Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Stretching Out and Finding Roots in My Branches...

I have met an enormous amount of really interesting people during the CCK08 course. In fact, it is such a small world, that I now have a real problem trying to keep up with all the friends I have made all over the world. The problem is time!

Yes, time, is the grim reaper of my contact with other people. I never ever thought that this would ever be a problem. Now I find that to gather with other people who live all over the world, I have to plan the time zones... Happily, a regular weekly meeting which is held between people who live in Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Argentina and Germany, to name a few places, seems to be convenient at 11:00 am PST. But this is generally too late for people further West like those in Korea and other Asian places!

It is so strange that we should be coming up against these limitations now, when all the other technological problems of the world are rapidly dissolving, this is a problem that will probably never be resolved, until we become more virtual. This will mean a change to the virtual components of ourselves. I mean now, there is no feel or touch. Someone mentioned the absence of smell and touch in a conference on corporate learning I attended today. So, if you have been following my blog, you will have noticed that the first emphasis I made was on our proximity, and how, in some countries, people are quite comfortable to be inches away from each other, whereas in countries like Great Britain, USA, Canada, this would mean invasion of a "comfort zone."

So, will we become more and more androgynous as time wears on? Will we lose our sexuality, our individuality in favor of a more asexual existence? Will our immortality increase in deference to our longevity and lack of offspring? Will we really find it comfortable in a society where nobody questions the lack of contact and ordinary tenderness?

Give me your thoughts and ideas....

1 comment:

Maru del Campo said...

Hi Steve!

Wonderful post! You raise very intriguing situations.

I'm glad you met lots of interesting people in the course, surely I've met lots too but I made few friends. That works for me, I have several weekly meetings going in different venues to keep in touch with those friends. You are one of them :-)

Besides time my other constrain is trust, I had never encountered trolls online and to find them at Moodle shifted my natural trusting nature. I will make friends slowly.

I would never find myself comfortable in a society where nobody questions the lack of contact and ordinary tenderness.

You were sweet enough to shrink your avatar to visit Ciudad Bonita with me, you're tender, warm and caring. I feel comfortable with you.

Best regards to your family. Receive a big hug.
Maru