I have been in need of a keyboard platform for quite some time. My wrist is reflecting the fact that I have been a lot of blogging and other writing. There are many variations of keyboard platforms on the market. The common benefit is that they allow the keyboard to be used at an ergonomically correct height that minimizes stress, not only to your wrist but to your whole body. Home office design consultant and friend Neal Zimmerman, (author of Home Office Design: Everything You Need to Know About Planning, Organizing, and Furnishing Your Work Space), recommended a company called ISE — a privately held manufacturer and distributor of high quality, leading edge ergonomic products for office and industry. Looking around their web site I found a very wide selection of keyboard platforms, articulating arms to move the platform to the optimum height and angle, and various other features and options. One of their offerings is the "Easy Rider Arm and Swing Combo". It was really hard to know what would be best. I called the company and discussed options with one of their reps but still couldn’t decide. The rep referred me to Jefferson Business Interiors in Stamford, Connecticut.

The motorcycle ride to Stamford was pleasant as could be. Perfect weather. I entered the address in the Garmin StreetPilot GPS and followed the needle. The ‘normal’ directions would have called for use of I-95 or the Merritt Parkway but instead I followed the backroads of Connecticut and enjoyed every minute of it. The folks at Jefferson’s were very pleasant and helpful. I took the Logitech cordless keyboard in a saddlebag with me and so I was able to sit in a desk chair and try out various platform configurations. A diagonal model with easy rider arm and tru-gel wrist rest turned out to be just what I was looking for. The manager at Jefferson’s offered a small discount and free shipping of the item, which had to be special ordered.

I then noticed his colleague put a form into an IBM typewriter! . IBM hasn’t made any typewriters for ten years and it has been about that long since I have seen a typewriter of any brand. I looked around Jefferson’s and there was an IBM typewriter on each one! There were four people working at Jefferson’s. They were all young — probably twenty years younger than me at least. I jokingly asked the person who was typing away if he had heard about computers and the Internet. "Oh, yes", he said. I immediately began thinking how badly the proprietor needed to read Net Attitude.

I asked the young man if they really had no computers. At that point the person I believe was the manager said "We don’t use any computers, and there is a reason". I can’t wait to hear this I said. "We don’t use computers because we are Christians", he said. He went on to say that for the same reason they don’t use radio or tv or fax machines. "It is not the Christian way", he added. I offered some thoughts on how business customers are increasingly using the web for all their purchasing activity so they can speed procurement while eliminating purchase invoices (IBM eliminated what had been five million invoices per year using the web). The manager said they didn’t need it and that they were doing just fine. I looked at his business card — no email, no web site, no fax. The showroom looked modern and neat. The product line appeared leading edge. The employees were knowledgeable and pleasant. Maybe they are doing ok.

It is hard for me to imagine how this company could grow or gain major enterprise accounts but maybe they are just satisfied to do ok. On my motorcycle ride back to the home office I got thinking about all the things that they are missing — faxing and re-faxing, web site breakdowns, bounced emails, Internet service provider problems, spam, obnoxious and unintelligible error messages from software applications, and re-booting Windows. I don’t agree with Jefferson’s attitude nor do I think it has much to do with Christianity. However, I do respect them for having values and beliefs and hanging on them. I am also a happy and well treated customer. Don’t worry though, I am not backing down on Net Attitude. That is my story and I am sticking to it!