The march toward oblivion continues AI and writing.
Is it the Alpha or Omega? Yes.
The debate is just starting the result is inevitable. Like the Luddites, haters of Gutenberg, chalk and slate tablets, calculators, spellcheck, wordprocessing templates, mail merge, answering machines, and 'talkies', to quote a great movie, "It just doesn't matter."
From Picese to Aquarius - Inevitable.
I took a very nice post on LinkedIn about a blue-ish typewriter and sent it through that Great Machine asking for a rewrite in the voice of Stephen King.
"Early adoption of these innovations can drive significant competitive advantage and business value and ease problems associated with the fragility of AI models."
The ChatGPT phenomis historic for those who generate content - this is certain.But it doesn't take too much to see the linguistics app is just the tip of the iceberg. It's more than asking Siri for directions and receiving unsolicited weather updates from Alexa.
Tell it what you want to do on a spreadsheet and it will write the macro.
Tell it what you want to program for the interwebs and it will write the HTML.
Ask it to analyze a 1000-word article about the four types of AI, summarize it into a 500-word blog, and write both a Tweet and a LinkedIn post intro and it does.
Ask it to apply the previous content and write an article on the impact of AI on the Office Technology industry - in the voice of Hemingway - and then put together an outline, and agenda, for a show, with sample questions, about How a copier salesperson can use ChatGPT to find more prospects and sell more copiers and document management software solutions?
Upon an ocean of auguries and reflections, my contrarian tendencies pull me into ignoring if not despising each "end of the year" account and "predictions for next year". So many articles and pontifications - it's stifling.
Who needs it?
Well, low and behold, I've surrendered to the waves, to the Fire. Here is my contribution to the deadwood of 2022 and the albatross of 2023.
*SPECIAL NOTE IF YOU WANT TO SKIP TO SEE YOUR FUTURE SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO "Artificial Intelligence" becomes simply "Intelligent".*
Back in 2007, MpS was new, on the edge, and a bit contrarian. The year was 2007, copiers were flying off
the shelf, and everybody signed a 60-month lease with an accompanying service agreement. A4 was a dirty word.
MpS didn’t flourish it sputtered and more often failed. Stories
of fallen MPS practices outnumbered the successful.
I, myself, declared
MpS dead in 2011 because the discipline became adulterated into the lowest
price possible. The race to the bottom was inevitable.
Today, I look upon the contemporary MpS ecosystem and see customers
calling dealers looking to sign MpS contracts, more MpS press coverage,
INCREASED membership in your MPSA,
ridicule, and criticism from industry "pundits" and “shills” it’s
beginning to feel like the ‘good old days.
Sorta. My optimism is cautionary.
"State Governments' Failure to Scrutinize the Purchase of Lenovo and Lexmark Equipment Jeopardizes Data Security"
A report released from embargo on February 24, 2020, "Stealing From States: China's Power Play in IT Contracts" unearths scathing facts around Lexmark, the US military, Communist Red China, and state/federal contracts.
Lexmark doesn't want you reading the report - and for good reason. You will be shocked to learn the degree to which Lexmark has been challenged in the past over security issues, and why being connected to or owned by a Chinese company is worthy of high concern. For instance, in 2016 the Chinese Communist Party passed the China Internet Security Law. This law requires any company headquartered in China, to keep data in-country and allow Chinese authorities to 'spot-check' on the data at any time.
"A Chinese military unit has been inserting tiny microchips into computer servers used by companies including Apple and Amazon that give China unprecedented backdoor access to computers and data, according to a new Bloomberg report."
#ArcDrive has been alive for a month, launching June 6, 2019.
We planned on measuring interest after the first 30 days to gauge moving forward or if nobody responded, scraping the idea completely.
We did not expect to sell any units in the first 30 days for two reasons:
We didn't know if the concept of #ArcDrive would resonate
We did not have logo-plates designed or manufactured(no, really. We didn't want any #ArcDrives to go out without proper logo's)
The good news is, interest is going through the roof. But as you all know, 'interest' doesn't pay the internet bill, does it?
Some interesting process innovations, realizations, and milestones in the first 30 days of existence:
We've sold units.
Team ArcDrive is solidified and growing.
Thirty days ago, our innovation path included adding to the #ArcDrive payload in Q1, 2020. Instead, we're adding to the solution stack in Q4, 2019.
Interested dealers are nudging us into "up-scoping" #ArcDrive - so we've added an entire EDM module while maintaining affordability.
We've come to realize that our offering is a new category in the internet of things realm in both the 'fog' and 'edge' computing layer. (Google it)
Validation of #ArcDrive's supporting belief that "the big are getting bigger, pricing the independent dealers out of SMB advance capture/EDM solutions.' (Ricoh/DocuWare)
Validation that dealers and their sales team are comfortable talking about business solutions that reside on the physical plane, not the ethereal.
Oconomowoc, Wi. – Greg Walters Inc. today launched a new entry into the office technology channel that will revolutionize the MPS market for the independent dealer channel. ArcDrive is a self-contained, converged solution stack that will allow vendors to initiate or build out managed print services (MPS) engagements.
A cutting-edge appliance embedded with advanced capture, intelligent workflow, data collection, remote monitoring and automatic supplies fulfillment software, ArcDrive is a small box that can be attached to a network or used as a standalone workstation and provides SharePoint or hybrid storage on the device or through the cloud.
“Since 2009, I’ve promoted managed print services as a bridge to managed IT and, ultimately, managing the Internet of Things,” said Greg Walters, the creator of ArcDrive. “I believe MPS, electronic document management (EDM) and IT asset management should be under one umbrella. ArcDrive is the realization of this concept. All the tools that you typically think of with an entry-level document management system and MPS program are embedded on this device.”
