Blog #1

My object or rather concept is meeting someone to discuss—anything really. In former times before the greatest innovations where spread around and adopted by the public, people would have to go to a meeting to meet with someone. Now it is a little different. It has been reformed. For example and my object to discuss in this blog will be Skype. In class we discussed how certain items would be an extension of ourselves. I believe the example was a hammer. Who knows if I’m being a cliché college student and looking to deep into this but I think I can argue that Skype is an extension of us as well. We are extended in 2D form miles away from where we actually are. Someone else can see the ideas, questions and statements along with body language. I believe transferring body language across miles of space is extraordinary. The reality of having someone in the room with you that isn’t actually there can in theory generate the same emotions as if they actually where in the room. The lack of physical touch is lost but the emotional connection of having someone their and seeing their reactions have the possibility to be the same emotion. “They are not striving for the real in any metaphorical sense.” (Bolter and Grusin). Skype is not the real person in some abstract comparison but it is a live video feed of someone you know and can interact with. Well hopefully you know, cause that would just get weird. Skype is also independent is the sense that it allows one to be independent and openly speak about whatever someone so chooses. With most new technology it derived from an idea to make our lives easier. How can we make an extension of ourselves to ease our grief in doing so. Now we can have a face-to-face conversation with someone without even leaving our living rooms. Hell, we can have a face-to-face conversation with Julie even!