Lj Idol: Can't Touch This!
Need inspiration? Are you on Twitter? Why not put the topic into your client's handy little search box and see what kinds of Tweets come up. You'd get some great ideas from that!
Not surprisingly, the most popular thing under this heading referred to the iPod Touch. I think I want one of those, but because everything is done on a screen with no buttons I'm a bit nervous about ease of use. Certainly blind folks can and do use them, (note: links to MP3 audio file that will begin playing immediately) but it just sounds adventurous. I'd probably need to get my grubby little hands on one before I went out and spent dough I don't have to acquire it.
I saw a tweet that I found even more interesting, though. It said "the handshake is an interesting cultural behavior. we must physically touch before we can get to know one another." I would say so, and add that it is even more so when either one or both parties who are attempting to introduce themselves cannot see.
There have been many cases where I've had a rousing conversation with someone, and as we say our parting words, I've popped my hand out only to find that they've already gone. Or perhaps worse, someone says hi to me and I them, and then I leave them standing there with hand extended until a third individual finally sees fit to connect us. The funniest interaction probably occurs between two blind people. "Where are you." "Right here, where are you." After narrowly avoiding eyepokes, we finally manage to connect and say "Ah, nice meeting you!"
You know what I find even more fascinating? The handshake is not even a universal mode of greeting. When I went to Madrid, (second entry in a series) I discovered that they either kiss one or both cheeks as they say hello. I didn't actually engage in this behavior, as I was afraid of what might happen to me as a result of a wayward aim. Even so, some degree of physical contact is still involved.
My question is this: do we humans have some ingrained need to feel the body-to-body presence of another? Does the fact that so many of us meet via Twitter and other similar social networks these days do something to cheapen our connections? It is, at least, food for thought.
If you want to and haven't already, please come on over and follow me. We have a lot of fun over there.
Not surprisingly, the most popular thing under this heading referred to the iPod Touch. I think I want one of those, but because everything is done on a screen with no buttons I'm a bit nervous about ease of use. Certainly blind folks can and do use them, (note: links to MP3 audio file that will begin playing immediately) but it just sounds adventurous. I'd probably need to get my grubby little hands on one before I went out and spent dough I don't have to acquire it.
I saw a tweet that I found even more interesting, though. It said "the handshake is an interesting cultural behavior. we must physically touch before we can get to know one another." I would say so, and add that it is even more so when either one or both parties who are attempting to introduce themselves cannot see.
There have been many cases where I've had a rousing conversation with someone, and as we say our parting words, I've popped my hand out only to find that they've already gone. Or perhaps worse, someone says hi to me and I them, and then I leave them standing there with hand extended until a third individual finally sees fit to connect us. The funniest interaction probably occurs between two blind people. "Where are you." "Right here, where are you." After narrowly avoiding eyepokes, we finally manage to connect and say "Ah, nice meeting you!"
You know what I find even more fascinating? The handshake is not even a universal mode of greeting. When I went to Madrid, (second entry in a series) I discovered that they either kiss one or both cheeks as they say hello. I didn't actually engage in this behavior, as I was afraid of what might happen to me as a result of a wayward aim. Even so, some degree of physical contact is still involved.
My question is this: do we humans have some ingrained need to feel the body-to-body presence of another? Does the fact that so many of us meet via Twitter and other similar social networks these days do something to cheapen our connections? It is, at least, food for thought.
If you want to and haven't already, please come on over and follow me. We have a lot of fun over there.