Anyone who’s talked to me can attest I’m a chatterbox. I talk to anyone about anything and have little problem talking to almost anyone. Some people really stump me. This week I had the pleasure of talking to an older gentleman in my Athol store who stumped me.
It seems like once a year I run into someone who starts a philosophical conversation about technology. Coincidentally, once a year I write an article about technology and where we wouldn’t be without it. This year’s stumper comes from an unexpected source and he makes a good point.
“Our society wouldn’t have been able to expand without technology behind us.” We wouldn’t have evolved from a purely industrial society without technology. Keep in mind as you’re reading this that Athol’s industry has always been tools. These words are coming from the mouth of a fellow who retired from one of these companies.
Checkout lines at the grocery stores use a barcode scanner. He reminded me that until then grocery clerks had to hand punch every code to maintain inventory. His argument is that the invention of the barcode scanner technology not only speeds up the processing of groceries; but, barcodes also increase the pricing accuracy as well as increase employee morale.
I was puzzled at this man’s points and why he was talking about barcodes. It took me a few days to digest what he was telling me. My argument for years has always been that technology, though it pays my bills, has hindered the growth of the country and well being of society. It seems like technology should plateau and eventually fade.
He pointed around my store and reminded me that many years ago, in the same location, was Athol Army Navy. He asked me how many different vendors the store probably had and I shrugged my shoulders. He said they probably had one or two. Those vendors were a phone call away and that was the only way to place orders. Today, the same store could choose from hundreds of vendors from anywhere with a few clicks.
Micrometers are precision measuring instruments. This gentleman told me the company he worked for manufactured a world class product; however, the cost may be inhibitive for someone with a limited budget. He wasn’t shy to jump onto my computer and visit eBay. His point was clear; people can purchase the identical model and brand at a fraction of the cost.
As we talked be showed me his phone. He happened to carry an iPhone and chuckled when he said “I have an app for that.” Even retired, he told me his productivity has tripled. While shopping he can check the weather and text message his wife. Arguing for the smartphone, he said that businesses will most likely start using them because they’re smaller and lighter than laptops.
My belief has always been that technology gets in the way of business and industry. Even though I worked in industry for years selling technology, I believe there comes a point when too much isn’t good. I happened to have sold this gentleman’s ex-employer a significant amount of automation equipment in my past life.
Taking the control away from humans and placing it in the hands of computers could prove detrimental. However, after talking to this gentleman, my beliefs may have been swayed ever so slightly. A seventy-something year old man who made his living in industry pointed out that even if technology were to crash and burn, we would still be further ahead than we would have been without.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)