VOA标准英语2010-Will the Internet Change Basic Business B

Some say it will force more openness and customer dialogue

Ted¹ Landphair | Washington, DC 05 April 2010

Much has been written about the profoundly negative effect that the Internet has had on the newspaper business.

So many readers have switched to the Web for information that sales of the printed papers — and advertising² revenue that brings in the money to publish them — have plummeted³.

Last year alone, 105 U.S. newspapers went out of business, and 10,000 newspaper jobs were lost. So the Internet has not been a blessing⁴ for a lot of newspaper, magazine, and book publishers.

Does the Internet make companies change the way they do business? Not directly, but those that don't become more transparent⁵ and accessible will likely be thumped⁶ by those that do.

But what about other businesses?

According to the latest study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and researchers at Elon University in North Carolina, the Internet is making a lot of them more efficient and more responsive to their customers.

Janna Anderson, who directs Elon's Imagining the Internet Center, said about 900 top business

Internet users surveyed believe the net will force even the most resistant⁷ companies to tune⁸ into customer demands if they want to keep up.

Anderson noted⁹ that many said there is too much pressure from the public in today's age of collective intelligence and transparency for institutions to be able to continue to cling to 20th-century forms.

The Rocky Mountain News had been published for 150 years before going out of business last year. The Internet, which stole away many of the print edition's readers, helped kill it.

One person surveyed — Dylan Tweney, senior editor of Wired magazine — says that since many executives were trained in the days when companies could get away with being haughty¹⁰ and secretive, change is happening gradually.

But 10 years from now, he says, companies' customers will know far more about the companies than the companies do themselves.

Others are skeptical¹¹. Susan Crawford, a former member of President Obama's National Economic Council, told the researchers, no matter how much information is online and available,there will still be some small circle of men [she did specify¹² men] who will be hanging on to all the levers. . .

Has free and easy communication on the Web changed the way companies do business? Consider the open dialogue that auto¹³ companies like Toyota have had with their customers when problems occur and recalls are necessary.

They'll give lip service to openness, and they will commit to better customer service.

But they won't actually change their ways. 

But Crawford added, ask me again in 2020.

 

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

5 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

6 thumped   

v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Dave thumped the table in frustration . 戴夫懊恼得捶打桌子。
• He thumped the table angrily. 他愤怒地用拳捶击桌子。

7 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

8 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 haughty   

adj.傲慢的，高傲的

参考例句：

• He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
• They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

11 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

12 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

13 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。