This week’s Mediahuis/INM Irish regional newspapers’ column.
Michael Commane
I’m wondering is it just I who has a problem with websites and many other aspects of modern communications? To be honest I have a sneaky feeling that I am not alone when it comes to getting frustrated with the world of ‘touch tone’ technology.
For many months I have been trying to get in touch with Electric Ireland to ask some questions about my not-so-new smart meter. I have spent hours on the phone waiting in vain to speak to a customer care representative. Then some weeks ago I receive this text message from them: ‘You recently spoke to an Electric Ireland advisor (sic), please share your feedback https://ql.tc/b/tuG7GklV To opt-out, click here https://ql.tc/b/GZy8XyRN'.
When I clicked on the link, spent some time ticking all the relevant boxes and then went to send the message, nothing happened and the message was never sent. I’m weary of it all.
On April 1, yes, All Fools’ Day, I attended a funeral Mass. I was very well received by the priests, who were involved in the celebration of the funeral Mass.
When I came home I logged on to the relevant diocesan website. I wanted to learn something about the diocese and its personnel. I’d say I easily spent an hour trying to navigate across the website. All in vain. I typed in the name of the church where the funeral Mass had taken place. Found nothing.
It intrigues me how poor most Catholic Church websites are. That same day I checked the website of a religious congregation. The same story. Most of the news was from fadó fadó, indeed it seemed the last update was mid-February.
What is it about the church and communication? Most church websites I have visited are difficult to navigate and what’s available is so often boring and dowdy, preachy too. Of course there are exceptions, there always are. Exceptions never make the rule.
But then again I seem to have difficulty with far too many websites.
Many newspaper websites are riddled with misspellings.
Two weeks ago I tried to sign in to a newspaper website and whatever way I typed in my telephone number it would not accept the number. Eventually, I simply gave up.
On the one hand we are strongly advised not to use the one password for all our different accounts. But how under any circumstances can one remember all the different passwords?
It had been some years since I booked a Ryanair flight. When I went on to their website last week I was simply bamboozled and greatly confused.
I’ve picked up the courage to ask friends and colleagues about websites and they have all grudgingly agreed and said yes they can be difficult to navigate and often you don’t find the information you are looking for.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to find a telephone number on a website? Is that done intentionally?
I long for the day humans are clever enough to invent a time machine that can send us back to a time when life didn’t seem so complicated. Now, does that make me conservative and nostalgic, or a true progressive?
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