Around the room are several computers linked to Compuserves's CB, of course. People tend to form small groups around each of the computers alternating between talking with each other and conversing with others not there via the CB - saying hello , inviting people to join us, giving them directions, etc. As I watch I notice something rather odd. Then I step back for a moment, look carefully at the individuals and begin to realize that things are not what they seem. Yet they frequently and enjoyably communicate with each other on the CB Simulator.
Telecommunications is inherently democratic.
It has some of the characteristics of being in direct contact with someones' mind unencumbered by the accoutrements of social class and status that we so often hide behind. In much the same way as we can by writing personal letters or talking with a stranger whom we are sure we will never see again we can be open and intimate in expressing our innermost feelings. The social barriers are lowered yet at the same time we remain a 'safe distance apart'. Rather than dehumanizing them the telecommunications is enriching their lives with new social experiences. They get to meet, to share, and to know a variety of interesting people that they otherwise would have been unlikely to have had the opportunity to interact with.