millennium wishes 7 january, 2001 by johnmichael patrick monty monteith

Welcome to what can officially be called the new millennium. I do not know about the rest of you, but to me, this one does not feel much different than the previous one. However, I wanted to share with you my big wishes in this millennium for the Internet world:

End MyCompany.com

It seems like every company in the world is putting dot com or dot net or dot org in their company name. When the well-known and respected grocery store chain 'Albertsons' changes their name to 'Albertsons.com', it is a safe bet that this has gone too far.

Does anyone besides me think this new naming convention is ridiculous? The Internet is nothing more than a very fancy interactive communication tool, much like a telephone. How many businesses have changed their name into their phone number? And what does that say about a company that calls itself '800.com'?

Please, if you are about to start a new business, do not have the name end in dot ANYTHING. It should be outlawed. In fact, I am fully in support of every business that currently ends in dot anything being required to rename their business, or have Guido.com knock at the door.

No More Flavored See-Through Plastics

The iMac has forever changed the way home electronics are developed. Suddenly computer manufacturers realized that consumers are willing to spend a couple extra dollars to have their home electronics look distinctive as well as being functional. The problem is that most companies, rather than coming up with something original, just copy the iMac plastic design. Suddenly that neat little iMac and all of the different matching devices that followed it look hideously out of date. In fact, a plain beige computer system seems far more hip and attractive in comparison thanks to these hideous clones.

Fortunately, and not surprisingly, Apple Computer has started to move beyond the idea, as can be seen in the Mac Cube. Why can't the rest of the industry be as original as the folks in Cupertino?

A word to the industry: If you cannot come up with an original idea of your own, stick to beige or black.

No More Buzzword Bingo

What is the difference between 'e-business' and 'business' in a world where every business uses the Internet? Does anyone really raise an ear when they hear 'p2p' or 'b2b'? Why does it seem like every business out there just tries to cram as many e-lingo buzzwords into a single sentence? Then they make those strategic plans and mission statements that are nothing more than an encyclopedia of the latest buzz words. You could exchange any one of these strategic plans with any other company and they would be just and meaningful (or meaningless, as the case may be.)

How many of these chestnuts have you heard or read in commercials, business plans, and web sites: Solutions, road to profit, team dynamics, actualize, empowered, innovate, best of breed, client-centered, future-proof, streamline, mindset, goal-oriented, outside the box, synergistic, and paradigm. I would like Guido.com to be knocking at the door of anyone who uses these.

Try the following Buzzword Bingo link and print out a card to put in your wallet to play during your workday. You will be surprised how quickly you have to print out another.

No More Internet

Despite what everyone seems to be saying, it still is possible to have a business without being Internet-centered. In fact, it will always be possible to have a business without being a 'dot com'. Sure, having a web site is nearly as necessary as having a phone line. However, one no more needs to take sales or do business over the Net than one is required to do business over the phone or in a store or anything else. There is only one requirement to business: Make money. And, as we all know, this is what Internet businesses seem most unable to accomplish.

That is my list of wishes for the new millennium. And here's hoping Guido.com does not knock at either of our doors.