Net Attitude: What It Is, How to Get It, and Why You Need It More Than Ever
by John R. Patrick
Attitude, LLC


"The only prerequisite for reading this book is a strong desire to meet the rising expectations of people growing up on the Web."

While an IBM marketing executive, Patrick published Net Attitude in 2001, just as the "dot com" bubble burst. This book offered what companies lacked—not technology or money—a net attitude motivated more by user needs and less by corporate greed.

An innovative thinker, Patrick realized that the web changed everything: education, banking, entertainment, government, even personal creativity. He also paid attention to whatever annoyed him about customer service, whether on the Internet, call center phone, or in the brick and mortar world. In this book the author charged corporations as well as small website owners—in 2001 and now—to develop their "Netiquette" and meet the challenges presented by people power on the Internet.

Book chapters still cover technology and predictions regarding e-market places, next generations, user focus, honesty, and security. Why isn't enough, enough? Was an update really needed since what was added to each book section is only a short authors view from 2015? Was Patrick boasting or confessing predictions missed, such as the popularity of mobile phones and social media? Surprisingly, little of what he wrote has changed since 2001. Preserving forward content still valid justifies an e-pub update. Stories Patrick told to illustrate his points are relevant and entertaining. The book remains a helpful training tool for young software engineers and web designers who wish to learn why the Internet developed as it did.

Likely the best answer regarding this update is that Net Attitude for 2015 and onward has the potential to become a treasure chest of new, untried, or not yet successful ideas. The author unselfishly points to areas where the Internet has failed to fully meet users' expectations. One such place is in the health industry. Today's reader of Net Attitude could create tomorrow's Internet success story by simply resolving 2001 needs still not addressed.

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