Tech Trends to Ignore

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• Anything Green. In the '70s we were running out of oil. In the '80s we had to save the whales. In the '90s our attention turned to the depleted rain forests. Now it's all about global warming. Is your business doing what it can for the environment? Do you demand that all of your employees drive hybrid vehicles? Have you installed solar panels to conserve energy? No? Then join the rest of us who want nothing more than to ruin the earth with our decadent and destructive business practices. Do we not care about the environment? Yes, but not enough to waste money on this year's fire drill. If you can find a technology that helps the environment and is good for your business then go for it. And please let me know too, as I'm still trying to find it.

• Facebook and MySpace (NWS). Take five minutes and check one of them out. Lots of people having fun, fun, fun! Big business is trying hard to figure out a way to make money from these sites. No one's really done it yet. Unless you're hawking Hannah Montana memorabilia, there's not going to be much of an audience for your product here. Small businesses should ignore these places for now. Want to join a great networking site with business benefits? Try Linkedin.com or Plaxo.com.

• Open-Source Software. Sure, open-source software may be "free," but the propeller-heads you need to actually get it working, customized, and supported aren't. Spending time customizing a software product, just because it's "open source," doesn't mean that time is well spent. Business owners should stick to the boring, off-the-shelf stuff for now.

• Windows XP. It's time to start ignoring Windows XP, too. Like it or not, the Microsoft operating system for businesses won't be sold after June 30. We are going to be forced to drink the Vista Kool-Aid. It still starts up slow. It still doesn't work with all devices. It will require a server with more memory than an elephant. But hey, now we get to see our invoices in 3D! And we'll all feel so much more secure, too, right? Whoever said that life gets more complex the older you get definitely works at Microsoft. Goodbye XP and Godspeed. We'll miss you.

• Microsoft and Yahoo. Frankly, we really don't care about Microsoft's attempt to buy Yahoo (YHOO) (BusinessWeek.com, 2/1/08). Let us know when it's all sorted out. Then we'll Google (GOOG) the story.

• Virtual Worlds. There's been a lot of hype around virtual societies like Second Life. Some big companies are taking this stupidity seriously and buying "real estate" to advertise products (BusinessWeek, 5/1/06). These are the same big companies that spend big money on overpriced consultants and gold-painted corporate jets. Small business owners should ignore these virtual worlds—until they find a way for a virtual guy named "Knuckles" to beat the stuffing out of a real-life delinquent customer.

Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at www.quickerbetterwiser.com.