Finally Convergence Worked For Me

Who remembers the Cue Cat? The supposedly revolutionary scanner-mouselike-barcode reader that was supposed to create the bridge from print to web.

The deal was this: you'd scan a barcode in a print ad that would take you to a website.

Metro Newspapers and national news magazines pushed it. At the time I was in the newspaper industry - it was going to "save our business model."

So everyone out there with your Cue Cat, hold it up for a moment for me.

(Pause - while you search for it)

Oh, that's right, you don't have one. It didn't work.

Why, because technology can be cool and still not be functional. Technology can have a Wow factor and still not have utility. Especially if it goes against the habits of a consumer.

When you are reading a magazine, you aren't sitting in front of your PC just waiting to be launched into an ad for a new car because you scanned a barcoded ad in Fast Company.

So you ask, "what worked for you Andy?"

ITunes. I haven't listened to "my" music in years. I have kids now. It's either Laurie Berkner, 35 years of Sesame Street, or Kindermusic CD's. But ITunes has given me back my music.

I listen while I work. I listen at night. I don't have an Ipod - not hip to the headphones, but it's pretty cool that on a business trip with some folks I work with, we plugged a computer into my car stereo and listened to the best music from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today that we compiled ourselves.

We were our own DJ - and it was pretty darn cool.

I didn't get Napster. I was behind the curve.

I'm glad the Cue Cat is gone - it just never made sense to me, no matter how many times a publisher sent me his free Cue Cat he received in the mail to "integrate it into our marketing plans."

I'd just like to personally thank Mr. Jobs for giving me my music back.