"Today, our industry is transforming like never before. Independent dealers are joining together to form large networks, OEMs are shifting go-to-market strategies, software companies are converging,” said Walters. “ArcDrive will help independent dealers protect their base, establish new income streams and increase monthly recurring revenue.”
ArcDrive is available today with MPS, advanced capture and intelligent workflow software. Future releases will incorporate network probe, RFID, ITIL real-time asset management and a single-pane interface.
Greg Walters is available for media interviews. He can be reached at greg@grwalters.com For more information, visit TheArcDrive.com.
Thousands of small satellites, circling the globe maintaining geosynchronous orbit. Quarter sized thrusters hold these nano-boxes in place. Engineered like microchips, one thruster contains a grid of 500 needles — each a solar powered, custom-built nozzle generating ion sprays.
Not science fiction.
"CubeSats" are small ( 4 in × 4 in × 4 in) satellites, launched in space, in a low-Earth orbit - as of January, 2019, there have been 1,000 cubesats launched.
These devices are cheap and with newly developed 'fusion engines', they have the ability to remain in place or move to a different location. Applications range from communications to giant, space-born, billboard signs.
The copier industry was the vanguard of connected devices(M2M) and we should be looking for future avenues of growth.
Imagine 5 or 6 or 7G connectivity speeds running on a mesh of cubesats. Imagine all things connected; plants, paint, elevators, RFID, CCTV, and yes, even one or two remaining photocopiers.
Perhaps the Internet of Space is hyperbole.
I'm sure there were doubters and naysayers when the first copier connected to a thing called the "network". Either way, is connectivity the 'manifest destiny' of our time?
"Manifest Destiny held that the United States was destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent." - History Channel
Copiers, printers, scanners, fax, print servers, cloud print, duplex, scan-once-print-many, color, analog to digital, laser, inkjet, managed print services, to managed services...our turbulent path has crossed many borders, hills, and valleys.
Lots of things have changed since Chester pulled together his seven steps and yet, much remains the same. The print world moves slowly. Like a river cutting the Grand Canyon, a real, significant change occurs over decades(which seem like eons).
For the Change Agents, this is the apogee of frustration. We saw the true meaning of managed print services and the future of print. The signs were there before the HP split, before the debacle that was Xerox/Fuji.
We predicted the need to shift from selling from boxes to solutions to business acumen, in 2007. We saw the "P" change to "p" in MpS. The time was then.
Along the way, a few early adopters burned the ships. Back then, what we saw as secular most experts called a fad. I remember presenting the Internet of Things back in 2012. Interesting and way ahead of the curve.
No longer frustration; we're morose. It is sad to look at the missed opportunities. Volumes are dropping so how can an OEM still release 13 or more new models?
Is it ignorance? No, everybody is printing less and has been for a decade. It's not a secret.
Is it stupidity? No, back in the day, these folks were THE technology innovators.
Is it the continued propagation of a bygone belief that if you build it, they will buy? Yes. More succinctly, it is the undying grip on the past, unrelenting fear of change, and stubborn faith that if "we can hang on, we'll flourish".
Although purchasing devices, customers are placing a reduced number - worse, if there is a copier on every floor, nobody is using it. Volumes are down to around 2,000 images a month.
The consolidation continues, independent dealers coagulate and OEMs dissolve, as the niche works through its annihilation.
Options are getting scarce, but there are painful opportunities: Medical equipment, BI, Energy Management, and more. We've just got to let go.
Fortunately, we see the end is near.
We can make plans, see friends, write letters and move to the next stage, confident and aware.
Long ago, a decade seemed like forever; "1999" was a far-off party, and 2001 was so distant, that it was science fiction.
When I was young, I couldn't imagine where'd I be beyond 2008. Today, decades fade away, "like tears in the rain..."
Ten revolutions around the Sun
120 Months
521.4 Weeks 3,650 Days
87,000 Hours
At its peak, The Death of the Copier was coveted; worth stealing. Not for the plain talk, but for the audience.
In 2008, we were busy back-slapping and congratulating ourselves for selling machines like popcorn. The future was bright; it was never going to end.
Ikon was a huge channel of 'independent' dealers.
Xerox was like Kleenex.
Ricoh and Canon punched it out for the second and third position.
HP was on the edge with Edgeline.
The rest of the pack was just that, a pack.
Back then, few were 'blogging' about copiers. Out here on the inter-webs, nobody was talking about workflow, managed print services, IT, or business acumen. Newsletters, magazines, and trade shows were the vehicles of delivery.
On this 10th year anniversary, I've traveled back to the future, re-visiting stories of the love, toner, blood, and tragedy that is DOTC.
"5. LinkedIn - MySpace is all grown up. Much more mature than Facebook with real contacts and real business and NO high school moms pretending to be CEOs...well, maybe. Quite by chance, I fell into LinkedIn. Early, I joined MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. - but LinkedIn, for some reason has held my attention and gets most of my input when it comes to "social networking"."- 2008.
I talked about Managed Print Services, how copier reps won't naturally progress into the niche, how real MpS requires IT and copier knowledge, and something called Business Acumen. It was like speaking Latin.
"A copier salesperson does not directly translate into an MPS specialist.
Nor does an IT Services salesperson translate into an MPS Specialist. It takes both IT experience and copier experience and a great deal of general, C-level, business experience. That holy grail of Professional Selling, "Business Acumen". Someone with the "Big Picture" insight and manage the details of a solution."
Honestly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's been ten years and we're still struggling to find managed print nirvana.
We still sell copiers.
