# Businesses who STILL haven't figured out the Internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2011, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676 "2011-11-12T08:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/21 "2011-11-14T17:51:29Z")
Every year I get an Astronomical Calendar for myself and three other family members. After I enter one order, the system does not permit me to order the other three. How lame! I always end up on the phone. When I get a resub notice from Scientific American, there are always one, two, and three year options. The online site allows only one year. How lame! I always end up on the phone. This year they added a signin and password system that would not, for some reason allow me to sign up. Back to the phone. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/22 "2011-11-14T18:12:44Z")
Not very scientific, that. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/23 "2011-11-14T18:12:47Z")
Berkshire Hathaway has a market capitalization of $188 Billion. [This](http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/) is their website. I realize that they donā€™t need much of a consumer-facing product, but still! Itā€™s pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/24 "2011-11-14T19:34:47Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I donā€™t care if they donā€™t take PayPal as long as they let me just input a credit card number without having to create an account for that specific store. Yeah, even that is too much work nowadays. Paypal already knows my name, address, email and cc number. Damned if Iā€™m going to be bothered to type all that in. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/25 "2011-11-14T19:49:56Z")
Iā€™m reasonably sure they do it on purpose since itā€™s sector-wide: the websites of every single phone company operating in Spain constitute a perfect example of ā€œutter nightmaresā€, specially if youā€™re trying to find a way to contact them other than ā€œwalk into one of our storesā€ (for those which have them) or ā€œcall [this] phone numberā€ (for those without stores). Mind you, they also do things like not have any customer service on Sundays at allā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/26 "2011-11-14T22:03:18Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Berkshire Hathaway has a market capitalization of $188 Billion. > > [This](http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/) is their website. > > I realize that they donā€™t need much of a consumer-facing product, but still! Itā€™s pretty bad. Seems fine to me. All the info I need to get from them is there, and itā€™s easy to find. Itā€™s a much better than the bunch of swoopy flash-encrusted bullshit that lots of companies use. The style is dated, but itā€™s perfectly functional. By your metric, you could point to [this site](http://www.craigslist.org/) as being pretty bad, but they seem to be doing just fine with business on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/27 "2011-11-14T22:33:02Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Seems fine to me. All the info I need to get from them is there, and itā€™s easy to find. Itā€™s a much better than the bunch of swoopy flash-encrusted bullshit that lots of companies use. The style is dated, but itā€™s perfectly functional. I could go along with that argument, but there is something to be said for making a presentable face of the company. Itā€™s like a CEO showing up for a investorā€™s meeting in sweatpants. (Of course, Buffet could probably get away with that). > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > By your metric, you could point to [this site](http://www.craigslist.org/) as being pretty bad, but they seem to be doing just fine with business on the internet. Yea, but that site design is part of the Craigslistā€™s donā€™t-give-a-hoot mentality that is completely uninterested in making a profit. That no-frills ugly-arse interface probably keeps the bandwidth needs low and the costs down. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/28 "2011-11-14T23:02:55Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > I could go along with that argument, but there is something to be said for making a presentable face of the company. Itā€™s like a CEO showing up for a investorā€™s meeting in sweatpants. (Of course, Buffet could probably get away with that). I donā€™t think thatā€™s a fair comparison. Itā€™s valid html. The links work. Itā€™s just that the style is old-fashioned. Not slovenly; just not modern. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/29 "2011-11-15T00:01:10Z")
That one bank in Nigeria seems to have gotten the hang of the internet, if my spam folder can be believed. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/30 "2011-11-15T01:26:32Z")
American Airlines is pretty rough. Not very easy to move around, tiny fonts, lots of expiring navigation. (I understand exactly why they expire, but itā€™s one of the few sites I use that does so I always get surprised when I go Back and itā€™s expired). And it always thinks I live in Washington DC, which is kinda annoying. Redeeming miles is more cumbersome than it needs to be. On the bright side, check out that current Fare Sale between PDX and Sau Paulo (GRU)! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/31 "2011-11-15T10:02:21Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > How many universities are there that donā€™t have a way for students to register online? > > Thereā€™s at least one. My university used to offer online registration. Last quarter, they stopped doing that. You have to register in person, now. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/32 "2011-11-15T10:28:30Z")
