my two cents: i think it's exactly the different geographical locations of users that makes mobile communication so popular. people want to share their physical locations with others exactly because they are not in the same place, and mobile internet/telephony enables them to do just that: to give their conversational partner a sense of physical context. this information is vital for mobile communication, which does not break down geographical limitations in a physical sense and, as such, does not make any geographical destination available on 'speed dial'. this is not star trek. the fact that we can easily converse over long distances in real time does not mean physical location has lost its key role in providing interactional context. cheers, niels van doorn phd candidate amsterdam school of communications research (ASCoR) On Dec 19, 2007 9:31 PM, Dominic Pinto <dominic.pinto@ieee.org> wrote:
James Watt wrote:
At 01:12 PM 12/19/2007, Barry Wellman wrote:
I recently did an interview with a smart reporter, Eric Weiner, from NPR (US National Public Radio). In it, I opined that one of the most prevalent Qs when people talk on mobile/cell phones is "Where are you"?
I don't know the facts of this case, but it does raise an intriguing question in my mind: If ubiquitous communication breaks down geographical limitations, as many have assumed, why would a question about physical location be the most prevalent thing people ask? Why would it matter where you are if all geographic locations are 2 seconds away on speed dial? I have some data-free suspicions, but I'd be interested in others' ideas.
Anecdotally, but fun: a friend reported when on a trip (flight?) on the London Eye that fellow travellers were excitedly calling up their friends and screeching where do you think I am! And presumably then sending pretty pictures of London from n feet above the Thames. _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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