Some times it helps to see life through the eyes of others.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of talking to a Grey Power meeting in Tamatea.
"Happy to take questions from the floor," I said once I had finished speaking.
Boy, you don't have to ask these guys twice. Grey Power members area fully engaged lot. They might as well have been wearing T-shirts declaring themselves "Old but not out".
What did I think of the concentration of ownership of media in ever fewer hands?
Did I agree democracy was better served by having diverse owners of various media such as newspapers, television and radio?
Why, when alcohol abuse causes so much harm, did newspapers continue to accept advertising for liquor outlets?
I answered as best I could and the questions kept coming. The one I really liked, and which I promised to write about today was this: "Why do so many places only allow you to contact or respond to them via email?"
The woman who asked this question was frustrated and angry. And she was not the only one.
"I don't own a computer," she pointed out. "Some people have actually asked me why I don't have one. Well I don't have one, I don't particularly want one and therefore I can't reply via email."
She resented being cut out of some opportunities for interaction because the only option given was email. Several others agreed.
"I'm not sure that is a problem I can really fix," I ventured.
"No but you can write about how angry we are over this," she replied.
Quite. And so I am.
Around about that point in the conversation, I was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable to tell the truth. Reason being, Hawke's Bay Today often only gives an email address as a means of entering competitions run in the newspaper.
I didn't mention this and nobody raised the point, which was probably just as well for me.
It has given me pause for thought. We are going to have to go back to using a postal address as well as email for competitions. We may not be able to do both when the prize has to be given out within a day or two but we could for other competitions.
It would be nice to think other businesses might consider doing the same.
