I received an America Online disk in the mail about a year ago. Great! I wanted to dive off into cyber-space. But I knew it would be a whole new language and technology. I remembered how brutal it was converting from a manual to a computerized accounting system. I came up with all sorts of excuses for not taking the dive. The AOL disk collected dust on the corner of my desk.
Then I met Kathy Love of Gene Love Plumbing in Columbia, SC. Kathy assumed I had an e-mail address and asked me for it so we could correspond via the Internet.
"Uh, I've been meaning to get hooked up," I stammered.
"Well, it's easy," Kathy insisted, "Get yourself online and send me an e-mail for practice."
Kathy is the kind of person people say, "Yes, ma'am!" to, so I blew off the dust, slipped the disk into my computer and off I went to cyberspace and beyond.
Now, you technical guys are going to snicker here, but I didn't realize that you needed a modem to get online! Perhaps there was some psychic connection that bound the users together?
Anyway, for any of you who might be in the same boat that I was, here is a list of what you need to get up and online.
Getting Started :Ready, set ... GO! Spend a rainy weekend afternoon or a home-alone evening and get going. You can always call the 1-800 number on the demo disk for help. It took about 10 minutes of on-hold time for me to get online help, but the call taker was professional and helpful. (See how critical it is to have good phone skills.)
When you select a screen name, remember it is for keeps. Your screen name becomes your electronic mail (e-mail) address. You can "sign on" with a different name when you connect to the net, but it won't change your e-mail address.
I bring this up because there are weird folks out there. The cloak of anonymity allows slightly sick people to develop into first-class loonies. You might want to "lurk" (just observe) in chat rooms and bulletin boards before you contribute anything. Click onto all the areas that interest you ... news, education, Kids Only. (Already, you will feel the need for more speed.)
Be Sure To Visit: There is a really wonderful place you must visit. My pal Kathy Love started a Plumbers Discussion List. The people on the list send messages to the group through e-mail. In Kathy's words, the list is "an unmoderated open discussion list for all plumbers and plumbing contractors. The people involved are committed to maintaining the integrity and professionalism of the plumbing trade." Manufacturers and suppliers are welcome to join in as well, as long as the discussion remains non-commercial. "Weekend warriors" and "do-it-yourselfers" are told to look elsewhere for plumbing tips. This is a trade-only group.
And it is a great resource for the small contractor. The information is incredible, and free! As of this writing, 10 countries were represented on the list. Although the list is only a few months old, there are over 200 subscribers. Talk ranges from solving tricky plumbing problems to flat rate vs. T&M dialogs/arguments. I've also learned a great deal about the net and how to maneuver in it from these folks, especially Kathy.
To subscribe to the Plumbers Discussion List, send an e- mail message to listserv@listserv.aol.com. In the body of the e-mail type SUBSCRIBE PLUMBERS-L followed by your real name. You can also say hello to Kathy at KLoveO01@aol.com. Or if you still live in the stone age, can Kathy at 803/7941399. The list win be limited to 1,000 subscribers, so get busy. (Editors note: for full details please see Plumbers Discussion Listserve on this web site.)
Another stop on your tour of the Web: The Interactive Plumbing Network. Use the Internet connection on your service. For AOL, click on Internet Connection and then on Webcrawler. Then type in http://www.plumbnet.com. This is a cool forum for pros and homeowners. Bob "Cyberplumber" Allen posts a column there. Good stuff.
When you get back to the Weberawler (or whatever search vehicle you have) type in http://www.nyoha.org. Here the New York Oil Heat Association has put together a web site with information for consumers, facts about oil heat and heating equipment, and profiles of member oil companies. Members of the NYOHA use a password to get further into the web site. Here they find "Hot Issues" in the legislature, membership updates and even an interactive form for registering for the next meeting. What a great way for a trade association to help keep its members up to date.
Rich Rutigliano of Primedia put this site together. Reach him at 800/796-3342.
Future Services: Now that I've taken the world wide web plunge, my mind goes wild with all the possibilities for our industry. You could advertise via a web page. Some say that Internet web pages win replace Yellow Pages entirely in the years to come.
Alex McNeely of George Brazil Services in Seattle, WA put together a web page. Check it out at http://www.georgebrazil.com. His customers can schedule service, find out why they would benefit from a service agreement and ask technical questions. Isn't this great?
One word of caution - if you are the obsessive - compulsive type, be careful. I found myself checking my "mailbox" several times a day in the beginning!
Ready, once a day is fine. Figure out the "Flash Sessions" feature on your service. It sends and receives e-mail quickly, then signs off, keeping your online time to a minimum.
At any point in time 1.5 minion people are on the
Internet. How about you? Surf's Up!
Plumbing & Mechanical
3150 River Rd., Suite 101
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Phone: 1-708-297-3496
Fax: 1-708-297-8371