The original article was written in 2022. I've fed it to the LLM in the sky and asked to rewrite and incorporate its suggestions.
Enjoy. GW
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Executive Summary:
As we approach a new era of technological singularity, there are several indicators suggesting the demise of the Internet, including the shift towards cloud-based services, increasing privacy concerns, the diminishing relevance of traditional internet addresses, and the rise of Bio/Nanotechnology and direct device-to-device communication.
The evolution of technology is characterized by cycles of expansion and contraction, with the next expansion anticipated to move from the cloud to the human, leading to a global, person-to-person network.
The future may see a world where everything is interconnected through solar-powered, self-replicating, nano-bio-bots, rendering the concept of servers redundant as each individual and object becomes its own server, communicating directly with others.
Well, well, well...40 years of evolution, and look where we are today.
Scottsdale, AZ under the watchful gaze of one of the true gentlemen on the planet - Mike Stramaglio.
Mike and I first met at a Lyra show and have had many conversations about the sluggish acceptance of the 'connected world' by our industry. Mike's world has always been about new technology, M2M, P2P, and business engagements blooming into personal relationships.
He not only talked 'Star Trek' stuff but integrated our corner of the world into his talk track, discussing how "...imaging devices and other business equipment are inherently included in 'things' 'people', 'process,' and 'data' - the four components of the Internet of Everything"
Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness - most visitors focus on the seven square miles of the valley. If you haven't seen the valley from Tunnel view, you should.
For all its rough exterior and dangerous trek possibilities, I was amazed at the ease of access to almost every waterfall - paths have been constructed suitable for wheelchairs.
WhenApple released the iPhone 5Si the A7 chip set immediately attracted our attention - in essence, the A7 promised delivery of transparent connectivity between all (Apple) devices AND capturing sensitive data in the device - NOT THE CLOUD.
When I open an email on my iPhone, my MacBook knows and I can continue to read it on the laptop...or tablet; they are all connected. That means, when a call comes into my iPhone, I will be able to answer on my MacBook; I'll check voicemail, on my iPad.
When texting from my iPhone, I'll be able to attach voice and video to the IM and regulate how long that message exists - it will self-destruct in three minutes or exist forever.
As far as security, all our information, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information would be held on our personal devices behind security hardware and fingerprint scanners.
By connecting to other devices directly thereby utilizing them as sensors, the iPhone is positioning to become the nexus of all things connected.
"One word, kid, apps..."
The connectivity of everyone is impressive, but that's just a fraction of the story; the key has always been the software. Today we buy 99 cent solutions to our million dollar challenges, in the near future, we will all simply write our own apps as we need.
The Shape of Things to Come (respect to TR7), a list of the next hierarchies to transform - enjoy:
The Death of Nationalized Healthcare - In this new walled garden, we control our health from blood sugar monitoring to the latest cancer treatment. But here is the kicker, with smarter devices connected privately to whoever we want, without 'cookies', our health data is ours. We won't need 'clearing houses' or central databases to store immunizations history. What's more, a great percentage of diagnosis equipment testing labs will be obsolete. If you stop and think, it is easy to see. The Death of the Search Engine - We search the mesh directly, not up and down
The Death of the Internet - who needs the internet when all devices connect through a web of personal servers.
The Death of Cell Services - The Mesh will carry voice and video
The Death of Cable Companies - We are the Cable Company
The Death of ISP - No need for an internet service provider
The Death of VoiP - Just as homes are getting rid of the phone-on-the-wall, so to shall B2B
The Death of MSP - Self-healing systems, simpler and easily affordable(free) technology The Death of Paper- Information moves faster than print
The Death of Hierarchies - everything will flatten
The BIG Transformation - The Death of Hardware The Convergence is progressing to a point where our decision processes will be supported by software/apps instantaneous and dynamically.
Apps are nothing more than thoughts frozen in time, converted into repeatable algorithms, manipulating a stream(or streams) of inputs. The old ways meant this processing was static - the algorithm doesn't change directly.
The result was jaw dropping, at least for me. The search pulled up a post dated September 21, 2014, "The Death of the Internet, Paper...and Single Payer Healthcare".
Innocuous.
Until I dug deeper into the past revealing the present AND FUTURE.
Sex sells, but it also inspires: How the adult film industry shaped the tech landscape we know and love.
