Along with media budgets, many redirect their hopes towards the Internet, of which the most are those who think the remedy for today’s crisis can be found close at hand - any one of us who does some soul searching can find a solution on his own.

And we’re not really dealing with a general crisis, we’re just having a tough time. It’s like a giant wave, a tsunami maybe, Internet being that surf board that could keep you afloat.
Moreover, there’s that great advantage: it costs less than a call-center.
And there are more attractive things about it: no matter what people say, you hear just what you want to hear. Or: no matter what you’re asked, you only give those stereotypical answers, “ready-made” by the client communication gurus.

To be able to correctly assess how viable this solution is, try to imagine yourself in this scenario (which I have experienced myself): your cable TV service stops working and you immediately call tech support. You hear a pleasant answering machine voice which assures you for 18 seconds that the service provider’s greatest desire is to serve its wonderful clients. Then, without having the time to reply “Thank you for your kind words, now please let me tell you why I’ve called!” the pleasant voice tells you for the next 43 seconds what are the latest options, packages and benefits they have prepared for you. No matter what you say, only God can hear you…

Shortly after, the pleasant voice turns into an unforgiving, slow paced (as if it was recorded for the deaf or retarded) and distant one, inviting you to press one for subscription renewal, two for new subscribers, three for joining the XZY loyalty program, four for changes in fees, five for changing your billing address, six for any issues concerning the invoice, seven for info about the new ZYX program and nine TO BE TRANSFERED to one of their consultants: 47 seconds overall! After pressing the 9 key and waiting up to 90 seconds you get to speak to the consultant who, upon hearing the reason you called, will kindly ask you, if you’re lucky, to hold the line to be transferred to technical support. (If your luck has run out you’ll be asked to call another number, being advised to wait a bit longer and not hang up, because someone will eventually pick up the phone).
This episode amazed me to the point where my nervous system displayed its full interactivity. And then my blood pressure rocketed sky high.

Now I will leave you to translate this scenario to the Internet. Also, I’m eagerly waiting for anyone to prove how interactivity works on the web – an innovative and revolutionary web site perhaps. And why not so – given the fact that when it comes to the Internet we’re already used to innovations and budget increases, which will someday show favorable results. After the crisis maybe?