This semester, my roommate’s older sister is studying abroad in Scotland. Her sister is also one of my good friends, so we were both worried about the prospect of not seeing her for four months. Luckily, it was around this time that the software Skype became reintroduced to me.
Skype had been installed on my computer for a few months, yet I had seldom ever had any cause to make use of it. The suggestion was made that we Skype with our friend while she was abroad, and the very first week she was away we did exactly that. Just a few clicks of my mouse and a video chat request later, my friend and my roommate’s sister miraculously appeared in front of our eyes, defying any distance and time barriers that would have separated us in the past.
With Skype, we were able to talk with my friend in real time through a small webcam and microphone built directly into my laptop, and the Skype software was available to me completely free of charge from the internet. Utilizing this concept made me fully realize how the development of new technology and media continues to change the face of human communication every day.
This revolutionized form of communication has been used in other settings as well. Skype has even been used to conduct business interviews. Applicants applying from long distances away no longer need to fly or drive to meet their appointments, but can simply Skype in and meet their potential employers through a video conference call.
Five years ago, my roommate probably would have reached her sister by telephone (yet only by paying additional cell phone fees) or even email (a medium which was once so fast but continues to seem slower every day). Now, despite being thousands of miles apart, they can literally have a face to face conversation in the same room. It is communication tools such as Skype that defy all previous conceptions of communication by globalizing our world and our relationships.
More Skype news:
http://skype-news.tmcnet.com/
Skype has also become an application for the android cell phone, increasing its audience and accessibility:
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