When it comes to dumb statements, one of my all-time favorites comes courtesy of Ken Olson, founder of Digital Equipment Corp., the once-pioneering computer company that has since been subsumed by Hewlett-Packard.

Back in 1977, Olson opined: "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." Reading Olson’s staggeringly obtuse prediction brings to mind another famous quote, from the Duff-quaffing philosopher Homer Simpson: "D’oh!"

The personal computer has transformed society as profoundly as, say, the printing press or telephone. Through the Internet, people are sharing relevant knowledge at breathtaking speed. As a result, markets are becoming conversations, conducted in a human voice that’s candid and direct.

In today’s highly personalized world of MySpace and YouTube, individuals communicate in a natural way — not in the colorless monotone of the HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (or for that matter, a DEC PDP-8, the first successful commercial minicomputer, produced by the now-defunct Digital).

Consider our next webinar: Aviation Maintenance: The Trends That Will Affect Your Bottom Line in 2007, scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, at 11:00 a.m. EST. (Go to www.AviationToday.com to register.) For the best and latest information, this webinar will turn to two longtime experts in aviation maintenance: Joy Finnegan, editor-in-chief, Aviation Maintenance magazine, and John Sampson, editor-in-chief, Air Safety Week newsletter. Both Finnegan and Sampson will discuss the biggest maintenance trends of 2007. Notably, this webinar will address the controversial topic of whether the increasing reliance on outsourcing adversely affects air safety.

A recent investigation by Consumer Reports magazine (March 2007 issue), titled "An Accident Waiting to Happen?" explores the air safety concerns arising from the growing trend of outsourcing maintenance and inspection responsibilities. The FAA says there is no indication that the margin of safety has been reduced because of outsourced maintenance, but the probe by Consumer Reports suggests otherwise.

Our webinar also will examine how organizations are coping with the chronic shortage of trained mechanics. Finnegan and Sampson will examine the latest resources available to meet the market’s incessant need for adequately trained A&P mechanics.

To access an Aviation Today webinar, all you need is a computer and a telephone. By using webinars and the other online tools I’ve been describing in this column every month, you allow your audience to see and hear information from their desktops or from remote peripheral devices, making your presentation a richer and more interactive experience.

Today’s news cycle isn’t merely 24 hours; it’s up-to-the-nanosecond, with breaking news that zips along fiber optic cables at the speed of light. That’s why the news feed in the middle of the home page of Aviation Today includes intraday news updates, not just daily ones. If you want access to the latest news in aviation maintenance, bookmark Aviation Today and make it your first informational stop in the morning.

Take it from an old newshound like me: reporters love scoops. Most of them are shameless little beasts that would unhook their grandmother’s respirator tube to beat the competition to a story. Journalists (the good ones, anyway) are embracing the Internet because it helps them to be first with the news.

The mistaken notion persists that Web-based live events are impractical because the technology still entails too many logistical problems. Several years ago, it may have been a complicated process to set up a Web event to reach a large number of prospects. That’s no longer true. New technology has worked out these bugs and made Web events easily manageable and error-resistant. During an Aviation Today webinar, you’ll never hear an ominous voice saying: "I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that."

John Persinos is publisher and editorial director of AviationToday.com. You can reach him at: 301-385-7211, or jpersinos@accessintel.com.