Boldly Going Where No Web Cam Has Gone Before

When I think about Telepresence I immediately think about Star Trek. There are my occurrences in that glorious show/movies that the Captain (Kirk, Picard, Sisko, or Janeway) talks to another person over the large view screen that is located on their bridge. Now what that does is allows the Captain to discuss the matters of the episode with the opposing Captain or Alien leader. Now this experience may not be a very embodied experience, but it does allow the Captain to complete his missions. It brings two ships together in a way that would be difficult to accomplish in the future. In the same way varies technologies as Web cams and chatrooms do allow people to connect in a personal way that may they may not be able to do due to certain circumstances. I know that in my family my sister lives in Seattle with her husband and her 10 month old daughter. They were able to connect their camcorder to their computer. My parents bought a web cam, and now as a result we are able to connect to each other in a new way that is not possible due to geography. Being able to connect to each other has allowed my parents to see their grand-daughter grow. Previously people would have to wait for important holidays to see each other. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and family reunions were times where families would gather and share stories about their lives throughout the year. Now through the internet people can connect in between these holidays as well as on these holidays. This connection may not be as fulfilling as a personal interaction, but it is certainly an excellent alternative when embodied interaction may not be possible.