Wave by wave, technology has brought us amazing advancements.

Problem is, they don’t replace each other, they are cumulative. People still have records, 8-tracks, tapes, CDs, minidiscs*, 8mm reels, VHS tapes, DVDs… All are recently or long obsolete, but still technically operational, and therefore used.

The same happens with communication, particularly recently. Not only do previous methods stick around, they are still used. The ease of each new communication method bring with it additional complication. Which one do I choose? Which one is more appropriate for what?

In the recent era… (skipping over ancient tech, smoke signals, etc :-) )

  • Nothing (in person communication) - Can I talk to them?
  • … then came telephone -  When is it worth calling them as opposed to seeing them in person? is it formal enough to deserve an in-person meeting?
  • … then came e-mail -  Do I have to hear from them now? Do they prefer e-mail? What’s their address?
  • … then came text/instant messaging-  can I condense the content into a small enough message?
  • … then came social media -  Am I “friends” with them? Do I want others to be involved?

I’ve been thinking about this recently, with recent discussions of “Inbox 2.0” (e-mail derived social networking), and finally giving in and playing with Twitter. I still use e-mail. I still use IM. I still use text messaging. I still send messages on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc… Each one still has it’s own utility, but with enough overlap that I have to make a conscious decision of which one to use to communicate with an individual.

There is no solution, currently. Just like I still have grandparents who I’m sure still only use VHS tapes with their VCR, there will still be people who “stick” with a particular communication method, and shouldn’t be left behind.

Unless someone were to develop some Communication Aggregator, a marvelous technology that will someway, somehow, link everything. But who knows what that will look like.

*had to throw that one in there, given that I got fooled into buying one, along with everyone in Japan.