Bursting the Bubble
So for the past sum of Thursdays, I've eschewed my geekish computering ways for something (only marginally!) less geekish. I actually went out and socialized.
Of course, by marginally, I mean it. I am referring to the fact I have been attending an anime movie night/OVA campaign. The gaming group is an eclectic mix of folks, but overall it's been a lot of fun.
But these Thursdays spent rolling dice and chugging colas have concreted for me the substantial difference between hanging out with friends in real life and online.
When online, this sort of bubble of white space is created, an individual world in which you only portray the details that seem necessary at hand. Though it's easy enough to convey all matters of senses, they never intrude unless we bid them to do so. There's no ringing of cell-phones, no chatter of nearby conversations or the smell of root beer, nor the infallible ticking of a nearby pocket-watch as the projector flickers. We can even create several of these bubbles, each an independent conversation from the last until we decide otherwise. It's also a secure place, a world that gives the false sense of undivided attention. After all, you cannot see outside of the bubble, either.
By comparison, a room full of people all interacting seems chaotic at best. Conversations are mixed and interrupted. The illusion of intimacy is gone. In its place though are all those subtleties, the changes of expression, the environmental din, those words we form that are not quite words...and the not-so-subtleties of a kid yelling "Frag!" in the LAN gaming area.
Maybe that's why I make a habit of trading music with acquaintances online. After some small fashion, it's the intrusion of a little bit of the world outside of the bubble, a trade of the environment from across the country (or the world, as the case may be).
Back to computerland: OVA is finally on its way to being printed and ready to ship to distributors. It needed a new printer for the distribution program, but it took three printers to achieve the quality I needed. It's not all bad though; I took the time to make a few more revisions and replace an image that never did like to print correctly due to its use of comic "tones." (the result) I'm also currently working on a web-design project for James over at RPGnow. He's asked me to keep it under the hood until the site is officially launched, but I'll be sure to link it once it's live.
Of course, by marginally, I mean it. I am referring to the fact I have been attending an anime movie night/OVA campaign. The gaming group is an eclectic mix of folks, but overall it's been a lot of fun.
But these Thursdays spent rolling dice and chugging colas have concreted for me the substantial difference between hanging out with friends in real life and online.
When online, this sort of bubble of white space is created, an individual world in which you only portray the details that seem necessary at hand. Though it's easy enough to convey all matters of senses, they never intrude unless we bid them to do so. There's no ringing of cell-phones, no chatter of nearby conversations or the smell of root beer, nor the infallible ticking of a nearby pocket-watch as the projector flickers. We can even create several of these bubbles, each an independent conversation from the last until we decide otherwise. It's also a secure place, a world that gives the false sense of undivided attention. After all, you cannot see outside of the bubble, either.
By comparison, a room full of people all interacting seems chaotic at best. Conversations are mixed and interrupted. The illusion of intimacy is gone. In its place though are all those subtleties, the changes of expression, the environmental din, those words we form that are not quite words...and the not-so-subtleties of a kid yelling "Frag!" in the LAN gaming area.
Maybe that's why I make a habit of trading music with acquaintances online. After some small fashion, it's the intrusion of a little bit of the world outside of the bubble, a trade of the environment from across the country (or the world, as the case may be).
Back to computerland: OVA is finally on its way to being printed and ready to ship to distributors. It needed a new printer for the distribution program, but it took three printers to achieve the quality I needed. It's not all bad though; I took the time to make a few more revisions and replace an image that never did like to print correctly due to its use of comic "tones." (the result) I'm also currently working on a web-design project for James over at RPGnow. He's asked me to keep it under the hood until the site is officially launched, but I'll be sure to link it once it's live.