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Ok - here we go... a walk down memory lane and talk about the good old days of VHS and dial-up internet and porn.
The adult film industry played a significant role in shaping the technology we use today. From the format wars to online streaming, porn was at the forefront of innovation.
Today, as we enter the age of AI-based personal assistants, I'm left wondering: how will porn drive the evolution and standards? How'd porn impact tech in the past, and what it could mean for the future of AI.
First, we've been here before. No matter how evolved one might think the human race is, base desires still drive progress in all things. There's a coined phrase, "erotic technology impulse".
John Tierney, a fellow at Columbia University studied the cultural impact of technology, traced the “erotic technological impulse” back at least 27,000 years—among the first clay-fired figures uncovered from that time were women with enhanced body parts.
“Sometimes the erotic has been a force driving technological innovation,” Tierney wrote in The New York Times in 1994, “virtually always, from Stone Age sculpture to computer bulletin boards, it has been one of the first uses for a new medium.”
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.
February 8, 2015 As you know, CISCO plans on connecting every, single thing and Apple looks to connect every single person: a combination beyond comprehension.
In the early days of managed print services, remote monitoring of devices was cutting edge technology - with just a handful of software providers, we knew the internet of things when it was simply the internet of printers and copiers. Our connected realm was the vanguard - the shape of things to come.
Today, the rest of the business world is recognizing a need to shift focus from boxes to relationships, from project based revenue to repeating streams. HVAC, electrical, automotive and even shoe manufactures are grasping the meaning of everything as a service.
We've done this - we've changed business models, our OEMs have struggled against the tide and the independents prevailed. It doesn't matter if companies are managing laser printers or laser guided missiles, toner levels or tire pressure, ROM flashes or app updates, the managed print services niche, all 100 of us, broke through years ago.
Here is my point - print volumes are decreasing and one day soon, "will fall off the cliff", like buggy whips and cotton looms.
But this is not an "extinction level event".
We can pivot out of copiers/MpS into any niche, vertical or industry as providers understand the IoT means "Everything As A Service".
We've had the C-level conversations about 'relationship' and value outside the product/machine/widget. The refrigeration sales-rep has no clue what all that means. Refrigeration, HVAC, home security, plumbing, traffic lights, automotive sales - they are all evolving into recurring revenue and customer centric managed services.
MpS is not evolving into the IoT, the IoT is transitioning into MpS.
Scuttlebutt generated by folks who make a living selling print/copy devices. Their argument goes something like, "... I've been hearing about the paperless office since 1978. It hasn't happened yet. It's never going to happen..."
On the other side, parties are pushing the paperless office as worthy goal. Headlines like, "...Five Reasons You Should Go Paperless..." and "Go Green, Go Paperless..." haunt news feeds and timelines across the internet.
Who will find themselves on the wrong side of history? Will businesses start printing like it's 1999 or does digital transformation impact everything BUT print and copy?
I'm going with the folks letting go of the past, challenging the present and riding technology into the future.
The paper less office is here, now. I've seen it in businesses across the country and in varied industries. My view is supported by the current standing of our Big 3; Xerox, HP, Lexmark. If the business world is so enamored with marks on paper, why are the jewels of our industry experiencing years of decline?
Is it because the world suddenly realized trees are not a renewable resource?
No, trees have always been renewable.
Is it because print and copy services are expensive?
No, cheaper than ever.
Is it because managed print services illuminated decades of overselling?
No. Customers do not care.
Business is moving away from printers and copiers because they are utilizing technology to enhance internal business processes. Businesses aren't going paperless to go paperless, their continuously improving processes resulting in reduced costs and less paper.
One of my axioms:
"The more paper flowing through your organization, the less efficient your processes."
The past illuminates the future - Green columnar paper.
Not that long ago, company financials were calculated on green paper. Sales, profits, operations plans were reviewed quarterly - 90 day old data was acceptable.
Then VisaCalc, MultiPlan and Lotus changed everything as hand calculations and mechanical pencils gave way to the QWERTY and mouse.
In an instant, general ledger reports could be generated in days instead of weeks.
In less than a decade, sales of green columnar binder paper dropped off a cliff.
Ask your CFO.
We weren't worried about saving trees or the Chewbacca's; new tools streamlined existing, paper based processes.
