Article

Opinion: Make the holidays happy

In the debut of a new monthly column, KIOSKmarketplace.com editor John Harrell discusses applications that are impacting the holiday season.

February 21, 2002

The first 100 days of a presidential term are a historical yardstick by which the rest of a commander in chief's term is measured. It is also a simple marker anyone can use when evaluating performance in a new endeavor. And sometimes, it is nothing more than a way to mark time in a new position. It is instructional at KIOSKmarketplace.com for the latter reason, as I arrive at the 100-day mark as editor.

The past 100 days have included three trade shows, countless telephone calls and e-mails, and literally hundreds of daily news stories and information centers. For somebody coming in with just a rudimentary knowledge of the industry - based on one month as a staff writer for KIOSKmarketplace.com and its sister site, ATMmarketplace.com - it has been a real eye-opener.

But much of what I have learned translates into that most wonderful time of the year - the holiday season.

KIOSKmarketplace.com editor John Harrell

The week before Christmas is a time of joy - and sheer panic. If your shopping is not finished by now, then expect festivity, long checkout lines, traffic jams, cranky salespeople, cranky customers (heck, everyone by this point is a bit ruffled), and an inevitable sense of longing for a faster, easier way to get through it all.

Over the past three months, I have learned that kiosks can make the holidays easier in a number of ways. For the ultimate procrastinators, in particular, the kiosk can be a lifesaver. Here are some ideas - outside of buying gifts through retail kiosks - that have floated across the news desk in recent weeks:

Picture pages, picture pages Â…

December and pictures go together like Roger Clemens and a 95-mile per hour fastball. The holidays are a time for getting the family together, dressing them in disturbingly similar outfits (with an emphasis usually on red), and taking pictures to send to all the relatives.

One of the most successful projects in the industry is, without doubt, Kodak's PictureMaker kiosk that allows customers to print professional-quality copies of their photos. The majority of those kiosks now also offer printing from a digital camera card.

Some retailers, such as Kinko's, allow you to move one step beyond, taking kiosk-generated photos and transforming them into personalized greeting cards.

This season is a particularly poignant time to remember the strength in family bonds. Across America, millions have reacted to the events of Sept. 11 by ensuring their family ties are stronger than steel. One suspects that more family pictures than ever will be mailed this year.

What do I recommend? Send a photo. Send four. Send eight. Send 20. Send however many you need to in order to ensure everyone who means something to you knows how you feel. If you like spreading joy with holiday snaps, this may be the best year to practice sharing the love.

Off, off and away

Airport check-in kiosks still are a sensitive topic three months and change since Sept. 11. No one can complain about the convenience of flashing an e-ticket at a kiosk and walking straight on to a flight. But the heightened sensitivity toward security in the months since the terrorist attacks does make one wince over check-in kiosks.

But the simple fact that the check-in kiosk survived the push to upgrade security in the wake of Sept. 11 gives the application a certain measure of credibility. And for holiday travelers, the presence of kiosks should be welcomed because people travel during the holidays - lots of people. And also do not forget that check-in times have increased in recent months because of extra security measures implemented at many airports.

Did I mention that a lot of people travel during the holidays?

So if you like saving time - especially while traveling - and feel comfortable with security procedures at American airports, then the check-in kiosk provides a way to trim some time and anxiety out of the vacation process.

The gift registry

A couple gets married and friends and family shower the newlyweds with gifts and necessities. A baby is born and friends and family shower the new parents with gifts and necessities for the child. A holiday comes around and family and friends shower you with gifts and necessities.

All three events share the common theme of gift-giving. Now they share something else - the gift registry.

If you want to let the important people in your life know what you think would be essential under the tree this holiday season, then kiosk gift registries are now available to accomplish that. Using the same principle as bridal and baby registries, people can list gifts they would like to receive, and friends and family can peruse those lists

A number of retailers now offer the service. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Target and Marshall Field's have gift registries on their Web sites and JC Penney offers the service through in-store kiosks. But one etiquette expert, Etiquette International founder Hilka Klinkenberg, decried the practice.

"You're announcing to the world that you are expecting gifts," Klinkenberg told the Pioneer Press. "Isn't it better to be gracious about whatever you get, and then deal with it accordingly?"

Is it tacky? We will let the users decide. But is there anything stopping people from doing it? Well, legally no. We live in a land flush with personal choices and this is yet another one. Kids have been writing lists to Santa Claus for centuries. If adults want to leave lists at JC Penney's, the choice is theirs. It is up to their friends to decide whether to rejoice or be repulsed.