My highrise will not consider a default mortgage payment, and insists on mailing monthly bills (to all 360 residents) and receiving mail-in checks. Iā€™ve tried to explain that setting up a system that deducts the mortgage payment every month from our checking accounts is easy to do, but no. They want us to write out a check every month --ā€œThatā€™s how weā€™ve always done it.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/33 "2011-11-15T11:22:28Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > My university used to offer online registration. Last quarter, they stopped doing that. You have to register in person, now. šŸ˜•:eek: ā€¦why? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/34 "2011-11-15T11:24:12Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > My highrise will not consider a default mortgage payment, and insists on mailing monthly bills (to all 360 residents) and receiving mail-in checks. Iā€™ve tried to explain that setting up a system that deducts the mortgage payment every month from our checking accounts is easy to do, but no. They want us to write out a check every month --ā€œThatā€™s how weā€™ve always done it.ā€ That reminds meā€“the apartment complex I live in does all its record keeping (at least as far as rent amounts owed and collected on paper. They have this giant book of blank spreadsheets they use for it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/35 "2011-11-15T12:09:56Z")
Businesses everywhere could learn a hell of a lot from the British company [Fabric Land](http://fabricland.co.uk/). > [@](#): > > not just a family business but an > i-family business like i-pod. They were at the cutting edge in 1995 - and they still are. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/36 "2011-11-15T12:50:32Z")
A lot of smaller businesses have websites that are overly convoluted. Essentially, if itā€™s a bricks and mortar store Iā€™ll be visiting all I need to know is its phone number, its location, and its opening hours. A lot of stores fail to provide these key bits of information or hide them in the bowels of a badly designed site. Obviously there are other things that they could provide but these three are essential. A number of local stores also have really badly taken or formatted photos of their stock. A blurry image of a shirt is worse than no image! ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/37 "2011-11-15T13:06:18Z")
I forgot to mail in my water bill last time around, and only remembered the day before Iā€™d incur a late fee. No option to pay online, so I called them up, assuming Iā€™d be able to do debit/credit/check over the phone, like that. Nope. They canā€™t even take debit cards. To avoid the late fee I had to drive there and pay the damn thing in person. I also find Lowes, Home Despot and Menards all search-unfriendly sites. Related: Businesses that have phone numbers like ā€œ1 800 NEW DOORā€ without providing the numerical equivalent. Maybe Iā€™m dense, but how do you dial that on a phone with a qwerty keyboard? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/38 "2011-11-15T13:59:36Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Related: Businesses that have phone numbers like ā€œ1 800 NEW DOORā€ without providing the numerical equivalent. Maybe Iā€™m dense, but how do you dial that on a phone with a qwerty keyboard? Iā€™m only familiar with the iPhone, but when youā€™re in keypad mode, it shows a standard phone layout, with the letters underneath the numbers. But yeah, how hard would it be for the business to just give the numerical equivalent in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/39 "2011-11-15T16:16:00Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > A lot of smaller businesses have websites that are overly convoluted. Essentially, if itā€™s a bricks and mortar store Iā€™ll be visiting all I need to know is its phone number, its location, and its opening hours. A lot of stores fail to provide these key bits of information or hide them in the bowels of a badly designed site. Obviously there are other things that they could provide but these three are essential. > > A number of local stores also have really badly taken or formatted photos of their stock. A blurry image of a shirt is worse than no image! A lot of ā€œweb design firmsā€ are just people who know how to apply styles to Wordpress or other pre-coded site software. So these firms go about aggressively selling sites to small businesses who probably obviously need a new site, but they donā€™t need a Wordpress site, but the price is unbelievably cheap (because Wordpress is free) so they get a Wordpress site. And while Wordpress can be tickled and tweaked to do a lot of neat things, the guy who sold you ā€œa siteā€ for $200 is not going to be able to make it do those neat things. So now you have a blog-style site for a business that has had no news or updates for 25 years and no one can find your phone number because itā€™s buried in a blog post from 2009 that is masquerading as a ā€œweb page.ā€ Just sayinā€™. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676/40 "2011-11-15T16:31:45Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Related: Businesses that have phone numbers like ā€œ1 800 NEW DOORā€ without providing the numerical equivalent. Maybe Iā€™m dense, but how do you dial that on a phone with a qwerty keyboard? > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Iā€™m only familiar with the iPhone, but when youā€™re in keypad mode, it shows a standard phone layout, with the letters underneath the numbers. But yeah, how hard would it be for the business to just give the numerical equivalent in the first place? Amen to these. I have a Blackberry Bold (work phone) and run into this problem all the time. And to make it just a little bit worse, our work voice mail prompts me to ā€œPress ā€˜Pā€™ to play.ā€ No, not the QWERTY one, the one that would be on the 7 key. I can see the logic of designing a system where itā€™s ā€œP for play, D for deleteā€ etc., but really, knowing it will be used by people on phones, wouldnā€™t it make more sense to use the numbers? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-still-havent-figured-out-the-internet/602676.md?page=3)