As a matter of fact, output skyrocketed as paper-based workers printed everything from invoices to recipes, financial reports, emails and resumes sat abandoned in output trays around the globe - the salad days of office print.
The Internet of Printers? No. The internet of Processes
Strange and wonderful things occurred over the last decade - 'clouds' support more efficient distribution of technology. The internet generation occupy cubicles and boardrooms; continuous improvement collides with digital technology every day. Focus has shifted from faster mechanical devices to streamlined processes.
Information flows from one department to another; from human process to human process. Today, the slowest component of business processes is the conveyance of information via paper.
As technology permeates business operations, organic efficiencies eliminate paper as a mode of information transfer. This is to say, implementing a paperless movement is not as effective as optimizing business processes when it comes to reducing paper use. It is an 'inside-out' versus 'outside-in' approach.
The theme is simple: instead of 'reducing paper usage' or saving trees, focus on increasing efficiency.
Have no doubt, as you eliminate redundancies, your paper, printer, copier, and supplies spend will decrease.
"Greg, what were the biggest events or issues from last year?'
...a seasonal tradition.
This year, like last year, my initial reaction is, "Not much." Which is soon followed by a wave of angst.
Most of the industry is insane.
OEMs keep releasing new models...which aren't all that new...like it's 1999. Mobile print, document management, managed print services, automatic toner replenishment, managed services, and that fictitious managed network services are all the 'rage'. Same as last year.
The consolidation continues as dealer after dealer is gobbled up by yesterday's rival or taken over by a capital investment firm. Same as last year.
Clients aren't making copies and office print is on the decline. Same as last year.
But there are golden nuggets in 2015; it wasn't simply the "Year of Tears".
1. HP Split - Jettisoning print
This was no surprise.
I believe the world of print is heading into HP's wheelhouse - smaller devices, low operating costs, and direct supplies management.
Managed print services is not complicated. When considering the influences, especially MPS automation, there's no need for a dealer. With today's technological advances in M2M, a national company can provide toner and service more efficiently than a 'local' reseller.
Someday, HP will deliver MpS anywhere in the country - without a local service network. No need for a middleman.
Xerox is in decline and Icahn, the Master of Disaster, buys more and more. He's going to oust Ursula then slice and dice the Big X - another Kodak moment.
Meanwhile, Lexmark the wallflower, hikes up her skirt, beguiling suitors with promises of MpS, revenue streams. Multiples are good, but who's going to ask Lexi to dance?
HP's vision, as mentioned above, is one of continuous transformation. As business evolves, and technology removes the mundane components, like print, loud, hot, expensive machines designed to make marks on paper, lose relevancy.
Consultants still place the OEMs in the upper right and tag big spenders as 'visionary' - whoever has the largest marketing budget or the nicest rooms in town, gets the best reviews and accolades.
Elsewhere, offshore concerns are marching to the 'print/copy is relevant' drum, churning out devices like crazy.
All points Terminus. Like Childhood's End, one day, the memory of a once great paper-making machine will be remembered in song, not substance.
3. Epson: Shining Star, for you to See
Yes, I mocked the hell out of the 'bags of ink'. But I poke fun at those who attract. You should consider Epson for the following reasons:
De-emphasize print - I know it hurts, but the print is not all that important, and the walk-up copy is dead(except for SLED) in the end, print is simple because fewer people print. Why fight the trend? You cannot win. Epson takes the complexity out of printing with this device Just sell it.
"Close and forget" mentality - Imagine a device that requires one or two touches a year and one toner delivery every three years. Quick, do the math. Get a good chunk of margin up front, put the device on MpS, and forget about it.
No technicians, no toner delivery, just monthly billing - That's all.
About this time last year, my advice to independents was to jump on the reduce-print-servers bandwagon. I told a bunch of dealers to get with a company called PrinterLogic - they didn't. Today, Printerlogic is banging big deals all over the world.
You could have been part of that movement. You could have been telling your clients how to reduce the cost of print by decreasing the number of print servers. You could have elevated the MpS discussion above and beyond toner and service calls. You could have sold a bunch of stuff, too.
But you didn't and now you've lost a bunch of accounts.
Boo, f'n, who. If you're not retiring or selling out, get on the ink-bag train. Call Epson, now, but it might be too late.
10 Years Out -
What is the future of print, in the year 2025? No business print. Little in education, more in government, and healthcare will be paperless.
