Face to Face

[ae86gamer]

The world will turn into the Chobits world. Persacoms as far as the eye can see interacting with people. People falling in love with robots. Robots going insane and killing people. I think that we should have more social interactions. Though I wouldn't mind if persacoms were real its just that whole falling in love with a robot thing that is creepy.

 

[GothmogII]

This is actually a part of the internet which frightens me. I don't think that the internet should ever be used to make lasting friendships. I don't consider anyone on the internet who I don't know in reality to be a friend. I find social networking to be utterly perplexing. The role of the internet for me in terms of discussions is to get my viewpoints out to as many people as possible and to get as many counterpoints as possible in a rapid period. Yes, I may use IRC, but even then, I'm usually waiting to latch onto an incoming discussion.

Funny thing though...even before the advent of telecommunications, there have been people who, separate for whatever reason or another, managed quite fine to remain friends even if they very rarely actually met together in person. Although one could take, 'very rarely' as still contact anyway, making the point invalid. Just saying, even if two people are separated by a glass wall, that doesn't necessarily mean that any interaction, and friendships garnered by that interaction are therefore invalidated.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

we are slowly being turned into automatons to work a giant supercomputer. which I happen to own right now. Well, I stole it but thats besides the point.

Human beings now are become more and more impersonal, loosing necessary social skills. I can attest to that.

 

[GothmogII]

we are slowly being turned into automatons to work a giant supercomputer. which I happen to own right now. Well, I stole it but thats besides the point.

Human beings now are become more and more impersonal, loosing necessary social skills. I can attest to that.

Curious though...if 'worst' comes to worst...those skills won't be necessary anymore anyway will they? They'll have been superseded by an entirely new set of skills.

I don't know...all this smacks of hating on the wheel. I'm sure that also got a lot of stink on making things too easy and not forcing people to carry everything around themselves. And the steam engine...the automobile, which you'd swear would either cause people's legs to atrophy or make them forget how to walk...funny how that never happened either...then again, maybe it's a matter of time.

 

[Cahlee]

I can see that this may happen to some but for me, socializing will never end. I love human contact and simply being with people. I almost always chat with whoever is serving me at McDonalds or at the shopping centre.

But yes, lately I've found that people in service jobs (specifically food) are being weeded out. It saddens me. This is going to end in a lot of lost jobs imo.

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

I can see that this may happen to some but for me, socializing will never end. I love human contact and simply being with people. I almost always chat with whoever is serving me at McDonalds or at the shopping centre.

But yes, lately I've found that people in service jobs (specifically food) are being weeded out. It saddens me. This is going to end in a lot of lost jobs imo.

I don't think anyone is going to be weeded out all together in this generation. Generations that did not grow up with the internet will never embrace online-ordering (for places like take-out or delivery), and all automated services seem to require human input at some juncture.

As well as that, certain personal services will never be replaced by machines. Waiters at restaurants, delivery (wo)men, managers, technicians, the list goes on.

Beyond that, I don't have much worry for the jobs themselves as I do for society itself. We'll never replace a human, at the very least, as the end of a corporate chain. I don't think humans can really get along normally without someone to talk to if they go high enough.

 

[Neesa]

I totally think we need to be more face to face. How in the world are we suppose to interact and be social if we're directed to an automated message? Nah, fuck that. I'll happily press 0 to speak to a human representative to get real human answers. I think companies just messages as a way to cut out people. Hey, less people, less paychecks. But it's not the same.

But regardless, I'd rather deal and speak with a human any day. Mmmm, body heat.

 

[Neesa]

Yes, it's true, we are losing face-to-face time, with every passing year we see more automated machines where once stood humans behind counters. Do I think that's a bad thing? Not at all, and a lot of people seem to be just saying it's a bad thing on reflex.

Then again, I'm an ultra introvert, according to the FaceBook personality test I have a 4% Extraversion score; only 0.009% of people who've taken the test have a lower score than that. Of course, that's a FaceBook application and it's in no way conclusive.

In all honesty, this is a welcome break from the hastles of social interaction. You don't feel obliged to force a smile or share insincere pleasantries with a computer screen.

Besides, whether or not clerks become a thing of the past, people will always seek out other people. It's not like physical social interactions are ever going to die in the foreseeable future.

