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This blog right now might not have any real relevance to digital media but since we are all artists I thought I would share an amusing visual image that I can’t get out of my head. I am at our local coffee shop this morning because it is impossible to accomplish anything remotely academic in my own house. I packed up my books, computer, etc and headed out. While I was walking there it occurred to me that with wireless internet and digital technology people are now their own mobile offices. I felt like a turtle carrying everything I needed on my back looking for a place to settle without the noise of toy cars, Elmo, and/or endless renditions of “Old McDonald Had a Farm”.
When I got to the coffee shop it was filled with other people doing the same thing with bags full of laptops and books. I was struck by the turtle analogy. Everyone has a laptop which enables them to email, shop, study and write anywhere. It is like we are carrying our homes on our backs. I guess I have never stopped to think about it but this freedom to move, work, study just about anywhere has got to be one of the biggest changes in our society in the last 10-20 years. It is interesting to think about the impact it has had in terms of what we regard as the division between public and personal space.
If your office is anywhere does that mean it is appropriate to carry on business conversations and discuss certain topics anywhere? I have often sat next to people at the airport, in coffee shops or on the metro who are talking loudly about their business. These people discuss client concerns, complain about someone they work with or discuss money in front of total strangers. This happens with personal as well as business conversations because I guess if your office is mobile so too is your living room. I am pretty sure that most people would agree that being trapped next to these “personal” conversations is awkward but I have never really stopped to think about the root of this personal/public mentality. It think it stems from the same freedom that I enjoy so much; to pack up and work somewhere other than a designated home or office. I wonder if this freedom can be enjoyed while at the same time adhering to some social boundaries. How do we come to a consensus about what is appropriate when and where? Is there a role for educators working with technology to teach etiquette? I would be really interested to know what other people think about this. I am leaning towards saying yes, educators have a role in teaching etiquette but I feel like this could be a really difficult and ethically complex question.
After all this deep thinking, I then proceeded to waste time conjuring up images of the people around me as turtles. It may be lack of sleep but for whatever reason a coffee shop full of turtles amuses me.
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HAHAHAHAHAHA that is hilarious !
weird you should bring this kind of thing up too because i have been thinking about some related stuff as well. i moved here to this area a little more than a year ago now and i’ve lived in a number of places including all over VA, Korea, and NYC. nowhere have i felt like i do here, that people are OBSESSED with their work.
people in DC LOVE what they do. these political type people and IT professionals love Love LOVE their jobs. they love to be there, they love to talk about, its so funny and most of all they love taking it around with them.
when i first came here i dated a guy who was the same age as me but really accomplished (unlike me). he was one of those people that was a little too smart for his own good. he was a very cool guy, funny, nice, had manners, all that good stuff. but he loved him some work! hahahaa. it was the one thing that kinda annoyed me about him. we would talk on the phone and i could here him clicking away at his laptop (while he was at home at 9 pm). sometimes he went to work at 4 am. just cause he wanted to, lol. every once in awhile he was at work on the weekend! when we were together he would answer calls from work (at night or on the weekend when we were out) but then he would ignore calls from his mom. HAHA. what the world ?
when i’m out with friends, first i do check my phone if it rings but i try to only answer important ones, or important people. and i try to keep my phone convos short when i’m out with others. i think its just rude and it tells the people your with that they aren’t important to you. (if the people i went out with last night are reading this by any chance, i don’t want to talk about it, lol).
but anyways, more along the lines of what you were saying Sara, I agree that teachers have a role in teaching etiquette and your right, it is a difficult question. I am sure if people started thinking about it and talking about it we could def get into some different viewpoints. Its a great question, definitely worth raising.
Comment by Christina Perry November 22, 2008 @ 9:35 pmI really like your turtle analogy! It is cute and works. I too had never thought about this. But one really can pack up all of their things much easier then ever before and reset up where ever they would like. It would make since that this would create and facilitate a tear or conflict between personal and public space. But is something one would do in a cubicle that personal? People get fired all of the time for viewing porn of uploading images of them doing drugs. With technology is it more the personal has just become public. Or are we putting or choosing to put ourselves in these vulnerable public situations.
Comment by JAlbano November 30, 2008 @ 8:58 pmMy roommate is very apposed the entire facebook, myspace thing. Constantly pointing out or asking why I would want to invite people I don’t know well into my personal life. She doesn’t understand why I would want to put myself into what to her is a vulnerable situation.
I guess I don’t really have an answer. But there are my thoughts.
Best blog entry of the year. I might be giggling about this all weekend.
All joking aside you do bring up a great point! What happened to meetings behind closed doors? Honestly, if I were a client of one of these coffehouse worker bees (err turtles) would I really want every person who picked up their latte between 9 and 10am knowing my business plan or personal financial records? Not so much. When has modern convenience become, well- inconvenient? Boundaries ought to be set, but at what point? Do we tell our children, think outside the box, do what makes you happy and follow your dreams- but please get yourself an office! Afraid we can’t. Perhaps there is no viable solution, it may just be where society continues to progress.
Comment by elanamcdermott December 12, 2008 @ 11:01 pm