What You Respond To Is What You Get

August 23, 1996

Chicago

Dear Web:

I look forward to visiting Chicago. Haven't been to Wrigley Field, usually I'm limited to the closest hotel to an airport. But the crowds are always fun. Chicago has the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley and the conservatism of the Midwest. Mix the two and you have a great approach to the Web.

I always use my workshops as a way of learning how to integrate the variety of people I meet with the message. Sure, you get inhibited by time, jet lag, not being on for a certain day, or the inevitable trouble or dealing with the extremes of an Internet meeting:

Some people know it all, but most people are new and intimidated. The first need to realize how much their knowledge inhibits them communicating to the majority, the newcomers. And the newcomers have to overcome the fear of those two evil words: computers and Internet.

So I can stand in front of the crowd and have an amazing brainstorm with the minority, sort of an advanced training. But that would leave the majority out. And what you respond to is what you get. Those of us who know the online world are the minority. It's our job to bring everyone online, show them why we love it here. We can't do this by being over their heads, expecting them to carry a jargon dictionary to fulfill our silly egos. We have to do it with direct contact, patience, and listening.

The most important people to remember are the newcomers. They have the advantage; they understand where the majority of people are coming from. I always tell them to remember this moment and be careful of becoming an expert. Being an expert means people have to learn to talk with you. Being online means we all understand that what you respond to is what you get.

I respond to simple and complex questions the same way; keep it simple. The Web is too new to expect experts. The last thing we need to notice is another computer. It's time to relax and enjoy what we have; the least inhibiting form of computer interface available.

I can't wait until we fully eliminate the notion of computers from the Web.