How about this one from 2011? Inspired by the movie Jerry McGuire -
"MPS isn't the end-all, it isn't the only reason to exist - it never has been. Still, with everybody getting in and as many as 50% failing, what now? With all the OEMs defining MPS ... and reclassifying direct accounts, how can we continue? Touch More. More Human Touch. Less PowerPoint. No WebEx meetings, toss the 50 slide business summaries. Instead, press the flesh. Draw on a napkin. Do that thing we do as sales professionals, look him in the eye and say "thank you, what more can we do, today?" "Oddest, most unexpected thing..." Success and change aren't always a result of design. Innovation encroaches from another direction; from the left as we look right, from behind as we look ahead. Few ever see it coming. So it is today. As some deny the paperless revolution is near, companies like Alaska Air outfit their 1,400 pilots with iPads. Apple is making the textbook obsolete and banks accept pictures of checks for deposits. Your kids, don't call each other anymore, they use their thumbs. From social media to MpS, everything is new and unpredicted - there are no experts - the world moves faster than ever before. No benchmarks, no 'metrics', no comparison, no rules. Waiting for the revolution? It's already here. "The Me I always wanted to be" - Trust Trust. It is a big word and one of the first MPS Conference keynote speaker attempted to rally behind stating,
"..Trust is something this industry has got to reclaim."
He is new. He doesn't understand to reclaim something, one must have first possessed it. "I had lost the ability to bullshit, ..." Our journey continues. The path is less bumpy when we build partnerships. Partnerships are easier to forge over a foundation of truth. Can you be true? Can you lose the ability to bullshit? If not to your prospects, at least with yourself. Or are you just another shark in a suit? Can you see the entire ecosystem? How about instead of optimizing a smidgen of hardware and some toner, you envision Optimizing Everything? That's right, everything. Managed Optimization Services.
"That's how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there."
Good Stuff.
What have WE, learned over the past ten years?
The Copier is nearly gone
Old ways die-hard
Situations rarely change, people do
My nostalgic jaunt inspired me to seek out memories from the pioneers of the copier-industry social media world.
Before Twitter. Before Instaglam. Before LI took off...there was Ken Stewart, Nathan Dube, Jim Lyons, and Art Post.
Can't remember EXACTLY how Greg and I became friends, but as what seemed like the only two bloggers in the industry back then it was inevitable we'd become friends as well as colleagues. A particular fond memory is when Greg had accepted an invitation to the Lyra Conference (Symposium) - where I'd gone from client to contributor. Greg and I had been in touch quite a bit but had never met face-to-face and several of the team (including Photizo folks in attendance, though this was before the merger) were excited to meet Mr. Death of the Copier. As we anticipated his arrival I remember enthusing that this was a very much-needed "young guy" we were welcomed into the fold!!!
Nothing stays the same, change is constant. There is nothing new in sales even though there are thousands of sales gurus on LinkedIn promoting their success when they haven't sold shit in years. There are many stubborn copier manufacturers that refuse to exit the channel. No one copies anymore. I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end of the roll, the faster it goes.
Thanks, guys, for reading DOTC and staying true.
Personally:
2008, I was married and living in the mountains of Southern California. 5,000 feet above sea level, an hour from the beach - "...things that have comforted me, I drive away..."
Since 2008, I've moved from SoCali to Charlotte to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - "...this place that is my home, I cannot stay..."
Over 10 years, I've seen small businesses grow and flourish. I've met the best of the best and the worst of the worst - "...I come and stand at every door..."
I've Failed - "...If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me..."
I've Succeeded - "...I always leave with less than I had before..."
I've become an expert at Starting Over - "...tell me, can you ask for anything more..."
Over the long haul, I've seen the extinction of the typewriter, witnessed the evaporation of the mini and mainframe, and bobbed along the turbulent manual-to-PC-to-network-to-internet-to-cloud waters.
I am fortunate to have a place to express myself. I'm blessed to be able to write what I would read and humbled others to find something, interesting and possibly entertaining.
10 Years. How about you?
On what field did you stand? Today, do you still stand?
Where will you be in 2028?
Two, three, four
Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free?
If you've ever seen a one trick pony then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making his way down the street?
If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
Have you ever seen a scarecrow filled with nothing but dust and wheat?
If you've ever seen that scarecrow then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
If you've ever seen a one-armed man then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
These things that have comforted me, I drive away
This place that is my home I cannot stay
My only faith's in the broken bones and bruises I display
Have you ever seen a one-legged man trying to dance his way free?
If you've ever seen a one-legged man then you've seen me
Xerox shareholders to receive a $2.5 billion special cash dividend, or approximately $9.80 per share1, and 49.9% of the combined company; Fujifilm to own 50.1%
Combined company to deliver at least $1.7 billion in total cost savings, with $1.2 billion to be achieved by 2020
Accelerates path to revenue growth through global reach, industry-leading scale and enhanced innovation capabilities
Well-positioned to lead in growing business areas such as high-speed inkjet, industrial print and workplace solutions, while leveraging Fujifilm's extensive technologies
Combined company will have enhanced financial flexibility for future growth investments and capital returns
Combined company will have dual headquarters in Norwalk, CT, U.S. and Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and will maintain the iconic “Xerox” and “Fuji Xerox” brands within its respective operating regions
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (“Fujifilm”) (TSE: 4901) and Xerox Corporation (“Xerox”) (NYSE: XRX) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine Xerox and their longstanding Fuji Xerox joint venture.
It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general. Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.
You might remember the days of "The Girls of DOTC". If so, you remember hesitantly opening a DOTC post in the office and rarely, if ever, with the significant other.
For those unfamiliar, this tome was sprinkled with pictures of copiers adorned with vixen-ladies, scantily clad and in interesting poses. As a result, clicks(mouse, not image) went through the roof. To some surprise, after the pictures grabbed attention, visitors read; the average time on a post edged over the 5 minutes. The Death of The Copier was off and running. We, YOU, had a microphone to the realm as well as pretty pictures. During the apogee of viewership, I was approached by a high executive from one of our largest OEMs. She was distraught, nearly in tears and explained, "we need a voice like yours...but those pictures remind me of all I've had to endure because of this industry..." She told me how so often she'd climbed the corporate ladder in spite of sexual advances and harassment. How the pictures on my blog reminded her of so many painful memories.
