I was just reading a post by Robert Nichols that lead to the post you're now reading. Robert's post was about how Google has completely changed the world as we know it, in a Matrix-like way. He titled his post "Why Google Knows You Better Than You Know Yourself and How They Will Take Over the World in the Process."

I left a comment on Robert's post, which sparked some thoughts and questions I've had about Google for quite some time now. Well, actually, my thinking goes beyond Google, and to the different ways we choose to handle our contacts. I'm going to think out loud again, so bear with me. 

Several years ago, our MLS, the Daytona Beach Association of REALTORS and MLS, enabled us to use their system as our contact manager It was pretty user-friendly and they were encouraging us to us the system. But there were some complaints about the system's inability to do some of the functions we have in other contact management programs, so not many people used it. So a couple of years later, we switched to a new MLS and were able to fully customize it. I was on the MLS Committee at that time, and was involved in choosing the features and functions that would be most helpful. But many people, including me, still chose not to use the MLS as our contact manager. I can't speak for everyone, but there were many growing pains in the first year of the changeover, including major server crashes and loss of data! Needless to say, I didn't want to lose or be unable to access my contacts! 

Now to bring us all forward to the present time. The system has been running smoothly for a few years, and we even have our own server that is not shared with any other MLS. But I'm still paranoid about being unable to access the internet if that's where I keep the information for all my contacts. Just over the last few weeks, since AT&T started making changes to the Cingular system, my DSL has gone down several times and my Smart Phone has been acting strangely. So that just takes me right back to my original reasons for not wanting my contacts on an internet server. I also have to admit, I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist. And I'm equally paranoid about having personal phone numbers, e-mail addresses, web sites, home addresses and work info for my clients on an online server. How do I know if anyone else is seeing, accessing or using that information?

Before I continue, I'm going to address a comment made to me, by our old IT manager at our Board of REALTORS. She was all for having us use the MLS contact manager. I explained my system to her, and she said something along the lines of the fact that I'd be sorry if I ever had a corrupted .pst file. Well, that is not a concern considering my backup system, in which I keep the last 2 or 3 backups, AND the fact that all that information is also on my Smart Phone/Pocket PC.

Now to continue... 

So now Google has their own online contact manager. I've already admitted to being a conspiracy theorist, and knowing what we do about Google, and watching how they've taken over every platform on which they've set their sites, and how they've publicized things that many people did not want to be made public, I'm more paranoid than ever! I don't know what Google is planning next, (separate rant coming right up!...) but I do know that since they bought You Tube, they've completely commercialized it and they DO NOT care about the people who use that platform; the very people who have made that site what it is today. So why would I use one more product that they can use for their personal gain, and treat me like crap? Yes, that IS how they treat You Tubers. Trust me. I'm in the partner program and they do not care about anyone. They only care about the almighty dollar & making ALL information public. (I'll stop my tangent here before I my blood pressure goes through the roof.)  So I'll return to the topic at hand; Online vs in-my-hands contact managers.

Now I'm certainly not going to live in the dark ages and use a paper system. After all, I am admittedly a geek, but I do use my Smart Phone/Pocket PC which synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook, and I backup to an external hard drive. I don't have to worry about server crashes, unscrupulous corporations, or even power outages since my information is in 3 places that I control. If the power goes out, I have a backup battery on my computer. If my computer crashes, I have a backup hard drive that I can attach to another system. And if both of those systems fail, I have everything in my PDA (Smart Phone/Pocket PC for those of you who are getting lost). And I even have a car charger for my PDA.

So my 1st question is, which system do you use, and why? And PLEASE feel free to elaborate because I can't begin to understand why anyone would risk losing their personal information, due to any of the reasons I mentioned, and the next one I'm going to address.  

Here's my last complaint for the day. With podcasts becoming more and more popular, and many people accessing the internet and their e-mail through their PDA's or Smart Phones, it goes without saying that the next wave of advertising is going to come straight to whatever handheld device we're using.  And you're going to pay for those packets! Actually, it's already happening, but you know it's going to get a lot worse.

So far, I've avoided this since I do not use my phone for internet access. I refuse to pay AT&T another $30 per month for a feature that would probably be used only once or twice a month, since the real estate market is so crappy right now. And for those of you who are wondering how I stay abreast of e-mail during the day, when I'm out of the office, I find a WiFi hot spot and use my laptop. I've had this Smart Phone/Pocket PC/PDA for about 3 years now and it does not have WiFi. The newer versions come with WiFi, but this one didn't at the time. So when necessary, I check everything, using my laptop. Also, any e-mail that is sent through my web site will be received on my phone, as a text message which is much cheaper than paying for internet access on my phone. Needless to say, my next phone upgrade will have WiFi, so I can continue to check messages and/or go online at WiFi hot spots without having to pay for it. And we have a LOT of these hot spots in our area. I never have to go too far to find one.

Last but certainly not least. (This is important!) I do not synchronize my e-mail with my PDA. My reason for that is because I want a copy of all client correspondence in Microsoft Outlook and backed up to my external hard drive. Anyone using the full version of Outlook (Not Outlook Express) knows that you can click on a contact, then click on "Activities" and quickly see every e-mail, appointment, note, task, etc., that has ever transpired between you and that client. Pulling it through my phone screws up that system. You already know I'm not going to give Google access to anymore of my information. And I certainly don't trust them not to use that information for their own gain.

• So what are your thoughts?
  
• What contact management system do you use, and why?
  
• Do you know of another inexpensive, reliable, safe way to handle it all?

If your answer is too long for a comment, feel free to write your own post and show some link love =) 

I feel much better now. A good rant sure can be cleansing ;)