Face to face communications?

The traditional face-to-face interactions upon which relationships have typically rested are much harder today for a variety of reasons. In the community development field, many neighborhood residents are simply too busy or have too demanding schedules to have regular, or even casual social interactions. This is true in comfortable as well as poor neighborhoods. Some populations also lack the ability to hold meetings, either do to physical limitation, or fear of their immediate area. To the bed-ridden or those who fear their streets, using IT is a perfect way for them to interact with their surrounding community, or indeed anyone they choose. While relying on pure text is often limiting, voice-over-IP technology is gaining ground, and in the mean time, the absence of social pressure may have some benefits as well.

Allan Friedman
January, 2002