12.19.04

The expendable E

Electronics are a big part of modern life. Almost everything we interact with has a computer in it nowadays. You're car wouldn't run without one, you're phone wouldn't make calls, and of course you wouldn't be listening to me talking right now.

I spent a few hours last night walking around with my good friend Jeremy. After dinner we stopped by a Chase bank to take out some money and Jeremy noticed that the screen designated it an E-ATM. To which he wondered rhetorically, and aloud, "Isn't the E implied by the A and the M?" It's an automated teller machine. Do they really need to tell me that it's electronic?

Now, there was a time a few years ago, when everyone was branding everything with an E. e-commerce, e-banking, e-shopping, etc. When I first moved to NY in '98 I worked for an agency that was touting their 'e-roadmap'. I don't know exactly where this road started, where it led, and if I wanted to be on it. Maybe the problem was that no one else did either. It was out of control.

But, 6 years later, grandparents have digital cameras and know how to use them. Seems like everybody in the country, except maybe our president, uses a computer. So why do people still feel the need to point out that things are electronic. As I noted in the intro, almost everything is now, so maybe they'd be better off pointing out that things are not electronic. The NE-hairbrush for example.

Eh. I'm probably just grumpy and should just shut the hell up.