Overheard recently: "I'm wondering what's the difference between church and the bar?"
In church you pray for the Spirit. In a bar you pay for the spirits? (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
Anyways...
Everybody knows your name…
When Jennifer and I lived in Springfield, MO, and worked at the Assemblies of God headquarters, our friendly pagan neighbors invited us to join them at a neighborhood bar for lunch. We were on our way back home from church where we had invited them, so we figured a little tit for tat was probably in order.
According to WebUser.co.uk, PlusNet (a UK ISP) has released a study concluding what many have said for years:
Nearly a third of people say their relationships have suffered because their use of digital technology means they ‘talk less’.
Among other “ground-breaking” conclusions:
90% said email, text, and IMs make communication less personal; 41% said they’d rather get a phone call; 40% say email, text, and IM are less confrontational; 27% use email, text, and IM to flirt; 22% use email, text, and IM to apologize for missed birthdays; 19% use email, text, and IM to call in sick to work.
I mentioned some of my thoughts on this in my interview with Garrick the other day. The Internet “mediates” relationships, like postal mail does, or sending messages to your spouse via the kids. But the almost “real-time” immediacy of the Net conceals it’s mediating
I’m popular on the Web! Well, maybe I’m just popular on Garrick Van Buren’s website. Or, maybe I’m just popular on one podcast on one podcaster’s show coming out of a small home in Minnesota that is redolent of freshly roasted coffee.
I had the pleasure of spending over an hour on Skype with Garrick of the “First Crack Podcast,” talking about his show, podcasting, the Internet, and more. It was a great conversation, and I’m looking forward to listening to his half-hour condensation our our hour-plus conversation.
I just had to say that now, before listening to the show, because I really enjoyed the conversation, and didn’t want to sully my good feelings with that sense of “Aargh! He left out the best part!” <grin> Garrick’s a good guy, and he has an interesting show, in my opinion. I frequently enjoy the