> I had a sad vision of the future while reading the article, one in which business no longer involves human interaction of any kind. Instead, we're all just browsing virtual stores, ordering items that will be packaged and shipped to us by people and robots working in factories. There will be no more traditional sales or customer assistance jobs. Some may consider this an improvement, but I don't.
The future is now, so to speak. Sure, there are still knowledgeable people in mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar stores, but most people already choose to shop at big box stores. I don't trust the salespeople at those big box stores to be knowledgeable and unbiased, and I doubt other shoppers do either.
Discerning shoppers already research their choices on the web before (maybe) looking to buy something at a local store. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, you are no longer interacting with a salesperson at your local store. However, this is expensive -- a fact you pay for through higher prices -- in comparison to getting a recommendation from someone you trust, be that a blogger or someone you know from physical interaction (who may have gotten their recommendation from a blogger). Reading a blogger's review or roundup is not a physical interaction, but it's still a human interaction.
The future is now, so to speak. Sure, there are still knowledgeable people in mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar stores, but most people already choose to shop at big box stores. I don't trust the salespeople at those big box stores to be knowledgeable and unbiased, and I doubt other shoppers do either.
Discerning shoppers already research their choices on the web before (maybe) looking to buy something at a local store. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, you are no longer interacting with a salesperson at your local store. However, this is expensive -- a fact you pay for through higher prices -- in comparison to getting a recommendation from someone you trust, be that a blogger or someone you know from physical interaction (who may have gotten their recommendation from a blogger). Reading a blogger's review or roundup is not a physical interaction, but it's still a human interaction.