URGENT v IMPORTANT

 

 

Guy Goma was due to do an interview at BBC Television Centre.

He went into makeup, he had a microphone attached, he was taken to the studio and seated in front of the cameras.

The interviewer began asking him about a trademark infringement case.

The surprising result of the ongoing lawsuit between Apple Computers and  Apple Corps, owned by the Beatles.

Guy Goma was from the Congo, and spoke with a French accent, making him a little difficult to understand.

BBC Interviewer: “Guy, were you surprised by the verdict today?”

Guy Goma: “I am very surprised to see the verdict has come on me, because I was not expecting that. When I came they told me something else, and I am expecting an interview, that’s all. So yes a big surprise anyway.”

BBC Int: “A big surprise, yes indeed.”

Guy Goma: “Exactly.”

BBC Int: “With regard to the cost that’s involved, do you think more people will now be downloading online?”

Guy Goma: “Actually, if you go anywhere you’re going to see a lot of people downloading from the internet and the website, everything they want. But I think it is much better for development and to improve people, to get what they want and get on the easy way, and so faster the things they are looking for.”

BBC Int: “This does seem to be the way the music industry’s progressing now, that people want to go onto the website and download music.”

Guy Goma: “Exactly you can go everywhere on the cyber café, and you can go easy. It is going to be an easy way for everyone to get something through the Internet.”

BBC Int: “Guy, thank you very much.”

And the interview went out live

And it made the BBC look ridiculous.

Because after the programme, the producer found the person that was meant to be interviewed, Guy Kewny, was still sitting in reception, waiting.

Before the programme, the assistant had simply rushed downstairs and said “Is Guy here for the interview?”

Guy Goma had put up his hand.

Because he was there for a job interview in data support in the IT dept.

But Guy Kewny, who was a famous technology journalist, and was due to be interviewed live on-air, hadn’t heard.

So the programme went out on time, but they got the wrong person.

And, as usual, the urgent took over from the important.

Isn’t that how we do our jobs?

We haven’t got time to worry how good the work is, just get it out.

Apparently the bidding process for an advertising slot, between algorithms, takes 2 nanoseconds.

That’s how much thinking goes into advertising: two billionths of a second.

And we’re proud of that.

No wonder it’s like a conveyor belt.

The other evening, I was watching a film on the Sony Channel.

There was an advertising break every 20 minutes and the break had 14 ads.

Assuming each ad was thirty seconds, that’s 7 minutes of ads every twenty minutes.

That’s around 30% of our viewing time.

There isn’t enough time to think about getting it right, just for shovelling it in front of people.

 

Just fill the space and get on to the next, thinking takes too much time.