h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We wanted to buy servers. We'll be buying lots of servers in the future, as this service grows. So we looked around at nice servers. IBM do nice ones, so we thought we'd see about buying some. A quick trawl through the IBM website revealed a company in the Strand who sold them, so we thought we'd wander over before lunch, since it was just down the road, and see what kind of deals they could do.

So Tim, Sean and I walked down to the Strand, looking for this company. First bad sign - they were in a big, plush office block, not a retail store. Not a problem, so we went up to the fourth floor and told the receptionist we wanted to buy some IBM servers - £10,000 worth.

The receptionist looked us up and down. (I should say at this point that we were dressed as we usually dress in the office - jeans and T-shirts). She asked us if we had business cards. We looked at each other, and said we didn't (since we don't make a habit of visiting suppliers). So she said "Well, it would help if you had business cards, because you could just be three guys off the street for all I know."

At which point I looked at Tim and he said "I don't think it's worth wasting any more time here."

The receptionist hurriedly said "I don't mean to be rude or anything" but I don't suppose she really worried when we walked out the door.

So, in honour of that encounter, I decided that whenever we meet with potential suppliers, we should always wear jeans and T-shirts.

We might even start a regular h2g2 feature: Three guys off the street - a consumer report on which suppliers are prepared to do business regardless of dress code or business cards.
 

A postscript. Later in the week, I found I'd stolen Sophie's highlighter pen, so on the way to lunch I stopped to buy a replacement in the office supply shop that's practically directly across the street from the aforementioned dealer.

Just by the door there was a make-your-own-business-card machine. We were *so* tempted to make a "Three Guys Off The Street" business card ...

Sean.

Give us the name and we will spam them!!

Not even in jest, Mr. Egg, not even in jest ...

Sorry Sean. It's Master Egg not Mr Egg - since I am eleven. I won't do it ever. Okay?

Which reminds me - I really ought to write our anti-spam policy statement!

I don't know, I pop in for a quiet chat, and end up making more work for myself

In all seriousness, it's bizarre how some businesses are approaching the internet in a totally amateurish manner.

On the one hand you there's the high-tech companies that don't reply to emails, and insist on 'phoning instead.

On the other, there's bulk-mailers who fill our inboxes with rubbish every day, who simply don't realise that the main message they're delivering is that they're either irresponsible or clueless.

Or both.

The good news is, by the time you've got your first credit card, these companies will be extinct, replaced by organisations who use the internet to work *for* their customers.

It's going to be fun

It's pretty good now. I buy books from the net and my mum does her shopping at tesco net and they bring it round. I am in a very good mood because my mum got a laptop on Thursday and now its in my bed.... that's the last she'll see of THAT! Ha!

As an employee of..... well, let's say "a major international IT firm", can I just say that this doesn't surprise me at all!

I have a friend that shops for Mercedes-Benzes like that. Once, 6 salesmen walked directly past him, so he went inside and politely told the receptionist that she should tell the manager of the dealership he'd just lost a sale, plus a deposit on one of those M-class things. She was understandably upset. He went across the street and bought a Land Rover instead.

Oh, to not have enough money NOT to buy a Mercedes-Benz. Some day, though, some day...

You forgot companies that have a home page made up for them which doesn't contain an e-mail address, snail-mail address OR phone number.

Maybe they've got enough business already?

My uncle worked in the spam factory in Liverpool. When it closed down, last year, he got me a Spam T-shirt, in rich H2G2 blue,with the word SPAM in large yellow letters across the front.
It struck me that they could still be open today if they had switched to making SPAM T-shirts instead of tinned meat.

Why are you buying servers? Aren't there any corporations willing to supply them free, just so they can be THE firm who's computers hold the hitchhikers guide.
You dont need to sell out either, the banner could read, H2G2 runs on IBM servers (but we'll accept free gear from anyone).

On the subject of hitchhiking, please have a look at my page. My claims of Ken Welsh's books position relative to the spirit of this and DNA's guide are my own. Please let me know if the party line is something else.
If it is acceptable, I checked on Amazon and it seems to be out of print. I considered writing to him and asking him what he thought of this site, and whether he would like to be a contributor. If to nothing else then at least the entry on hitchhiking.
But I'm posting this for your comments in case, a) you think he would be offended.
b) Any invitation should be from yoursef or even Douglas.
c) I should drop this subject in case Harper-Collins get shirty on the copyright front.
If its the latter, feel free to delete this message, but if you do feel that is nescessary, please e-mail me and let me know.

"Why are you buying servers? Aren't there any corporations willing to supply them free, just so they can be THE firm who's computers hold the hitchhikers guide."

You'd think.

Just for those of us that are still overawed when encountering something using a K6 with 64Mb, explain a little about the size and shape of servers. I've had a look in the supervisor's office here and see lots of rack-mounted flashing lights. Pretty, but uninformative.

Wingpig, I've got a picture of 3 of them, as well as the one they've just put together (it was in the box at the time). Once I have time to dig it out, I'll let you know.

Oh aye, you met them when visiting London. Maybe one of Jim's Don't Click Here things will be a space-taken-up thing or something. Total terabytes involved. No. of files. Something like that. Not that I'm interested in this, obviously.

Dear Jim,

It's a crying shame these snobby corporate types don't accept that business can be done this way - I am very aware of the supplier you describe - great if you're spending £1M+ and in an Armani suit.

As the founder of a start-up reseller I felt I should send you an intro.

As an ex rat of the traditional reseller industry, I felt a little stifled by this myself, hence the new co.

Our co. will be fully up and running in approx. 1 month to provide comms eqpt and specialist support services for the "new generation". The team is young, and not adverse to meeting clients on their own terms, as we prefer the 501 look to stiff collar (less ironing etc).

Our focus will be on servers, switching backbones, WAP/routing etc, (more details to follow if interested, should prove useful for you).
We are happy to work on cost plus basis for our first clients on board, to make sure we are still here in a years time.

All 7 initial team members are shareholders, therefore we all have a personal interest in the success of the co.

If you're still interested in a proficient friendly comms supplier mail me back, we will be actively hunting new clients to increase our portfolio over the next 6 months.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future, if nothing else I will be able to ascertain how relevant our support services will be to start-ups(?).

Best Regards,
Mike Halliday.
Mobile: 07939 567285.