I just went through my business card collection from the last 8 years...

[MaDalton]

the result is:

75% of the cards i threw away because the person disappeared

50% of the remaining 25% do not work anymore at the company i got the card from

[12clicks]

and mine stood out like a beacon of hope.

[L-Pink]

congratulations on getting the math right. (at first glance you had me worried )

.

[Sly]

That's a better ratio than I would have thought!

[spazlabz]

it would have been cool if you'd have stacked them up on your desk and taken a picture of them, that would have been a pretty cool visual

[Kenny B!]

I must have a thousand cards in a drawer and still the award for big pimp card has to go to Sleazy for the metal card coke cutting card.

[MaDalton]

and mine stood out like a beacon of hope.

you never gave me yours

[12clicks]

you never gave me yours

I slipped it under your pillow on my way out that night in vegas

[Sid70]

the result is:

75% of the cards i threw away because the person disappeared

50% of the remaining 25% do not work anymore at the company i got the card from

Same here in ICQ list. I'd even say 10% is what left working. Tops.

[MaDalton]

I slipped it under your pillow on my way out that night in vegas

and i always wondered where that "Tranny Escorts" biz card came from

[JFK]

Wonder if anyone has done the same thing, with cards collected even in the last year or 2 ? I bet you will see very similar ratios

[Rochard]

I gave up collecting cards a long time ago. Too many people have moved around from company to company, and their email address are no longer valid. If I need anyone, I can find them either on GFY or who's who.

[camperjohn64]

I had the same experience with T-Shirts. I used to get all the free T-Shirts I could at conferences and just a few weeks ago cleaned out my closet - and visited the websites on the shirts.

Almost ALL from companies more than 5 years old were 404's or parking pages.

[JFK]

I had the same experience with T-Shirts. I used to get all the free T-Shirts I could at conferences and just a few weeks ago cleaned out my closet - and visited the websites on the shirts.

Almost ALL from companies more than 5 years old were 404's or parking pages.

I had long suspected this, having done random tests over the years. Have'nt done any in a while, but thanks for reconfirming my suspicions

[MaDalton]

I had the same experience with T-Shirts. I used to get all the free T-Shirts I could at conferences and just a few weeks ago cleaned out my closet - and visited the websites on the shirts.

Almost ALL from companies more than 5 years old were 404's or parking pages.

i have a few of those

and i just looked through the Networking Guides from the Phoenix Forums 2006 and 2007 - not very encouraging either

[Paul Markham]

Collecting business cards at shows is always like that. How many of those still current will do business?

[candyflip]

It doesn't just happen like this in our industry.

[kristin]

Hrm, I'm gonna go through mine now. I have a stack I've collected for nine years.

[xato]

Similar here.
But I still keep them. It was funny to go through them after 5 years, should be even funnier after 10 years :D

But I just recently deleted about 80% of my ICQ list.

[camperjohn64]

i have a few of those

and i just looked through the Networking Guides from the Phoenix Forums 2006 and 2007 - not very encouraging either

2007 is not that far behind us. I mean if they were in the networking guide they were at least attempting to be a success.

I talked with a company today that wanted PHP consulting. I asked if they are currently cash-flow positive, and when they plan on being so. They talked about their "5 year plan", and that they *could be profitable by the end of the year, but that isn't their goal.

I am not putting them down, but I admit I don't see the logic in "not trying to be profitable this year", and having a "5 year plan" in the internet biz. Auto mfg, airline, medicine yes. Internet, no.