Monday 30 April 2007

Staying in contact

I notice that the latest version of MSN Messenger includes an option to automatically update contact info for IM buddies. That's handy, and it's interesting too. It represents a decentralisation of the address book that I've considered a good idea for some time. If you still know who you want to contact, they shouldn't drop off your radar even when they change names, move cities, swap out their mobile phone plan, get a new email address and change IM networks all at the same time. I imagine that the generation of my kids will have no trouble organising a high school reunion because they'll have all the right tools available. Their kids will never even have a reunion because they'll stay in contact over the Internet for the rest of their lives.

On the other hand, if you don't want someone to find you again, you should be able to withhold your information from them. Privacy rules are necessary in that sense because we do live in a world with stalkers and plain old crazy ex-boyfriends and girlfriends.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - It's still tough to maintain contact these days.
PPS - Even with all our modern tools.

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