I just discovered that many of my team members like to communicate with each other over MSN, even they just sit beside with others!
Out of curiosity, I pull one of them in my office, and ask them why, and here are their "official" reasons:
a) Keep it low - They don't wants to bother other people, and prefer quiet conversation.
b) Audit log - They could record the conversation
c) Is the "in" things, and I belong to older generations..
Wow, the third point actually hurt me..but I tend to not agree with the first two points.
First, I believe verbal communication is far more effective than typing words in the chat windows, one can't simply shows his/her emotion or body languages over MSN (Although some will argue of using Smiley icons is as effective as our body language). And two, we are team mates, why we like to record our conversation? To protect ourself?
I am lost here, can't imagine what will happen 5-10 years later? Do I have to SMS my Son for dinner, even he is just upstairs playing computer game?
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2 comments:
True, we use MSN to communicate (esp gossip) because it's so private and we can exclude the audience that we don't like during the office hours. That's why the pantry is not so crowded anymore!
We like it until we found out that we can't live without MSN, emails and internet. We're connected in the cyberspace but isolated in the real life. Pity.
Strangely, PM Lee did mention about a father SMS-ing his son when they are just across the table in one of his speeches.
I can understand your take that it is hard to access the other party's non-verbal communication (e.g. via body language). Yet, there seems to be a set of people (increasingly large) who seems to be able to articulate better through writing than through speech!
Naturally, we are "wired" to speak and use that vocal chord of ours to communicate. So, like you, I still like the old ways (esp. when a sticky situation arises). I like to access where are the areas which the other party might not want to "venture" futher.
There are so many things that cannot really be communicated via typing words. Talking to a team-mate in tears helps me to understand the situation better than seeing a crying-icon.
Living with this new era of communication method requires quite a skillful balance. Finding this pivot point is not always easy in a digital village.
No, I won't want my son to SMS me for dinner. Or SMS me when I reach the door steps with the message - "Welcome home, Dad."
Disaster. I will smash my handphone when that happens.
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