Oh man, I know how that is. I have to fake a smile and act like I give a damn at work to customers all the time. Especially in actuality, I can't stand 99% of the customers that step foot into my job. Ugh. I get so angry after I fake a smile and want to punch their faces in for coming in and buying food. But then again, I have slight anger issues so...eh....

 

[xitel]

Oh man, I know how that is. I have to fake a smile and act like I give a damn at work to customers all the time. Especially in actuality, I can't stand 99% of the customers that step foot into my job. Ugh. I get so angry after I fake a smile and want to punch their faces in for coming in and buying food. But then again, I have slight anger issues so...eh....

I'm actually the exact opposite. I loved my customers, despite the fact that I got some bad eggs. I just made small talk and jokes with them, and several times I made a customer that entered my line with a growl leave it with a smile.

 

[PurpleRain]

I love the internet and the wonders it can provid for me and others, but when it comes to getting outside, and going to the petrol station and whatnot, I don't see why everything has to be electronic. One thing in Canada that I found a bit odd was a lot less human interaction then you get here. At the checkouts, machines give you change, at the movies, you stand infront of a glass cage and talk through a speaky hole. Down here most things are hands on (while still having that option of ordering food online). At the cinemas, you have to walk up to a counter and pay for a ticket over the desk, which sometimes can lead to you talking about said movie. I prefer that I think.

So don't get me wrong, talking to you guys without meeting you (well, most of you) is great, when I leave my cyber world, I'd rather a more human approach. Plus, if we don't stop, ten years tops... the robots will rise!

 

[Neesa]

I'm actually the exact opposite. I loved my customers, despite the fact that I got some bad eggs. I just made small talk and jokes with them, and several times I made a customer that entered my line with a growl leave it with a smile.

Eh, I try to do all the small talk and whatnot when I'm in the mood. But then again, I get hit on by old men and asked for my phone number.... I get the occasional obscene joke told to me and then I'm completely turned off. Or the bitchy woman that expect her food ready instantly even though she was in line with 5 people in front of her. Or I get the aggravated customer that complains to me that our prices are to 'high' and that I should do something about it.

Man, the list could go on and on really.

 

[xitel]

I'm actually the exact opposite. I loved my customers, despite the fact that I got some bad eggs. I just made small talk and jokes with them, and several times I made a customer that entered my line with a growl leave it with a smile.

Eh, I try to do all the small talk and whatnot when I'm in the mood. But then again, I get hit on by old men and asked for my phone number.... I get the occasional obscene joke told to me and then I'm completely turned off. Or the bitchy woman that expect her food ready instantly even though she was in line with 5 people in front of her. Or I get the aggravated customer that complains to me that our prices are to 'high' and that I should do something about it.

Man, the list could go on and on really.

Trust me, I got all of that and a bottle to the head (literally), but I found the trick is to just smile and nod and divert their attentions. But then, I'm a pretty humble person in real life normally, so that may help.

 

[Neesa]

I'm actually the exact opposite. I loved my customers, despite the fact that I got some bad eggs. I just made small talk and jokes with them, and several times I made a customer that entered my line with a growl leave it with a smile.

Eh, I try to do all the small talk and whatnot when I'm in the mood. But then again, I get hit on by old men and asked for my phone number.... I get the occasional obscene joke told to me and then I'm completely turned off. Or the bitchy woman that expect her food ready instantly even though she was in line with 5 people in front of her. Or I get the aggravated customer that complains to me that our prices are to 'high' and that I should do something about it.

Man, the list could go on and on really.

Trust me, I got all of that and a bottle to the head (literally), but I found the trick is to just smile and nod and divert their attentions. But then, I'm a pretty humble person in real life normally, so that may help.

Sometimes that doesn't work. I guess my smile isn't powerful enough. Hmph. Oh well.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

You know, I don't really feel that we NEED face to face interaction, just to know that someone else is there with us, whether it be in a chat room, over Skype or face to face.
No doubt, seeing someone in person is great, and provides a bit more than just hearing their voice or watching their opinions scroll across a screen, but it's uneccesary.
I have a theory as to why we are less attached to face to face meetings these days: Who makes all these new technologies?
Scientists.
Scientists who were picked on by the many assholes inhabiting our planet.
Scientists who would prefer not to deal with those assholes face to face, and so they make systems to avoid contact with them.