Does anything matter?

Ever since he gave the keynote speech at an event one of my clients hosted (the RIS IT Executive Think Tank), I've been quite intrigued by the work of author and technology futurist Nicholas Carr. Carr is best known for his now infamous Harvard Business Review Article from a couple years back, IT Doesn't Matter, in which he claimed that IT has lost its competitive value and has in fact become a commodity or utility - as basic as heat and electricity.

I couldn't help but think of Carr yesterday as I was walking down the street and came across a flyer (I've since seen several more) advertising quick and easy divorces for a flat fee of $300. The flyer got me thinking...what other, previously high value, deeply personal and intimate aspects of our lives have been commoditized like IT and computing?

To find out, I spent about 10 minutes on Google finding out what people now do online or in an automated fashion what have typically been (again) very personal and intimate tasks - the basics that get you out to meet your neighbors, for example. Here's what I found:

Banking - My grandfather went to the same bank branch for 50 years because of how much he valued the personal touch. Today 70% of Canadian Internet users use online banking, and only 54% have been in a bank in the last month.

Groceries - That same grandfather owned a grocery store at one time and, in that role, was literally a hub of his neighborhood's social scene. Today 125,000 people across Toronto forgo the social aspect of grocery shopping by using GroceryGateway.

Dating - My wife and I met at school, as did a number of my wedded friends. I know at least four couples who grew up across the street from one another, or whose parents' houses back onto one another. For up to 1.2-million Canadians though, online dating is the way to go...which helps make it one of the more profitable sectors online.

I also came across three online wedding sites in my research - iROM.org, Bored.com and GetMarriedOnline - but thankfully, they are all for entertainment purposes only. So yes, we are getting more automated with some things (I haven't been to a bank in at least a year) but it's a relief to see that some things are still sacred.

Oh, and the punchline on the divorce flyer; you know those little tear away tabs with the URL or phone number to contact? There was only one left.