Virtual reality
Well I don't know about you, but I spend an obscene amount of time on the internet.
Checking mail. Emailing coworkers and friends, family. Writing blogs. Reading blogs. Finding recipes. Getting directions. Reading homework. Doing homework. Listening to music.
And more, more, more.
This virtual reality has become our reality.
We rely on it for our livelihoods, for our entertainment, even for our social connections. Good or bad, I cannot honestly say -- I grew up in the computer age. Maybe those a generation back feel an ache for more human communication. I do, but it's a vague want, nothing I've ever touched.
I wish I knew life before dot com, that I relied more on a map than mapquest. But I don't.
So it made sense when, last Saturday, I found myself at a party full of people who had never met in real time. They were connected by an internet humor forum, created by the party's host, Skippy.
Skippy decided that St. Patrick's Day was the perfect time for his virtual pals to convene. As I was not a part of the forum, I felt slightly out of place. It was as if they were all in on some inside joke. A guy explained, "Even though we've never met, we all have this instant bond -- because we're connected by similar senses of humor."
And I got it.
I watched as they chatted, danced, drank green beer. Felt hope for the lost human connection in these nerdy guys laughing about comics. Thought, wow, they sure know how to bridge the technology gap. This is the way to do it.
Last Friday, I too felt an internet connection in real time. Had coffee with a fellow blogger. We share a strange intimacy that comes with telling deeply personal experiences semi-anonymously. The conversation flowed long and strong, which surprised me. I expected it awkward without the computer security blanket.
But it wasn't. We bridged our technology gap with ease.
This is, I think, something we computer heads should be doing more often. Real life. Chatting in a coffee shop and writing paper letters. Sure technology speeds things up, but the human connection is what we really need.
Checking mail. Emailing coworkers and friends, family. Writing blogs. Reading blogs. Finding recipes. Getting directions. Reading homework. Doing homework. Listening to music.
And more, more, more.
This virtual reality has become our reality.
We rely on it for our livelihoods, for our entertainment, even for our social connections. Good or bad, I cannot honestly say -- I grew up in the computer age. Maybe those a generation back feel an ache for more human communication. I do, but it's a vague want, nothing I've ever touched.
I wish I knew life before dot com, that I relied more on a map than mapquest. But I don't.
So it made sense when, last Saturday, I found myself at a party full of people who had never met in real time. They were connected by an internet humor forum, created by the party's host, Skippy.
Skippy decided that St. Patrick's Day was the perfect time for his virtual pals to convene. As I was not a part of the forum, I felt slightly out of place. It was as if they were all in on some inside joke. A guy explained, "Even though we've never met, we all have this instant bond -- because we're connected by similar senses of humor."
And I got it.
I watched as they chatted, danced, drank green beer. Felt hope for the lost human connection in these nerdy guys laughing about comics. Thought, wow, they sure know how to bridge the technology gap. This is the way to do it.
Last Friday, I too felt an internet connection in real time. Had coffee with a fellow blogger. We share a strange intimacy that comes with telling deeply personal experiences semi-anonymously. The conversation flowed long and strong, which surprised me. I expected it awkward without the computer security blanket.
But it wasn't. We bridged our technology gap with ease.
This is, I think, something we computer heads should be doing more often. Real life. Chatting in a coffee shop and writing paper letters. Sure technology speeds things up, but the human connection is what we really need.
posted by Kristi Gee at
8:19 PM
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