I was taken back - my intent was to jazz up the blog. To bring something different to our boring industry. I never wanted embarrass, insult or harass. I felt like shit. It took about three and a half hours to remove or replace images.
Are you a victim of Sexual Harassment? Call 800.656.4673 for support.
Today, 2017, sexual harassment is all over the newsfeeds and I've been noodling on how to comment. I guess there's really just one way to say it:
There are sexist pigs and sexual harassers in our industry. Yes, I know other industries suffer leches. Yes, I know this is a male dominated environment. I am not talking about consensual relationships between two adults who happen to be married to other people, this isn't that kind of moral judgement.
I am saying, there are men in our niche who use their position of power to gain sexual pleasure from subordinates.
I'm saddened to say this, but, if your boss, owner, or manager snuggles up to 'steals a kiss' at Christmas party - that's harassment. Even if, at the time, you acquiesce, it is still harassment.
More than a third (35 percent) of American women say they’ve been sexually harassed or abused in the workplace, according to a recent poll by PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist.
I wonder what our ratio looks like.
Here's another thing - for each boss, dealership owner, manager, and VP who sexually harass, there is a crew of enablers: the HR department that ignores the reports, the personal secretary who arranges travel plans, or that cigar-smoking boys club meeting in Vegas every year at ITEX. Enablers.
Men. What should you do if you witness sexual harassment? Here are three recommendations from Nick Douglas over at LifeHacker:
1. Say something in the moment. Take the risk of saying “That’s gross” or “I’m not OK with this.” If you’re uncomfortable with how someone else is treated, you’re not just standing for their rights, you’re standing for your own. And a sexual harasser will have a harder time dismissing a complaint backed by a third party, especially another man’s.
2. Write things down. Keep a log of behavior so that if you report things to a superior or HR, you have facts to discuss, and aren’t left vaguely describing a “creepy vibe.” This also means “keeping receipts”—logs and screencaps of offensive chats and emails.
3. Consult with the victim. Give them as much control as possible, while taking the responsibility to act. Ask if they’re OK with you reporting the harassment, and how they’d feel most comfortable: if you use their name or not, or if they want to report together, with you as a witness.
There was a day when men would defined the honor of ANY woman. Where have all the Cowboys Gone?
I mean seriously. There is no way this happens without a wink and a nod from other men. This isn't a club, it isn't something to be proud of or participate. These are daughters, sisters, mothers, colleagues and friends. Its more than a moral question, it is right vs. wrong. Using power over a subordinate for sexual gratification is wrong and gross.
If you need sex, earn it. If your going to be a cheater, hell, be a cheater. The second you leverage your position as a boss over somebody, is the second you move from cheating dog to scumbag criminal. Bill Clinton was wrong. He is a criminal but Hillary enabled for decades and his staff supported his disgusting habit for years.
Don't be Bill. Don't be Hillary. Check out the song Drunk Girl, and be a man.
###
The List, so far(11/2017) of the men accused since the Weinstein accusations emerged:
Entertainment:
Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, has been accused of sexual harassment by producer Isa Dick Hackett, according to the New York Times. He has since resigned.
Andy Signore, creator of Screen Junkies and the popular “Honest Trailers” series, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least five women, according to Variety. He has since been fired by Defy Media.
Ben Affleck has been accused of groping actress Hilarie Burton on the set of MTV’s TRL in the early-2000’s, according to CNN. Affleck has since apologized.
Bob Weinstein, super producer and brother of Harvey, has been accused of sexual harassment by Amanda Segel, an executive producer of the Weinstein Co.-produced TV series The Mist, according to Variety. A Weinstein representative has since denied the charge.
Matt Mondanile, the former guitarist for the band Real Estate, has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct, according to SPIN. Mondanile has since denied any wrongdoing.
Oliver Stone has been accused by actress Carrie Stevens of groping her at a party once. She tweeted this allegation in response to Stone tepidly defending Weinstein in the early aftermath of the charges against him.
James Toback, director of films such as Black and White, has been accused by literally hundreds of women of a range of sexual harassments,
according to Los Angeles Times. He has since vehemently denied the charges, while Beverly Hills police have launched an investigation whose scope includes both Toback and Harvey Weinstein.
Lockhart Steele, the creator of popular websites such as Curbed and Racked, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former Vox employee, according to Variety. Vox has since fired Steele.
Mark Halperin, the reporter, author, and media personality, has been accused of sexual harassment by several women going back many years, according to CNN. He has admitted to some misconduct, although his account is in dispute, and he has since been dropped by several of his employers, including NBC News, MSNBC, and HBO.
Andrew Kramer, the Lionsgate executive, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former assistant, according to Vulture. He has since been dropped.
Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Prize-winning author and human-rights advocate has been accused of groping a 19-year-old in 1989, according to Salon. Wiesel passed away in 2016 and is thus unable to confirm or deny the account.
Leon Wieseltier, formerly an editor at The New Republic, has been accused by several female colleagues of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times. Wiseltier has admitted to some “offenses” and funding has since been pulled from the new magazine he had planned to launch.
Twiggy Ramirez a/k/a Jeordie White, the bassist from Marilyn Manson has been accused of rape, according to Variety. He has since been fired from the band.
Tyler Grasham, the Hollywood agent, has been accused of sexual assault and sodomy by actor Tyler Cornell, who has also filed a police report, according to Variety. Grasham has since been fired by his agency, ACA.
