Free chatter
A sign that the model is changing happened here this evening; while son #1 was busy with “clavardage” (does anyone REALLY use that word?), there were two simultaneous Skype calls from our house. I’m one of those who will try a new technology once or twice just to see how it works, but from there to adopting is slower. I first called my nephew from the computer close to three years ago; he thought I was nuts. Jump forward to Skype getting easier and cheaper, and my finding a Bluetooth headset on eBay.
The conference call part is “way cool”; something my real telephone probably could have done, but not something that had ever happened in my first half-century around the device. Now, I can get friends online; we can drop the call, or use chat, or send a link to something interesting, or video (well, in principle). But the model works.
It might be a while before my mother feels comfortable mousing to me; I’m working on it. Sure beats finding a stamp and envelope, though.
