The Internet passed on a very exciting piece of news yesterday. Two of the brainiest cities in America
Until now, and please forgive me for sounding so naive, I’m not too educated on how such conclusions come to be. Does someone (a company perhaps?) make a poll and punch numbers on an electronic device? Even so, many other people get involved in the process, such as interviewers and interviewees, right? Not too long ago, I read a listing on places where the leanest citizens in the country live, even which states have the best sandwiches. Come on! If there are jobs observing uncommon things to put on the news, please let me know. I’ll get my 23-month unemployed friend to apply for such work. Hopefully, the effort pays more than minimum wage!
If I may confide a personal concern, I’m really not too fond of “automation”. Although it might have improved the companies’ bottom lines, it hasn’t been kind to our working universe. This process enhancement has resulted in job losses for millions of folks. As you might have noticed, everything these days is automated. I hate that many companies’ telephone systems aren’t manned by a receptionist anymore. I have spent more agonizing minutes listening to a recording and waiting for what number to press than actually being helped for my issue. And even if I get a live voice, I’ll be lucky if the person sounds like he or she wanted to help!
The company that employs me has an automated system just like the rest of the world. The good news is that I have the option to pick up my telephone when it rings. Because I loathe getting recorded messages from companies I call, I practice my personal rule of conduct (the Golden Rule): “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” So I try my best to catch every ring when I’m at my desk. There have been numerous times when my dedication wasn’t rewarded. Instead of a legitimate call to my company, I hear from people looking for the “Public Defenders Office” and needing to talk to their attorneys. Wrong number! Obviously, besides the frustration of automated telephone systems, there is also the problem of utility service incompetence resulting in crossed telephone lines! I rest my case.
Don’t we all love what the Internet has brought to our formerly simple lives? The instant search results for data we need to do our jobs, even the immediate look-up for meanings of words at http://dictionary.reference.com/ have made workers’, especially writers’, lives easier. The world wide web is an information Mecca
There had been times when I would be exchanging emails with a friend about something. Within the next few days my mailbox will be full of unsolicited emails selling a product about that thing! Call me paranoid, but I have come to the conclusion that our cyber communications aren’t private anymore. It looks like someone out there have made it their job to electronically spy on everyone.
Just a couple of months ago, I signed up for a movie rental membership (no, not with the major movie rental company we all know). On the same date that my monthly rental fee was posted on my credit card account, there was also a charge for an electronic merchandise that I didn’t purchase. It was obviously a case of credit card fraud because although my card is used for the same merchants month after month, no such anomaly had ever happened in the past. NEVER. Fortunately, I caught the cyber theft before the case could become an Internet crime. After getting on the telephone with my credit card company and the vendor that sold the item, the unauthorized expense was written off my account. My hats off to these two companies! Although their telephone systems have the “Press 1 if you need so and so” option, both have live people manning their telephones even on the weekends.
Those of you who have credit cards, do yourself a favor and get online access to your accounts if you haven’t set up for this convenience. It gives you the ability to monitor your charges like a hawk. Waiting for the monthly bill is sheer disaster waiting to happen. In this day and age, you should be opting for paperless billing anyway. Believe me, having online access to your credit card account will help prevent a fraudulent charge from being your personal liability.
For a long time, I purchased stuff online using my debit card. Then I read an Internet article that discouraged such practice for the risk factor involved. Therefore I’m thankful that when the fraudulent online purchase happened to me, a credit card company was involved, not my bank. Hallelujah!
