Issue 29.09
The last few days, I have been learning how important communities are in our lives. Whether it is a neighborhood, a family, a church group, a civic group or some other thing, our communities are what give us a sense of belonging, safety and strength to face life and its challenges. A shared heritage, interest or language helps us connect with others and feel comfortable sharing ideas and questions.
Computer social sites are to some extent replacing some of the old ways of developing community (such as the corner pub, the barbershop or drugstore, community clubs, etc.) I believe the old ways are still important and relevant, but the reality is that, for many people (especially those who can’t get around easily) the computer offers alternatives that bring new people into our lives and allow us to stay in touch with relatives and friends more easily than it used to be.
My family has always tried to stay in touch through letters and phone calls. The advent of computers have given us other opportunities. We used to have a family letter where we added our letter to the group and sent them all to the next person. It was fun to read, but took months to travel around to everyone. Now we have a family website and each family just posts their newest letter. The news is up-to-date and everyone can read it at their leisure and post whenever they want.
Most of us also have “Facebook” accounts and have connected to each other through this social networking site. Many of the family post short notes daily about what is going on, what we are feeling or thinking, etc. I have really enjoyed seeing how my children interact with their friends and deal with the normal everyday struggles we all have. My daughter told me she was thinking she might take me off her connections list because she wasn’t sure she wanted me to see all the ups and downs she was having, but I assured her that I love her just as much when she is mad or upset as when she is thoughtful and kind. I also like knowing when maybe she needs a special phone call or visit to help out when things get crazy.
I know there is a danger that people might isolate themselves physically and just live “through” their computer, but I also believe that, especially for those who are mostly unable to travel and get out of the house, the computer can be a wonderful tool to help us stay in touch. There are a lot of other social sites, including “Twitter”, Windows Messenger, MySpace, YouTube and many others. Check a few out to see what fits your needs. It can be fun.
Stay safe and happy computing.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 27 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.