Ethan Kath, the producer/performer behind Crystal Castles has been accused by former bandmate Alice Glass of sexual assault, according to the Guardian. Kath denies the allegations.
Chris Savino, the creator of Nickelodeon’s The Loud House, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, according to Deadline. He has since been fired from the show.
Knight Landesman, the Artforum publisher and a power broker in the art world, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least nine women, who have filed a joint lawsuit, according to the New York Times. Landesman has since resigned from Artforum.
Robert Scoble, the veteran tech blogger who has worked with Fast Company before, has been accused of sexual assault and also misconduct, according to The Verge. In a recent blog post, Scoble disputes the accusations.
George H.W. Bush, the former president, has been accused by several women of groping them while making a bad joke, according to the Chicago Tribune. (Punchline: “David Cop-a-Feel.”) Rather than denying the charges, Bush has issued a statement through his spokesperson, introducing the world to the concept of a “good-natured” groping.
Kevin Spacey, the star of Netflix’s House of Cards, has been accused by actor Anthony Rapp of making unwanted sexual advances when Rapp was 14 years old, according to BuzzFeed. Spacey released a statement claiming he was drunk and did not remember the encounter, and Netflix has since suspended production on the sixth season of House of Cards. (Update: several employees on House of Cards have said that Spacey made the show a toxic environment, with one employee outright accusing him of assault. Netflix has since severed all ties with Spacey and is considering killing off his character and moving ahead with the announced sixth and final season of the show.)
Jeremy Piven, the actor most famous for his role on HBO’s Entourage, has been accused by actress Ariane Bellamar of groping her on multiple accusations during the filming of that show, according to Business Insider. Piven has denied the allegations.
Hamilton Fish V, the publisher of The New Republic, has been accused by multiple female employees of sexual harassment, according to the New York Post. He has since taken a leave of absence.
Andy Dick, the famously assault-prone comedic performer, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people on the set of the indie film, Raising Buchanan, according to Vulture. He has since been fired from the film.
Brett Ratner, the director behind hits such as Rush Hour, has been accused by six women of a number of sexual offenses, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ratner’s lawyer has disputed these accounts.
Dustin Hoffman, the veteran actor from films like The Graduate and Tootsie, has been accused of sexually harassing Anna Graham when she was a 17-year-old production assistant in 1985, according to People.
Michael Oreskes, a top editor at NPR, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, according to CNN. He has since resigned.
David Guillod, a manager and producer on films like Atomic Blonde, has been accused by actress Jessica Barth of sexual assault. Barth originally raised her allegation in 2012, but Guillod threatened to sue her if she proceeded. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barth is now ready to press charges.
Adam Venit, an agent at WME, has been cited as the unnamed person Terry Crews referred to in a viral series of tweets about being groped by “a high-level Hollywood executive,” according to Variety. Venit has since taken a leave of absence.
David Corn, editor and chief executive at Mother Jones, is being investigated for inappropriate workplace behavior, according to Politico. The investigation stems from a pair of newly surfaced emails from 2014 and 2015, which detail offensive jokes and unwelcome touching of female staffers.
Steven Seagal, star of ’90s action films such as Under Siege, has been accused of sexual harassment by actresses Portia de Rossi, Julianna Margulies, and Rae Dawn Chong, according to Jezebel and other sources.
Ed Westwick, an actor best known for his work on Gossip Girl, has been accused by two women of rape, according to New York Magazine’s The Cut. Westwick denies the charges, and LAPD is investigating.
Louis CK, one of the most popular comedians in the world, has been accused by five women of forcing them to watch him masturbate. The public allegations follow years of quiet but persistent speculation.
Jann Wenner, the iconic publisher of Rolling Stone, has been accused of sexual misconduct by freelance writer Ben Ryan, according to BuzzFeed.
Eddie Berganza, Group Editor of DC Comics, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, including former employees, according to BuzzFeed. DC Entertainment has since fired Berganza.
Gary Goddard, a film producer, has been accused by actor Anthony Edwards of molesting him over a period of years in the late-1970s, starting when Edwards was just 12 years old. The allegation emerged in a Medium post penned by Edwards.
Jesse Lacy, frontman for the band Brand New, has been accused of sexual misconduct by a minor 15 years ago, soliciting nude photographs from a woman who was 15 when Lacy was 24, according to NME. Lacy has since apologized for the misconduct.
Matthew Weiner, the writer and director most known for creating the show Mad Men, has been accused of sexual harassment by former Mad Men writer Kater Gordon, according to The Information. Weiner has since denied the charge.
Richard Dreyfuss, has been accused of sexual harassment over a period of years in the mid-1980’s by writer Jessica Teich, according to New York Magazine. Dreyfuss has since denied “exposing” himself to Teich, but confirms that he did try to kiss her and seduce her in a manner he now regrets.
George Takei, legendary actor and internet personality most famous for his role on Star Trek, has been accused of sexual assault by former model Scott R. Bruton, stemming from an incident that occurred in 1981. Takei has since denied the allegation.
Andrew Kreisberg, show runner on The Flash, has been accused of sexual harassment by a young female writer on the show. Kreisberg has since been suspended by Warner Brothers TV, according to Deadline.
Tom Sizemore, star of such films as Saving Private Ryan, has been accused of molesting an 11-year old girl on the set of a film in 2003, according to The Hollywood Reporter. According to the report, the actor was kicked off of the set after this incident, although he later filmed some additional scenes. Sizemore has declined to comment.
Mark Schwahn, showrunner on One Tree Hill, has been accused of sexual harassment by several members of the cast and crew of that show, according to Variety. Update: Schwahn has since been accused of sexual harassment by several members of the cast and crew of The Royals, where Schwahn had been serving as showrunner until recently. (He was suspended after the One Tree Hill allegations emerged last week.)
