Monday Musings

Skype Again

I used Skype again today. The fIrst time was with an online friend and at one point I helped him find his way around a website. In the second session I used SkypeOut and the results were better. There was no delay in the signals but the sound quality varied from excellent on a cordless phone to fuzzy on a regular phone.

Skype will be useful in some training situations. When using text I have to find what I am looking for and then paste the URL into the IM chat window or describe how to find the proper page. This is fine for experienced computer users but can be hard for newcomers because they are new to messaging itself. Voicechat means the 'trainee' can concentrate on what we are looking at rather than trying to text questions to me.

I think I will get my parents using Skype.

A Nice Walk

The nice weather means I walk more and take time to look at stuff. Today I wandered over to Fisherman's Wharf to check out the new icecream shop but it isn't open yet. Since the new place is opening Barb's place switched from milkshakes to smoothies. I found out that Harbour Seals won't eat the strawberry/banana flavour.

One side benefit of walking around is that I tend to take more photos. I will upload some this week.

Speak No Evil

Several times today I found myself thinking about one of my friends. He has had problems dealing with people saying things they shouldn't. I know what it's like to deal with gossips so I can appreciate his anger. I also find myself trying to make sense of people who walk up and say "I heard (insert rumour) about you. Is it true?". I hate stupid, rude, insensitive people who ignore others until they can't stand not knowing the answer to a juicy question.

People who want respect should treat others with respect. People who want some privacy should respect the privacy of others.

Belonging

I went through periods of my life where I didn't fit in with any group. I remember wanting to have friends or at least a community that I felt part of. I never minded being alone as long as I could reach out to friends when I needed too.

Lately I have been thinking about my online community a lot. Some of my blogfriends have become people I can chat with. I get odd messages with bits of news or just a "Hi Leon. I am busy" type of comment. I find this interesting and satisfying because I get to communicate with a variety of people I wouldn't normally meet offline. I find myself learning a lot and also sharing what I know.

I remember people whoo helped me over the years. Those people (teachers, adults, friends, family, and kids) who had time for me made me feel special. The made me feel less alone. I hope that I am remembered like that by other people.

It's funny because I went from wanting fame and fortune to wanting community and recognition. I guess those bad experiences in my life didn't turn me away from people after all.