Posted on June 24, 2008 by Ashleigh

There is no doubt that the internet has well and truly integrated itself into our lives. We check our email daily, we send messages via social networking websites to keep in touch with friends and we discuss various aspects of the things that interest us with people we don’t even know using online forums. What was once a common errand that would have you out for an afternoon zipping around in your car has now become something you can do in five minutes using an internet connection and a computer; banking and shopping online. Many of us even sell old trinkets and things we have no use for anymore by setting up online auctions.

The internet is no longer just a virtual playground for the computer literate. The internet has become common.

With the majority of companies, businesses and the general population having their own online presence of some sort, be it a website or Facebook profile, why is it that some of us still treat the internet like the going ons don’t count? It’s well known that a person is more likely to send a nasty email to someone they’re having a tiff with than say the contents of the email to the persons face. What is it that they think to hide behind? The veil of cyberspace? You should not say in an email what you cannot say to someone in real life. After all, with a real person writing the email.. and a real person on the receiving end, how is it that people can forget that all of it is real? When the internet was new and the world was trying to find their footing – maybe then that could excuse their actions – but in the here and now there is no justification.

The main reason I am writing this post today is because I conducted a little experiment. As mentioned in a previous post you might be aware that I imported two Japanese PSPs. Well, Japanese PSPs don’t come with a Network Access Code which is something that allows you to play games online using European servers. In my case, to be able to download additional Lemmings levels, I needed to somehow obtain a Network Access Code. I sent an email outlining my situation to three seperate Sony Support email addresses. These addresses had been publicly posted on a number of Sony websites as being who to contact if you needed any sort of support. All I had to do was wait for a response and being the impatient person that I am, I ended up calling Sony Support to get the code I needed before I received a reply to any of the emails sent. This was a week ago.

I still am yet to receive a response.

The findings of my experiment are the following thoughts. With the new found reality of the internet, and how it has integrated itself into our lives, people are beginning to treat the internet as if it is real, with good reason. The internet is essentially another communication tool. It allows people to send the written word to another, instantly. The problem is that companies are still treating the internet like it’s an after thought. Because of this they treat customer emails as if they are not sent by customers. Companies would not leave someone waiting ‘on hold’ for a week if they called, right? Well, just like the telephone is a handy communication tool, they should really think about their practices when it comes to the internet and realise that it’s not acceptable to leave someone waiting for a reply to an email for a week either.