Jeffrey Tambor, Emmy Award-winning star of Transparent, has been accused of sexual harassment by an actress and a crew member from the show, according to Deadline. He has since denied the accusations and parted ways with the show.
Matt Zimmerman, Senior Vice President of Booking for News & Entertainment at NBC, has been accused of inappropriate conduct with two women in the News division, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Zimmerman has since been fired.
Al Franken, the Minnesota senator and erstwhile comedy writer, has been accused of unwanted kissing and groping by a reporter, Leeann Tweeden, stemming from an incident that took place in 2006, according to The New York Times. The groping allegedly occurred while Tweeden was asleep, and a photo taken at the time supports her account. Update: at least five more women have since come forward with similar accusations against Franken.
Sylvester Stallone, the actor and director most famous for creating the character Rocky Balboa, has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 1986, according to The Daily Mail. Through a representative, Stallone denies any wrongdoing.
Murray Miller, a writer formerly of HBO’s Girls, has been accused of sexually assaulting actress Aurora Perrineau, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Miller adamantly denies the charge.
Glenn Thrush, a star political reporter for The New York Times, has been accused of inappropriate behavior by several younger female reporters, according to Vox. Although Thrush has since downplayed what he’s been accused of, The New York Times has suspended him pending an investigation.
Charlie Rose, the longtime television host, has been accused by eight women of sexual harassment. The Washington Post reports that over a period over more than 20 years, Rose allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward women who worked at PBS’s Charlie Rose show. They allege he made lewd phone calls, groped them, and walked around naked in front of them. Rose (who also works for CBS) has issued an apology in which he acknowledges his “inappropriate behavior” while also questioning whether “all of these allegations are accurate.” PBS and Bloomberg LP have suspended distribution of Charlie Rose, and CBS has suspended Rose while the network investigates the claims.
John Lasseter, head of Disney Animation, is taking a leave of absence from Pixar. He announced the decision as The Hollywood Reporter prepared to publish a story in which several former and current colleagues allege that Lasseter engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment. One longtime Pixar employee claims that Lasseter was known for “grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes.” Lasseter released a memo to his staff in which he acknowledged his “missteps” and apologized if staffers who had received “an unwanted hug” felt he crossed the line.
Nick Carter, member of the Backstreet Boys, has been accused of sexual assault by Melissa Schuman, a singer from the pop band Dream. In a blog post, Schuman, 33, alleges that Carter raped her and forced her to perform and receive oral sex when she was 18. Carter denied the allegations in a statement to People.
Matt Lauer, host of The Today Show, has been fired for sexual misconduct, , according to NBC News, following an internal review. A comprehensive New York Times investigation has reportedly been underway for weeks, and may be surfacing soon.
Garrison Keillor, radio producer and former host of long-running show A Prairie Home Companion, has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio for “improper conduct” with a female colleague, according to The New York Times. Keillor has admitted to running his hand up a female colleague’s bare back through her open shirt.
Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and other countries, has been accused of sexual misconduct by two women–first by model Keri Claussen Khalighi, and then screenwriter Jenny Lumet–according to The Hollywood Reporter. Although Simmons initially denied any wrongdoing when Khalighi came forward, he now says he is stepping down from his businesses.
Israel Horovitz, a veteran playwright, has been accused of sexual conduct by nine women, according to The New York Times. Horovitz has apologized ” to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions.”
Bruce Weber, the venerable fashion photographer, has been accused of forcefully kissing and groping a male model, according to the New York Post.
Dylan Howard, the top editor for the National Enquirer, Us Weekly and other major gossip publications, has been accused of sexual misconduct by several former employees, according to the Associated Press.
James Levine, legendary Metropolitan Opera conductor, has been accused of molesting a teenage boy for a period of years in the 1980s, according to the New York Post. He has since been suspended by the Met.
John Hockenberry, a now-retired public radio icon, has been accused of sexual harassment by several female colleagues, as well as a guest of his radio show, Suki Kim, according to a report Kim wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut.
Leonard Lopate and Johnathan Schwartz, two longtime hosts at WNYC, have been put on leave effectively immediately pending investigations into allegations of inappropriate conduct, according to WNYC.
Jon Heely, the director of music publishing at Disney, has been charged with child sex abuse against two young girls about a decade ago, according to Variety. Heely’s attorney has denied the charges.
Mario Batali, world famous chef, has been accused by four women, three of whom once worked for him, of inappropriate touching over the last two decades, according to Eater. Batali has said the allegations “match up” with ways he has behaved, and he has since stepped away from his empire.
Ryan Lizza, a star reporter for The New Yorker, has been let been go by the magazine for engaging in improper sexual contact, according to The Daily Beast. Lizza has not yet commented.
Politics:
Donald Trump. At least 15 women have come forward with a wide range of accusations against Trump, ranging from sexual harassment and sexual assault to lewd behavior around women. Of the women, 13 say Trump attacked them directly and two others say they witnessed behavior that made them uncomfortable. All the alleged incidents took place prior to his assuming the presidency.
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel — Accused of sexually inappropriate comments and behavior toward a number of women, Bittel resigned. Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Jeff Clemens resigned after a report that he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist, and Republican state Sen. Jack Latvala is being investigated by the Senate over allegations of harassment and groping. Latvala has denied the allegations.
U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) — Accused of sexual harassment toward staffers in his office, and has settled one claim of harassment. He has denied the allegations, even the one he settled.
Two Minnesota state lawmakers — Democratic Sen. Dan Schoen and Republican Rep. Tony Cornish — said they would resign after they were accused of misdeeds that ranged from groping colleagues to persistent unwanted sexual advances and sexting.
