Secret CIO: Do E-Gadgets Erode Civility And Common Courtesy?Secret CIO: Do E-Gadgets Erode Civility And Common Courtesy?

Over the years, I've codified some of my observations about our industry, and life in general, into what I have immodestly called Lovelace's Laws. Perhaps you've read some of them-the Law of PowerPoint, which declares that the fancier the PowerPoint presentation, the less valuable the ideas being presented, or the Law of Meetings, which states that the less important the subject, the more time will be spent discussing it.

None of these has become famous, except perhaps to Cindy, who puts up with my moods and tolerates living with me. Most of them, however, seem to be standing up to the test of time. Therefore, I'm emboldened to come forth with another one that sadly seems to be valid. First, though, I want to give you a little background on how I arrived at it.

As with many people, I was away from home on a business trip on that Tuesday when our world turned upside down. The horror of Sept. 11 will never leave me. I doubt that any of us will ever be the same. As I watched the news broadcasts in disbelief, my thoughts quickly turned to the safety of my family, friends, and colleagues. After some anxious moments on the telephone, I was able to ascertain that none of the above had been killed or injured. In that regard, I was more fortunate than many people I know.

I decided to wait until the airlines resumed operations before trying to get home. Cindy knew I was safe and agreed that there was no point in me adding to the congestion on the roads by attempting to drive for several days with minimal sleep. Finally, I was able to re-book a flight, only to have it canceled. This sequence was repeated several times over the next few days. Becoming increasingly frustrated, I tried once again and was told that I could get a direct flight to a city about 600 miles from home in the morning. I gladly accepted and called the company's travel agent. To my relief, I was able to rent a car at the destination airport to complete my trip.

I arrived at the airport around dawn and got in line at the ticket counter. When it was my turn, the agent looked at my itinerary and asked if I wouldn't rather fly directly home. I must have appeared puzzled, so he explained. Yes, he went on, all flights to my home city were fully booked, but one that I had been told was sold out was leaving in 45 minutes and looked as if it would board standby passengers. "People," he added, somewhat annoyed, "are making reservations, then not showing up-and not bothering to let us know."

I nodded absentmindedly, more intent on my own situation than on what he was saying. I said I would give it a try at the gate and thanked him. As it turned out, I got on the plane along with 20 other standby passengers. What was mind-boggling was that, even then, there were still 17 empty seats. Before the plane's doors closed, I pulled my cell phone from my briefcase and called the rental agency to cancel the car. The agent thanked me profusely, saying that now she could give the vehicle to someone who was also trying to get home. Then she added, "I just wish other people were as thoughtful as you. This place is a madhouse, and we can use all the help we can get."

What she said finally got me thinking. Here I was on a plane that was supposed to be filled, but that actually would be leaving shortly with room to spare for people who want desperately to get home but never left their hotels because they'd been told the plane was fully booked. Why didn't the individuals who'd reserved the tickets call to cancel? Practically everyone I saw in that airport was glued to a cell phone.

With all our modern communication tools, have we forgotten our consideration of others? Was this the logical extension of using cell phones in restaurants and business seminars, regardless of the disturbance to those around us? It seemed to fit.

So, here's my latest law, which I'll call Lovelace's Law of Electronic Communication: The courtesy we show to strangers is inversely proportional to the sophistication of the electronic communication gadgets we use. Maybe it all started with the guy who continues to work on his E-mail when you walk into his office to talk to him. Or maybe it's an outgrowth of the driver who's so busy on his cell phone that he nearly runs you down as you cross the street walking to your office, but who still has the energy to honk at you as if you've committed some transgression by not jumping out of his way.

Evaluate the premise yourself and let me know what you think. I have a feeling your conclusions won't be so different.

Herbert W. Lovelace shares his experiences (changing most names, including his own, to protect the guilty) as CIO of a multibillion-dollar international company. Send him E-mail at [email protected] and read his online column at information.com, where he will provide real-and sometimes whimsical-answers to your questions.

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To find out more about Herbert Lovelace, please visit his page on the Listening Post.