Reflections on Internet Communications

When I think about communicating via the internet, I always think of infinite possibilities. Like the road that extends seemingly out into infinity in front of you - you have some idea of what is ahead of you but know there may be twists and turns before you least expect them.

I have been astonished over the past decade at how the internet has evolved not only in its general content but its usability. It has changed how we frame our lives from conversation (everything 2.0) to our daily interaction with websites, email, IMs, blogs, etc.

When the internet is 'good' it seems to be because it is easily navigable and "intuitive;" although, I have come to appreciate that intuitive is a relative term and evolves with our experiences and growing skill sets. Beyond the content and structure of the internet, there are many outside factors which also seem to effect when my experiences communicating via the internet have been good. My internet connection, internet browser, version of operating system, and the age of the computer I am currently on can all present challenges and obstacles to successfully communicating online. Particularly in this age when we are so reliant on tools such as email, there is nothing more frustrating than one of these external factors inhibiting us from successful communication - it seems like one can go from empowered to totally powerless in less time than it takes to refresh a page on a T1 line.

Similarly there are positive and negative aspects to the endless and ever-evolving nature of communicating via the internet. It is exciting to know that applications are constantly being worked on to make them more usable and powerful, but there is also an uncomfortable rate to the growth of the internet and its many applications. Just as you have started to get a handle on one set of tools and their capabilities (eg. bulletin boards and myspace), it is not uncommon to find you have missed the (eg. blog and facebook) boat on the latest, greatest applications. I see many novices, especially older users, become intimidated by the rapidly changing technologies and their hard-earned knowledge outdated before it is even complete. I think we face a challenge as larger institutions and educators to strike a balance between the learning curve of our audience and the fabulous functions each new wave of communication applications and tools offers. I often consider the 'next shiny' object and wonder how brightly it shines for the general public, and how much it looks like a yawning darkness of unknowns.