Meeting Online, Meeting in Person, Living in Both:

I had an interesting experience yesterday in class when we broke up into small groups of three. As we began to discuss what we read and our developing ideas for our papers in connecting a work of fiction with a digital culture-related topic, I witnessed something which I found quite fascinating.

I started discussing Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," and my approach of discussing it in the light of being active contributors with a purpose in digital interaction, rather than simply being passive consumers. As I mentioned this, one of my group members, Jake, chimed in saying, "Wait, that was you? I commented on that post, I thought it was great..." and we continued in person the conversation that we had started online.

Then it was Audrey's turn to tell about what she had read and is writing. She's focusing on internet identity, honesty, and how people feel they have to portray themselves in a certain way online. This actually fit well with some of the identity issues I'm considering and addressing in my own study. We had a good discussion comparing notes, and determined that we most definitely would have to continue this discussion online as we each developed our thoughts and papers further.

Then it was Jake's turn. As he told about the former student's blog that he had been assigned to read, Audrey said, "Wait--that was my blog from when I had Brother Burton for a previous class!" They then were able to have a great conversation together about that.

This little triangle just fascinated me. In one way or another, we had all connected online, and here we had been sitting together in class without even realizing those connections. But then meeting and discussing in person just strengthened that connection even more. Some would say that this is a sign of the detrimental effects of technology; that we can have online connections, and then be in the same room with those same people and not even have a connection to them.

But I'd like to argue otherwise that digital connections, coupled with in-person interactions actually complement and amplify human relations. Already having some knowledge of each others' ideas online improved our conversations when we were in person because we already had something to go off of. And in mine and Audrey's situation, the things we discussed in person encouraged us to collaborate further together online.

I've often lamented the fact that our time seems to like the alliances that literary minds of the past shared, how they would get together and philosophize and discuss intellectual things. Like Wordsworth and Coleridge. Lewis and Tolkien. I've felt that today we just seem to lack that part of culture, at least in the undergrad sphere. But now,  I'm beginning to sense that perhaps that part of culture hasn't disappeared afterall. That it actually exists...through the internet.