word about events and other things that they think will interest SBJ readers. |ret||ret||tab|

And that, incidentally, brings me to the relationship between technology and communications. Journalists aside, I think all types of business folk can benefit from technology. With e-mail, playing phone tag is no longer necessary. With computers being as portable as they are and with wireless Internet, people who have always been considered "tied to their desks," no longer are. |ret||ret||tab|

The important thing, though, is that we need not fear the changes that technology is bringing to the workplace (or any other place, for that matter). There is a lot to be said for hands-on learning, but if that doesn't allay your fears, there are plenty of places to go and learn more. Off the top of my head, I know Ozarks Technical Community College and Southwest Missouri State University offer computer courses at all levels. I certainly can't list all of the other options in town, but take a stroll through the Yellow Pages and explore your choices. |ret||ret||tab|

The times, they are a-changin', as the song goes. Don't be afraid. Change with them, and you'll be glad you did. I know I am. |ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Maria Hoover is a reporter for the Sringfield Business Journal. She also compiles the SBJ Daily Update, an e-mail newsletter available to SBJ subscribers only.)|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]