[iDC] on participation.....

[Pamela Jennings]

Hello Adriene,

Thank you for the vivid image of water dripping from your body into the
crevices of the keyboard as you type your all too familiar confessional
about your addiction and repulsion to this thing, this phenomenon called a
computer.  My aging body is also screaming for release from its endlessly
crimped position.  I agree, I also have difficulty making it through long
laborious posts, no matter how interesting the topic may be.  Blame it on
my 5 second technology induced patience span.

It's not that I don't want to participate in the half dozen or more lists
I belong too.  It's just hard to gauge when to jump in and what
committement I must make to fully participate divided by the seemingly
lack of available time in my overcrowded dog-eat-dog academic schedule.  I
am but an example of a victim of the successes of our information age -
forever tapping on the webmail refresh button, yet unable to engage.

Furthermore... I often don't know who I'm talking to....  Lists are like a
secret society where membership is vast and unknown.

I find it interesting that with all the research and hoopla about new
communication technologies, connecting people, making information more
accessible, opening spaces for dialogue... that we're all trapped in a
world of asynchronous typing.  How can technologies be better used to
support real-time communication...? or at least add more media rich
substance to the world of  asynchronicity???  Whatever happened to the
salon???? How can technologies be used to bring them back into fashion...
across cyber distances?

Okay... I fear that I am forcing my own self indugent diatribe on others. 
So I'll stop to say... it's great to see messages from people I havent'
seen or spoken to in years....

regards,

Pamela
************************************************************
Pamela Jennings, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Art | Human Computer Interaction Institute
Carnegie Mellon University

phone: 412.268.5273 (office) | 412.867.8166 (cell) |  412.268.7817 (fax)
pamelaj at andrew.cmu.edu | http://studio416.cfa.cmu.edu






> There are probably a few more things, but I'm finding it hard to
continue even now as I have a meeting in 20 mins at a coffee shop down the
street & I'm still naked and dripping wet from my shower. Thanks Laura,
again, for allowing your voice to come through your post, which made me
feel like there might be a space for mine... Adriene

> http://www.specflic.net