Rhymes of History

Rhymes of History


After reflecting on Kevin Kelly’s speech on “The Next 5,000 Days of the Web,” which can be found at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html, I decided to re-explore the technologies we use to communicate. Doing so, I was able to see the plethora of technologies that are in existence for communication. Currently we use landline phones, cell phones, video conferencing, email, and even cloud communications, but the tool that I associated the most was Skype. Skype is a communication tool that is also a rhyme of history, and it allows users to make phone calls, participate in video conferencing, collaborate with group members, send instant messages, and share documents all live on the Internet.

Being able to correspond in this manner reflects man’s desire to reach out communicate with the world around him. What was once only possible through clay tablets in Mesopotamia, Egyptian hieroglyphics on papyrus paper, Chinese script on bamboo, and printed books in Europe to text messages on cell phones, email on the Internet, and now Skype. By rekindling communication in this manner, we are able to communicate more effectively with others and at greater distances. Skype has many attribute that make it a wonderful rhyme of history, but the most impressive is the fact that it allows individuals to communicate for free if both parties have access to a computer and the Internet. With the availability of computers and Internet access in libraries, one only has to be able to set up an account to “reach out and touch” someone across the world.

http://www.siemens-enterprise.com/us/products/openscape-cloud-solutions.aspx?gclid=CITeoJe9u6gCFYhM2godwXtQDA

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html