IFX Group 1997 Web Log

1997 Blog Entries

1. Is This Really Progress? (January)
2. Selling Time. (February)
3. More Informative. (March)
4. Subtraction. (April)
5. More Files. (May)
6. Each Day. (June)
7. Are You Richard Noggin? (July)
8. Internet File Access. (August)
9. The Present. (September)
10. Arrival Truth. (October)
11. Quit It. (November)
12. Nothing stays the same. (December)

January, 1997 - Is This Really Progress?

A Generation ago, after a days work a person would need to rest. Today, after a days work, they need to exercise!

 

February, 1997 - Selling Time.

Whoever first came up with the idea of selling an hour to an employer for a fixed price didn't understand how unfair that could be to both the employer and the employee. The value of any given hour can't really be predicted until it is here.

For example, the hour before you die is worth just about as much to you as the first hour of your life was worth to your parents. Would you sell either of those hours to your employer for your current hourly wage?

 

March, 1997 - More Informative.

The IFX Group has made significant changes in our information section. This allows us to bring you a much expanded collection of information on a wide variety of topics. This section is populated in direct response to your questions and suggestions. Please take a moment to see what we have online and make a suggestion for how we can make it better and more useful for you.

 

April, 1997 - Subtraction.

If you got into a taxi and the driver started driving backward, would the taxi driver end up owing you money?

 

May, 1997 - More Files.

The file area has been reorganized with some significant additions. This makes room for us to expand into offering more targeted and specialized files for our members. As always, your comments are appreciated.

 

June, 1997 - Each Day.

At the end of each day, how do you measure the value of that day? Do you simply add up the Dollars you have been paid? Do you keep track of the smiles you gave and received? Do you look for the motion and changes that resulted from your efforts? Or do you just try to forget the day?

Maybe it is more important to pay attention to each day as it passes to figure out how to make the best use of each and every one. If we can learn from our mistakes on the days that don't go so well, that allows us to have more days where we end the day on a happy note. The more days that we value as important and effective, the more of a sense of accomplishment we will have and ultimately the more we will enjoy each day. Try it for yourself.

 

July, 1997 - Are You Richard Noggin?

You may never hear this from any official source, but there is something happening behind the scenes in nearly every technical support department that has customers using any technical product. There is a list of the all-time worst support cases that names every customer that goes beyond the call of duty to make it painful for anyone to help them out of their problem. Keep in mind that these people are not the average customer that just needs a little hand-holding or help answering a tough question.

These people seem to start each day at odds with the whole world and when they call for technical support, it is a personal fight to the death with anyone that answers. Over the years it has become common for some of the larger technical support departments to warn new employees about these customers by posting a Richard Noggin list (think nicknames) someplace just out of public view. It is not easy to get on one of these lists. But once there, your name will be passed down through the generations of technical support people long after you stop calling.

Keep in mind when you call for support that being helpful, courteous and truthful to the person at the other end of the phone will bring out the best in any support person. Fighting them, being rude or lying about what you did or did not do only serves to drain away their desire to help you. In the end, your negative actions only hurt you.

 

August, 1997 - Internet File Access.

The IFX Group is pleased to announce that we now offer free access to our files through the Internet using FTP. This protocol offers significantly less protocol overhead when compared to using Zmodem over a telnet connection to our BBS. Please check them out for yourself. The same username and password that you use to access our BBS works for the FTP server. Remember that all passwords are case sensitive.

 

September, 1997 - The Present.

Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present. How are you going to use your present? Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to take a break from the normal routine and get a fresh perspective. But the rewards are well worth the effort.

 

October, 1997 - Arrival Truth.

Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of us here at US Airways.

 

November, 1997 - Quit It.

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, who came up with Quit while you're ahead?

 

December, 1997 - Nothing stays the same.

The only constant in life is change. Accepting change as it comes can offer some interesting opportunities. What are you doing with your opportunities?

Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?