Ah, technology. A sort of plague on society, and perhaps a society within society. Without getting too philosophical, I will just say that this is a topic in which the pros can be cons, and the cons can be pros, depending on your perspective and experience. Recently, I've had a wonderful experience.
This is not meant to be a plug for a particular software program, but I'm very excited about our current discovery in technology. As Caroline left for China, we were contemplating different ways of keeping in touch. Of course, the ol' standard would be email, but this is no replacement for hearing someone's voice from time to time. Friends of ours teaching abroad in Paraguay informed us of a program called Skype, which is free phone service over the internet when one computer calls another. This is what they used to talk to family and friends while they were out of the country. Amazing.
With the use of a microphone (and optional webcam) you can essentially call anywhere in the world where an internet connection is available. So, my sisters and I have signed up for Skype accounts and have been talking to each other from time to time (or the optional "chatting", read: instant message service). Caroline's webcam has allowed us to have a "virtual tour"of her apartment in China. Jennifer's webcam allows Julia to see a video feed of herself as she chats with aunties (which can be very distracting to a 4-yr-old) and has allowed a sneak peak into her new home surroundings for Jessica, who hasn't been over to see it yet. Today, however, was probably the most incredible experience to date, when we all happened to be signed in to Skype at the same time. A conference call allowed all four sisters to talk at the same time, two in Michigan (Detroit and Grand Rapids), one in Des Moines, Iowa and the other in Shijiazhuang, China. I just can't imagine that our grandparents (or parents) would have ever thought this might be possible. Or free!
No comments:
Post a Comment