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“’E-mail is what people under 30 use to talk to people over 30.’ Ouch. I almost tipped over my walker when I read that.”
Tweet by Rob Mark (@jetwhine) on March 8, 2011
I had to laugh when I read that tweet by Rob. It is funny how quickly technology has changed the way we communicate. When I first started turning wrenches on aircraft, mobile phones were either hard-wired into the vehicle or were big black bags we carried around. People who needed to stay in touch with their boss (or their boss at home) carried pagers. A few years ago, business people started to carry around Blackberry smart phones to stay in constant touch with customers. Today, smart phones like iPhones and Android phones allow us to stay up with not only email, but Twitter, facebook and a host of other social networking sites.
The evolution of technology was clearly evident at the recent Helicopter Association International HeliExpo show. People (including myself I must admit) were walking around with “Tweet Me” ribbons on their badges. Smart phones were out all over the place as people checked their emails and social networking sites. Photos were taken and uploaded in the blink of an eye. There was even a “Tweet-Up” at HAI’s booth the second day of the show where people gathered to tweet their experience at the show. It was quite the sight to behold — all the people standing at their booths and walking around the show floor staring at their phones.
How does all this change in technology affect the readers of D.O.M. and HeliMx magazines? Well, it depends on what you want. If you prefer to receive your news and information from a print magazine mailed to your home or office, don’t worry — we will continue to give you the information and news you rely on in each and every issue.
If you would like to read the latest issue online before it makes it to your mailbox, you can do that too. We typically upload the issue to our website as soon as it goes to the printer. This means you can read the issue online a week or two before you get it in your mailbox.
In regards to industry news, I have always said that by the time a press release in the magazine makes it to your mailbox, it is not really industry news, it is industry history. The news we print is gathered and edited around a month before you receive your copy of the magazine. Nevertheless, we understand it is an important part of the service we provide, and we will continue to print industry news in the pages of each issue. For those that prefer to receive their news in a more timely fashion, you can go to our websites (www.DOMmagazine.com and www.HeliMx.com) daily to read the latest news and product information.
Finally, if you are an information junkie and want to stay on top of what is happening as it happens, you can follow us on Twitter. I was “tweeting” from the HeliExpo show floor and was able to post some updates and photos from the show. I will do this for industry events I attend and will also tweet the latest news as we receive it. You can follow us at @DOMmagazine, or you can follow me personally at @escojoe.
As technology evolves and changes the way we do business, you can count on D.O.M. to help you stay informed and up-to-date. In fact, D.O.M. has just signed on John Pawlicki and Thomas Sheckler as new contributors for the magazine. Sheckler’s first article on OJT is on page 36 of this issue. Pawlicki will focus on technology in the workplace and his new column will begin in our May/June issue.
As always, if you have a topic you would like to see covered in the magazine, contact us and let us know. After all this is YOUR magazine. Thanks to your feedback and input, D.O.M. magazine is THE source when it comes to aviation maintenance management information.
Thanks for reading!
Joe