Upgrading Technology: Making the Leap

I had several conversations this week about technology in various forms. I found myself bemoaning how slowly “some people” can be to adapt to a chance, and how reluctant they are to commit to doing anything new, even if it is ultimately an improvement.

Funnily enough, I then found myself trying to use unfamiliar websites as I searched for hotels, and I fell into the same trap I’d criticized the general public for falling into.

I’m used to using Hotels.com. I’m familiar with the tool, and it made sense. My sister mentioned how she liked to use Booking.com. I took a look at it for a few minutes, but I moved on, since it was harder to use than Hotels.com. “It’s pretty much the same thing,” I said to myself to excuse the speed with which I dismissed it. But what it really was was different and unfamiliar. I had asked for recommendations on new tools, and then I had dismissed those recommendations when they didn’t like up with my pre-existing experience.

Except as I tried to keep searching, I was still struggling. Hotels.com wasn’t giving me the results I wanted, and so I eventually went back to Booking.com and forced myself to give it another shot. To learn how it works and how to get good results with it. And after I’d put in the proper amount of time, I discovered that yes, it was very useful. The irony was not lost on me.

In a separate conversation, I discussed how websites are constantly changing and evolving. Each time they do, the user base often complains. It’s different. It’s harder to find things anymore. But it’s not really the fact that it’s harder. It’s that it was improved, and sometimes (often) improvement means shaking things up. Taking a new perspective on things. And if you go back and look at how websites used to look in the 90s or early 2000s, (or even 2010), it’s easy to see how far web design has come, and how grateful we should all be.

So that’s my thought for you today. It’s important to keep an open mind to new experiences, especially where technology is involved. Because it all changes fast enough that it’s important we learn from past mistakes and open the door to new capabilities.

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