NZ still in the stone ages regarding IT ?

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surfisup1000

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#143518 17-Apr-2014 11:37

I recently had a conversation with my library that they should send an email when books become overdue. They said, it was not necessary because the checkout slip is all they need to provide. They do send an email 3 days before books become overdue, but with kids, it is easy to miss some (we might get 30 or 40 tiny books out at a time ). So, an email on the overdue date would be brilliant. Library says no though.

The second experience I had was with the local sports club regarding sports cancellations . Their official method is that you must subscribe to a service called 'sportcheck' which costs 50c for every cancellation notice.

I suggested they use a twitter account which is absolutely perfect for dissemination of small snippets of information to large numbers of people.

Their response...

"some of our parents dont have internet and they use sport check"

But, does that mean they should not use twitter?

I did find out they have a facebook page which is good but I'd have thought twitter would be even better.

Being in IT myself, it frustrates when organisations seem to ignore opportunities offered by services like twitter and email to improve service.

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#1026797 17-Apr-2014 11:44

IMHO I think the no. 8 wire attitude does as much harm as good in NZ (if not more harm than good), particularly when it comes to IT and keeping up with the times.

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ubergeeknz

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#1026798 17-Apr-2014 11:44

To be honest, overall, NZ is probably leading the world in use of IT.

If you want a real sob story about antiquated processes, I give to you, the Sinkhole of Bureaucracy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/03/22/sinkhole-of-bureaucracy/

MikeB4

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#1026800 17-Apr-2014 11:53

surfisup1000: I recently had a conversation with my library that they should send an email when books become overdue. They said, it was not necessary because the checkout slip is all they need to provide. They do send an email 3 days before books become overdue, but with kids, it is easy to miss some (we might get 30 or 40 tiny books out at a time ). So, an email on the overdue date would be brilliant. Library says no though.

The second experience I had was with the local sports club regarding sports cancellations . Their official method is that you must subscribe to a service called 'sportcheck' which costs 50c for every cancellation notice.

I suggested they use a twitter account which is absolutely perfect for dissemination of small snippets of information to large numbers of people.

Their response...

"some of our parents dont have internet and they use sport check"

But, does that mean they should not use twitter? I did find out they have a facebook page which is good but I'd have thought twitter would be even better.

Being in IT myself, it frustrates when organisations seem to ignore opportunities offered by services like twitter and email to improve service.

The examples you quoted are both organisations that have limited funding.
Is NZ still in the stones ages regarding IT? no, besides there were no computers in the stone age but I cannot speak for Fred and Barney they may well have had them. :P

davidcole

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#1026810 17-Apr-2014 12:09

surfisup1000:

I suggested they use a twitter account which is absolutely perfect for dissemination of small snippets of information to large numbers of people.

Their response...

"some of our parents dont have internet and they use sport check"

But, does that mean they should not use twitter? I did find out they have a facebook page which is good but I'd have thought twitter would be even better.

My kids school did this for emergency management...used twitter. But sent home instructions on how to receive messages via sms unless you knew what twitter was and said you could just follow the account.

Sometimes it can be less about money and more about lack of knowledge, and lack of asking the right questions.

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CYaBro

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#1026812 17-Apr-2014 12:10

And there are businesses that still use an @whateverisp.co.nz email address!

One of our clients uses their Facebook page now for updates in emergencies etc. for parents and/or caregivers.
As their page is a public page you don't need to have a Facebook account to view it.

wasabi2k

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#1026841 17-Apr-2014 13:04

There are technical solutions for all the things you are asking for.

They all cost money.
They all require training for admin people.
They all are DIFFERENT from how we did it before.

The issues you describe are not limited by NZ's approach to IT, they are limited by time, money and the will to do something.

antoniosk

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#1026852 17-Apr-2014 13:23

ubergeeknz: To be honest, overall, NZ is probably leading the world in use of IT.

