Town 2.0
http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/town-hall-20/
One thing that strikes me as a bit strange is the expectation/practice of responding to tweets/messages any time day or night. This really blurs the work/personal life boundary.
On the positive side, more active public engagement is always a good thing.
GUESTS:
- Ted Wheeler: Multnomah County Chair
- Kelli Matthews: Instructor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication
- Karen Pugsley: Princpal of the Green School at Newberg High
- Jennie Day-Burget: Public Information Officer, Portland Water Bureau
Portland Water Blog
http://www.portlandonline.com/rss.cfm?c=39678
Hi Allen,
ReplyDeleteI agree that things are getting strange in terms of boundaries and technology. As well as the personal/work boundary, what about the simple right to be free from the invasion of communication itself? We lost a certain amount of breathing room in moving from letters to landlines, then to fax, then to email, cell phones, and texting. The Tweet phenomenon still confuses me, and I hope that we gain more than we lose in this rising expectation of availability. I don't know about you, but I am clear that my need for personal space can be very challenged by these instant communications.
I remember having a conversation a few years ago with a family friend in her 80's about the expectation of an immediate response to an email. She felt this expectation was partially responsible for bad decisions. The rapid response many give adequate time for reflection and thought.
ReplyDeleteCell phones in restaurants and theaters is another problem. I agree, this can really be an invasion of personal space. I like the etiquette of cell phone use on the train. Brief calls in your seat at low volume are fine. Longer louder ones in the vestibule between cars make more sense, considering you almost have to yell above the train noise. In a restaurant or theater, I don't think it's asking too much to have you phone on vibrate and take the call outside.
It occurs to me that I really miss the phone booth. Not the metal ones outside. I'm referring to the old wooden ones with the accordion doors that closed. This was a quiet space you could make call out of restaurant and traffic noise. Of course the call sounded much clearer because it was on a landline.
Hmm...I'm clearly not the only one nostalgic for these. There's a local company down in Eugene, OR that that refurbishes and sells these. :-)
http://www.pacinfo.com/~eps/Used.html
Hmmm... maybe there's a market for FSC or RFC wooden "phone" booths with high speed port capabilities? And room enough to change into our superhero costumes when needed?
ReplyDelete