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Creating something from nothing, or maybe the other way around

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Monday November 27, 2006

Cyber Monday - WTF!

Computers

Perhaps the title of this entry should have been "things that make me want to puke." Cyber Monday is such a thing.

First of all: "cyber." Eee-ick. 1998 called and wants that prefix back (and yes, 1997 called and wants that joke back). Since when has the term "cyber-anything" been used by anyone who actually knew what they were talking about? Never, that's when. People who use the term "cyber" are the same people who didn't see the plot holes in Independence Day and Signs.

Second: "Monday." Why Monday? According to the "experts" it's because people do all of their shopping at work using their work computer. That's a pretty bad assumption. Anyone who would actually buy something online probably already has a computer at home (or a smart phone or PDA), and if they do then why wait until Monday? Why not shop on Saturday or Sunday? I'm sure people will, and do, shop at work, but there shouldn't be a huge bump just on that Monday.

Third, why is the media just blindly parroting this story? The term is only 1 year old and wasn't even correct last year. While there was increased web traffic that day, it was not the busiest online shopping day. I expect that trend to continue.

So, here is my prediction, and hope, for Cyber Monday: It will die the horrible death that it deserves. As more people get "wired" (to use another really old and obsolete term), people will not be waiting until Monday to shop and they will not do so from their work computers and more than they already do. People who use the term "Cyber Monday" will also be mocked and ostracized.