There is a lot of talk about the denigration of personal communication that the internet has wrought. I'm inclined to agree with some of it. I do believe we lose something when we choose to text, email, instant message or even use voicemail to avoid personal contact with people. I think the internet has provided a way for people who already have trouble interacting humanely to go two steps further, either with their hatred or with some terrible perversity they may have.
BUT---
that being said, I think I have been most impressed with the generosity and opportunities to create community and communication through technology after starting up 23 Things. Flickr is just one example. All of the sharing and community that goes on is wonderful! Just looking at the other librarians' photos (the Playmobil library scenes really made my day) made me feel a part of that community. And the giving nature of the programmers who create and share their work and projects for everyone else to use -- for Free! The whole open source movement that wants more sharing, not less. The Flickr rules are incredibly human, sensible, and written in a friendly and open manner, an excellent model of communication skills and etiquette. Even blogs, something I had thought was the ultimate in selfishness (and they certainly can be) are more often a way to share expertise and opinions and are a two way street.
It's all in making the effort to keep the technology humane. And part of that is to open up lines of communication. So now I'm off to comment on another blog and try to do my bit.
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