British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon — Accused of inappropriate advances on two women, the Conservative resigned. Sexual harassment and assault allegations have also emerged against a number of other U.K. political figures. Labour Party legislator Carl Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life after harassment allegations cost him his post as the Welsh government's Cabinet secretary for communities and children. He had asked for an independent inquiry to clear his name.
Also, Labour Party member Ivan Lewis has been suspended over an allegation of sexual misconduct; Lewis disputed the account but apologized if his behavior had been "unwelcome or inappropriate."
Kentucky House Speaker Jeff Hoover — Stepped down as speaker this month after news surfaced that the Republican had settled a sexual harassment claim from a GOP caucus staffer. Hoover denied the harassment allegation but said he sent consensual yet inappropriate text messages. He remains in the Legislature.
U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore (R.-Ala.) —Accused of sexually assaulting two women decades ago when they were teenagers; about a half-dozen other women have accused Moore of inappropriate conduct. The former state Supreme Court chief justice denies the allegations. He has rebuffed pressure from national Republican leaders to step aside; the state GOP is standing by him.
Johnny Anderson, a staffer for Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards — The deputy chief of staff for programs and planning resigned to avoid becoming a "distraction" to the governor. Accused of sexual harassment, he denies any wrongdoing.
###
"Drunk Girl"
Couple of cover charge stamps got her hand looking like a rainbow
In and out of every bar on a whim just like the wind blows
She's either a bachelorette or coming off a breakup
Take a drunk girl home
She's bouncing like a pinball
Singing every word she never knew
Dancing with her eyes closed like she's the only one in the room
Her hairs a perfect mess, falling out of that dress
Take a drunk girl home
Take a drunk girl home
Let her sleep all alone
Leave her keys on the counter your number by her phone
Pick up her life she threw on the floor
Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door
That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home
You leave her drive for a dive
You get something bad to eat
They're singing closing time at that little bar across the street
Then two by two strangers and lovers headed for the covers hooking up
That TV in your two bedroom sounds turned off
Through the paper thin walls you can hear the neighbor's cigarette cough
There's a million things you could be doing, but there's one thing you're damn sure glad you did
Take a drunk girl home
Let her sleep all alone
Leave her keys on the counter your number by the phone
Pick up her life she threw on the floor
Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door
That's how you know the difference in a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home
Took a drunk girl home
In the sober light of dawn
She left you a message she thanked you on the phone
Cause you picked up her life she threw on the floor
You left the hall lights on walked out and locked the door
That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home
In an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry's gorgeous new girlfriend's lovely breasts become the subject of conjecture; are they real or implants. Elaine thinks they're fake so Jerry decides not to see her again. Elaine changes her mind after tripping and falling into the ample bosom.
Again, the "paperless office will never exist" debate is grabbing headlines and copy. Good stuff, if not factually spun.
I've been face-to-face with organizations that significantly reduced the number of copiers, printers, and reams of paper utilized.
A major retail company went from 100 or so devices to 10
Health network(s) go from huge file rooms to no filing cabinets at all
Manufactures shifted away from paper-based job jackets to digital files
These companies didn't feel compelled to save the trees or Chewbaccas. Prospects tell me they squeeze paper out of the process because "paper slows everything."
I'm writing this three weeks after the Executive Connection Summit and I’m still feeling the effects. Intel, SAP, Cisco — foundational members of the technology industry, stalwart believers in all things connected, came to speak here in our backyard. To be sure, it stands as the best show in the industry, with superior content. As Gavin Williams said, “The goal was really to educate as much of the industry as possible about the innovation available today.” The bar is officially higher, but there’s something more recondite just under the surface.
I comment about the players at center stage, but I’ve always enjoyed getting a feel for what the attendees find attractive - the dialogue between the talks. That’s the gold.
I thought of the Internet of Things conversations, how independent dealers are capitalizing on the technology not only in implementing but offering those same services to clients. It wasn’t until I remembered an onstage conversation when things started to click.
After one panelist on stage lamented the challenges of converting to a new accounting system, I chatted with a few people about moving to different CRMs and the difficulty of data conversion. One company decided to operate both the old and the new systems in parallel as legacy data is weaned over to the new system. Another is hiring a staff of “keypunch operators” to input all existing contracts and customer information into Forza.
The underlining tension, the Wookie in the Room, was simple: People know a better accounting system is out there, but getting to it is difficult because of our old school investments. Time and again, I spoke with people who recognized the need to switch but anticipated huge costs in labor and time with the transitional project of moving to a new CRM/accounting system. The tension was palpable.
Imagine needing to have a leg broken and reset because the original setting was primitive. At one time, healing a broken limb was as easy as tying the bone together with tree branches and twine. Years later,
March 8, 2017. "All Roads Lead to MpS and MpS Leads to All" - I've been saying it for years. At first, it was a joke.
I drop phrases like, "You know, copiers were the first devices on the internet of things.(MWAi)"
Or...
"In my world, voice mail is a document..." In a room full of IT types, the response is silence. Yes, that is a third eye growing out of the top of my head.
Here we are, March of 2017 and not much has changed since 2007. Everyone 'does MpS', but few understand the expansive realm.
For decades, the internet has provided everyone from professors to trivia experts instant access to information.
What once was,
The internet is molded in our likeness...
The internet flows with falsehoods...
The internet is nebulas a formless ghost of the past, present, and future...
In the beginning, there was darkness -
...and then there was light...
Connecting the world's computers offered us access to just about any 'fact' we could imagine - in theory, anyone could connect with the source of research, witness news as it happened, or form an opinion based on available information.
In the days before 'shells', the internet was free-form - we connected at the prompt, bumping around in Mirc rooms, and searching with tools like InfoSeek, AltaVista and WebCrawler. Bulletin boards offered asynchronous, yet informative, relationships.
