Communication in Use...

Week 2; Post 1
Tutorial Task; Part 1
When communicating, to friends, family or people within my professional life I use a range of platforms that I feel is most appropriate to each situation. Facebook; wall posts, messages, live chat., Twitter, SMS, MMS, e-mail, forums, Blogger, telephone. I use all of these technologies at some point to ensure that the message that I transmit is perceived correctly by the recipient. 
How long have you been using these communication technologies?
I have been using communication technologies since the day I could talk, the telephone. Mainly it was to family, however as the years progressed and my social life became more active It was necessary to adopt other forms of communication, such as SMS and MMS. Then, once old enough and I was exposed to the World Wide Web, I took facebook, twitter and forums on board to keep in touch with people that, under older circumstances, I would have lost touch with.

What influenced you to start using these particular technologies?  How did you find out about them?  I started using communication technologies since I could talk mainly because it was a requirement. Because my family lived away from other members of the family (granny and cousins), talking on the phone was the only way of communication, unless we made the commute to visit. I was introduced to the telephone it was a part of everyday life, everyone used it, therefore I did.

Is privacy an issue for you when using new technologies?  What do you think of companies like Facebook and Google who collect information about their users?   (How do you deal with issues around privacy?) I think that there are certain levels of privacy that we need to be concerned about when sharing information. Obviously we are all aware that giving out our bank details to dodgy websites is a big no no. I am only concerned about levels of privacy when websites and applications require more information that I think is necessary without the correct level of justification. 

Do you have friends whom you know only from the Internet and have never met in person?   Is this different to people that you know in person?  Describe the difference.
I have friends online that I have never met in person, mainly friends of friends or long lost family. its only different in that I don't really speak to them, only have them as friends.