The Internet of things will be the Internet of everything - plants will talk with light bulbs which will communicate with coffee tables, the paint on your walls, and your inhaled nano's. Everything, everyone will be connected, all the time.
Information will finally move at the speed of thought.
How about in the year 2020? Just like the computer dealers of the 1980s, copier dealers will fade into history. Few copier dealers will remain.
"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."
"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?
Never mind that he is hundreds of miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, he lives on a boat, sells "big-iron" copiers...and has a blog. Introducing Pirate Mike.
I received a "hit" today from one of my internet-search-spiders-thingies, and read the resulting post while waiting for the Rover to be washed - it was 86 degrees and sunny - as I scrolled along the post I literally laughed out loud.
Upon further research, all good bloggers do this, research that is, the story of Pirate Mike unfolds.
I will not steal his thunder. Instead I recommend you read his post here, then go to his site - all of four posts - I am sure with the eyes of the world upon him, he will blog with the best of them...
I have copied, edited slightly, and pasted his post here on my site.
Enjoy:
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Seven Deadly Sins… The qualifications of a copier salesman…
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.
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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
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.
I've been asking this for over a year now, "Is MpS is back?"
Surprisingly, dealers and salespeople have been telling me their Prospects are asking for managed print services. Prospects have a definition of managed print services, see a need and are actively seeking out providers.
Not like the old days.
MPS is not merely surviving; it's thriving and adapting in ways that promise a brighter, more efficient future for businesses worldwide.
This post first appeared on DOTC, January 2009 and is the DOCT book. This is a truncated version, get the rest, in the book.
Never mind that he is hundreds of miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, he lives on a boat, sells "big-iron" copiers...and has a blog. Introducing Pirate Mike.
I received a "hit" today from one of my internet-search-spiders-thingies, and read the resulting post while waiting for the Rover to be washed - it was 86 degrees and sunny - as I scrolled along the post I literally laughed out loud.
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.
As I travel the back roads of internet marketing, recording experiences shared by copier dealers, MPS providers and the like, many things become clear:
What are "SEO Experts" -
Content is the art, SEO is relevant until the algorithm is changed. The mystery of getting to the top of google results is just that - a mystery. Sure, everybody has a plan and can show you how to get to the top, but is there an ROI?
There are more flim-flam artists in internet marketing than there are toner-pirates in our realm -
Business owners don't know the first thing about web-marketing because we spend our time working OEM rebate, warranty programs and employee issues. Sometimes you sell.
Either way, getting to know what you need to know about your web-presence is a full time job and trusting those who have the answers is daunting.
All of our websites suck -
Visually, most of the websites LOOK fine - indeed, some are downright attractive. But beyond the pretty wrappers, a lot of websites are glorified product brochures with hollow content.
Your web-presence should not be a glorified yellow pages advertisement or deep dive, company resume.
Those are pretty broad observations, so let me boil it down to the latest affront.
I found this in my twit-stream, "Managed Print Services" - see the two screen-caps - the SM expert floods the stream with pictures of ...well.. alluring women. I know a thing or two about utilizing this imagery, beyond that, the link reveals a most egregious example of click-bait and revolting content.
I don't claim to be a perfect writer, speller or grammar-ist, I know I've forgotten a comma or two and misspelled plenty, but never have I written such drivel - nor have I read a narrative so void.
Submitted for your review, the tip of the iceberg - incoherent content:
"Many organizations are coming up today.
Many of them are facing problems when it comes to production of many paper copies. The machines are quite expensive, it is also expensive to have a technical team for the services. Many managers are hence opting to outsource the MPS services. You would save a lot of money if engaged with the right services providers. If you would like a professional team, you need to have the contacts of name redacted to protect the innocent. There are things that you need to consider getting the right service providers since many people have joined the industry, and most of them are providing poor overhaul..."
"Poor Overhaul"? What in God's, green, Earth is THAT?
This type of content is more prevalent than you think - don't let your social media/website/marketing company do this to you.
Better yet, call us - I've put together a group of experts, Bright Stars, of internet marketing/sales and transformation and we provide a total solution portfolio of services:
WebCasts
Reputation Management
Website Monitoring and Security
PodCasts
Video
Salesforce and engagement management
...and much, much more...
The sad thing is, somebody, somewhere is paying for this content.
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