Then came Prodigy, Compuserve, Delphi, and finally, America On-Line. These communities helped technological neophytes engage in the bold, new world. Overnight, the sparsely populated playground of nerds flooded with teenager angst and desperate housewives: "Cyber-sex" and "troll" hit the lexicon.
It was great.
From oil changes to Russian political history, if you have a question, the answer was out there on the 'net. Raw. Unedited and sometimes, difficult to find. It was a treasure hunt.
Move forward 20 years and there are 60 trillion webpages using an index 95 of petabytes - nearly twice the size of data mankind created, ever. But what in the world can 60 trillion web pages tell us?
The internet is full of gossip...
The internet is full of dogma...
The internet is filtered...
Generations of adults have grown up with the internet and google. But now the raunchy and raucous cyber-land is settled and gentrified. Today, proper search engines find what the "collective" wants, not necessarily what we, individually, are searching. Indeed, even when the "powers that be" utilize "my" unique internet wonderings as my personal baseline, I want what I want right now, not 30 days back.
I am reminded of the time I took a few inner cities (Los Angeles) kids for an off-road trip in the San Bernardino mountains.
Every year, a group of young city-dwellers would venture "up the hill" for an all-volunteer-sponsored trail ride in the forest. It was our chance to show off the woods and their opportunity to get out of the concrete jungle.
The little girl in my truck was wide-eyed. It was her first time in the mountains. Her head on a swivel, she innocently asked, "Where do all those trees come from?"
"What do you mean?" I responded.
"Who planted all those trees!?"
I was stunned.
Every tree, bush, or swath of grass this little girl had ever seen was designed, planned, and planted - her environment was completely man-made.
And that's the point - I fear the internet has an overcrowded and hollow wonderland between what we know, and what we strive to understand. Seductive in design, the results are not organic.
She lived in somebody else's world.
So it is with the newly connected, brave new world. The masses do not question the virtual until they have the eyes to see the real. The internet is Westworld - fooling us into believing somebody else's vision of reality.
We have willingly removed the distinction between 'virtual reality' and 'reality'. All of our things will be digitally connected. Someday, we will all be connected through the 'interwebs'.
Is google, God?
The escape, if there is one, resides in the 'old ways'. The way of the printed, read, and repeated word. Searching for answers in the real world, along the Path.
Storytelling.
Don't get me wrong, the internet is a wild and entertaining place.
It's a shame we'll need to be connected via technology only to discover we've been connected all along.
There is no evidence that Ford uttered the phrase, "“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”
Still, the feeling is relevant - "If we had asked OEMs what they wanted, they would have said dozens of more copiers..." Of course, we only ask OEMs, not customers. Customers, might say things like, 'fewer copiers', and who wants to hear that?
The print volume is down, and printer hardware placements are off, but studies(IDC) reveal growth in contracted hardware somewhere between a 4% and 40% increase.
Could this mean while printers are dying off, copier volume is increasing? No. As the MpS trend continues, a portion of the print volume is captured as a 'contractual' type. It wasn't tracked like this before MpS; same images, different billing scheme.
No. New. Clicks.
From a great webinar, BPO Media
Industry chatter supports the IDC report as dealers report stable and growing MpS/Contractual volume. Following the logic, HP's do-over makes sense. They are digging in somebody else backyard.
Who knew?
HP Inc., and her crew, are excited about this turn, it is a new wrinkle in an otherwise boring and waning realm.
Yet,
An HP/Samsung adventure is not disruptive - the HP Series II was "disruptive".
The Mopier and Hawk were not disruptive - the Internet was "disruptive".
Pagewide ink is not disruptive - Gutenberg was "disruptive".
The effects will be the subject of discussion for months, but the industry won't buck, markets won't gallop into 'black', and end-users will not race to print and copy like it was 1999.
What does it all mean?
For the Copier Dealer - "Isn't this horse dead? Kick it again."
This steed has been around the track a few times; the pitch borrowed from Edgeline:
"IT departments trust the HP logo."
"Your cost with HP is less than copiers."
"We're looking for loyal partners."
All true.
Just a few things to remember:
HP believes everybody works for them - even clients
HP will not be happy with being your 'second' choice - the rules change every October
Your clients who purchase HP, are really HP's customers, not yours - it's not your name on the box
If you haven't been approached by mother blue, you are not on their radar. HP is hitting up the larger dealers for 'partnerships'. Pinstripe suits, great meeting venues, and bags of cash - what could possibly go wrong?
For VARs - "Rebates"
Print still sucks and you don't want anything to do with hot machines, dirty boxes, and a help desk inundated with paper jam questions.
So HP will take that headache. In contractual programs supported by HP, all you need do is work with your customers, sell the machines and pass them on to the blue Goddess.
What could possibly go wrong?
Customer - "I watch NASCAR"
The trifecta winner is the customer. You know clients love to complain about copiers. They leave sticky notes and write memes about their multifunction device. Pictures of exploded toner flood the inter-webs.
Cheaper, smaller, simpler devices will rule the day and nobody does A3 better than HP.
At the Finish Line, its HP - "By a Nose"
Not like Man-O-War or Secretariat, the Blue Gorilla may win the day by being the biggest, not the best. The sheer size of HP allows great losses before the organization fades into darkness. Also, this isn't the same HP that purchased and arguably destroyed COMPAQ, Palm, and WebOS - the names are different - maybe
For dealers and VARs, if you're into supporting devices that mark paper, I would jump on the HP wagon. Keep a clear head, and understand that HP's loyalty only goes as far as stockholders' wishes and dividends.
You will never be a true, Partner. Form an alliance, benefit from the HP logo, sell a few more devices and keep your options open. It could be a short but profitable ride.
Indeed, when that Last War Horse of a printer is sold, it will be an HP.
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