Play Meter

f ROM THE EDITOR Why should we change? I t's as plain as it could possibly be: we are creatures of habit and just don't like making changes. We don't like it even when it means things will be easier and better. Think about it for a minute. Can you remember sometime in the not-so-distant past when a change was called for and you swore you weren't about to? For many of us that time was when our first computer was delivered to the office door. I remember it well. I was perfectly content banging out stories on my innovative Selectric II typewriter. After all, it had been a step up from the manual typewriter I had been using, although basically the same knowledge was needed. I was shown exactly how to use it. The salesman was so enthusiastic about the features that it never occurred to him that he lost me somewhere right after he said, "This is how you turn it on." So I kept using the typewriter. It was inevitable that one day the Selectric would crash on me, leaving me with no other choice than to use that darn computer. How do I feel about it now? I cannot believe I used to spend so much time typing and retyping stories that I can now edit and move around on my computer. I'm more creative because I can let myself go, knowing how easy it will be to delete, add, or move stuff later. I know that eventually I may have changed over in the normal course of things , but when my typewriter broke I was forced to make the change. I've talked with operators who were reluctant to trade in their manual accounting systems for a computer. They were happy with things and weren't sure if a computer was going to work. Of course, all of you who made that change are kicking yourselves for not doing it sooner! Can you even imagine going back to the old way? Our office must have been one of the last holdouts for a FAX machine. We could get something overnight, and that seemed fast enough. Our first FAX machine took over four minutes per page and drew quite a few groans from those sending things, but it proved how much we needed to change. We are now on our second machine and, yes, we are asking ourselves, "How did we ever do without it?" And how could we talk about change without mentioning jukeboxes. When the industry changed to 45s from 78s, there were many who said it would never work. However, once 78s were not readily available, the change was made. Now we're changing to CDs, yet still there are skeptics. However, as 45s become history, the change will be inevitable. PLAY METER 10 JUNE1993 The coin-op industry is now campaigning for a change that we feel is vital-the dollar coin. The list of advantages is impressive, yet it is very difficult to convince the public that it would be a change for the better because no one wants to change if they can help it. The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was a total disaster, but one of the reasons was that the dollar bill was still being printed. It's even harder to convince anyone to change when the old way remains an option. We must all push for a dollar coin and at the same time convince lawmakers to do away with the paper bill. The industry will become stronger once there's a reasonable pricing increase option, as there will be with a dollar coin. But we have to admit that it will be hard to make the change and understand the reluctance the public feels. When I'm writing the "Ten Years Ago" column in 2003, I'm sure I'll look back to 1993 and wonder why it took so long to make such a worthwhile change. D Valerie Cognevich Editor