We Love Skype

This past week, my students and I communicated with a few of our clients using Skype. It’s easy to see why Time.com named Skype.com one of the “50 Best Websites 2009.” (By the way, if you haven’t used Skype before, it’s really very easy to use — and video calls are free!)

I think we love Skype because we get to SEE the people we’re communicating with — we get a “visual” to go along with a voice or an email. One of my students said, “It’s great to see a face to put with a name!” She’s right.

With email and the telephone, a device seems to get in the way a bit — the computer, mobile device or phone delivers a message, but we don’t see the person behind the message. Through email, phones and devices, our one-to-one communication is facilitated by the media and its technology, but the “people connection” is impeded.

Skype facilitates our communication AND it lets us see and connect with a real person — a smiling face. We like that — and we love Skype.

Until next time,

Kathy Magrino

2 thoughts on “We Love Skype

  1. Alex

    Hi Kathy,

    I agree though my problem with Skype is that I’m a very animated talker, I like to be walking in circles, kicking my legs and being active. Sitting at a computer on Skype, be it voice or video, thus feels a little uncomfortable to me. Though I can certainly understand the + of video.

  2. Kathy Magrino Post author

    Guess you’re a natural “mover and shaker,” Alex!! I agree that it is a little confining to sit in front of a computer screen — but I find Skype to be one of those things that my grandparents and their generation never would have imagined to be possible!! The world is so much smaller today because of communication media like Skype. Thanks for your response!

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