If you want a real sob story about antiquated processes, I give to you, the Sinkhole of Bureaucracy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/03/22/sinkhole-of-bureaucracy/

This is Yes Prime Minister in action.... brilliant

________

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jeffnz

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#1026859 17-Apr-2014 13:29

not sure whole you judge the whole of NZ based on a couple of examples that say little for where we sit IT wise

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jamesrt

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#1026881 17-Apr-2014 13:58

surfisup1000: I recently had a conversation with my library that they should send an email when books become overdue. They said, it was not necessary because the checkout slip is all they need to provide. They do send an email 3 days before books become overdue, but with kids, it is easy to miss some (we might get 30 or 40 tiny books out at a time ). So, an email on the overdue date would be brilliant. Library says no though.

You could always try using the Library Elf...

(Edit: Hyperlink Rage!)

surfisup1000

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#1026914 17-Apr-2014 15:07

KiwiNZ:
surfisup1000: I recently had a conversation with my library that they should send an email when books become overdue. They said, it was not necessary because the checkout slip is all they need to provide. They do send an email 3 days before books become overdue, but with kids, it is easy to miss some (we might get 30 or 40 tiny books out at a time ). So, an email on the overdue date would be brilliant. Library says no though.

The second experience I had was with the local sports club regarding sports cancellations . Their official method is that you must subscribe to a service called 'sportcheck' which costs 50c for every cancellation notice.

I suggested they use a twitter account which is absolutely perfect for dissemination of small snippets of information to large numbers of people.

Their response...

"some of our parents dont have internet and they use sport check"

But, does that mean they should not use twitter? I did find out they have a facebook page which is good but I'd have thought twitter would be even better.

Being in IT myself, it frustrates when organisations seem to ignore opportunities offered by services like twitter and email to improve service.

The examples you quoted are both organisations that have limited funding.
Is NZ still in the stones ages regarding IT? no, besides there were no computers in the stone age but I cannot speak for Fred and Barney they may well have had them. :P

Exactly, they have limited funding so should be using free services!The library told me it would be no cost to send the emails but they thought the slip was the only thing they needed to do and email is simply a courtesy if anything.

And, a twitter account is free!!

These were just 2 recent things where I believe organisations could be using new tech (emails new tech??) to improve their communications.

The library certainly had no reason other than we don't have to .

Maybe the sports club have a financial interest in sportcheck? Wouldn't have thought it pulls in a lot of cash though.

surfisup1000

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#1026915 17-Apr-2014 15:08

jamesrt:
surfisup1000: I recently had a conversation with my library that they should send an email when books become overdue. They said, it was not necessary because the checkout slip is all they need to provide. They do send an email 3 days before books become overdue, but with kids, it is easy to miss some (we might get 30 or 40 tiny books out at a time ). So, an email on the overdue date would be brilliant. Library says no though.

You could always try using the Library Elf...

(Edit: Hyperlink Rage!)

Our library used to use library elf and it was brilliant.

But, they dropped it for some reason.

I don't get why they refuse to send an email -- I did consider that overdue books are a revenue stream for them but they would not admit to that of course.

surfisup1000

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#1026917 17-Apr-2014 15:09

jeffnz: not sure whole you judge the whole of NZ based on a couple of examples that say little for where we sit IT wise

Not just those 2, these were just a couple of recent examples.

lokhor

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#1026925 17-Apr-2014 15:21

What is a library?

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

MurrayM

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#1026945 17-Apr-2014 15:34

surfisup1000: I recently had a conversation with my library that they should send an email when books become overdue. They said, it was not necessary because the checkout slip is all they need to provide. They do send an email 3 days before books become overdue, but with kids, it is easy to miss some (we might get 30 or 40 tiny books out at a time ). So, an email on the overdue date would be brilliant. Library says no though.

I don't get that. They do send an email three days before the overdue date, but you don't consider that enough? How many reminders do you need?

I would have thought it makes more sense for the library to send a notification before the due date rather than right on the due date. That way you have a few days to gather the books together and plan a trip to the library in the next few days. I'd be complaining if they waited until the due date to send the reminder because that doesn't give me time to arrange a trip to the library.

Geektastic

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#1026946 17-Apr-2014 15:36

Our library seems more intent on being a play area for children and a free wifi zone for backpackers. My view is that libraries should be quiet places of learning and study, so we have an impasse on that point.

They also have a bizarre policy of charging borrowers 50 cents to borrow non-NZ fiction!

I have not set foot in it in quite some while - especially since their e-books do not come in Kindle format!

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