Is Tech Bringing Us Closer Together Instead of Allowing Us to Sprawl?

A columnist for Wired has an interesting look at how telecommunications are actually making it more interesting to reside in populated areas instead of allowing the complete disregard for distance. "Technology makes it more fun and more profitable to live and work close to the people who matter most to your life and work. Harvard economist Ed Glaeser, an expert on city economies, argues that communications technology and face-to-face interactions are complements like salt and pepper, rather than substitutes like butter and margarine. Paradoxically, your cell phone, email, and Facebook networks are making it more attractive to meet people in the flesh."

Comments

What Happened to My Long Tail?

[moehoward]

Isn't this pretty much the opposite of the "long-tail" theory?

I guess every stupid sociological theory deserves an equally stupid response.

Real time

[Paralizer]

Paradoxically, your cell phone, email, and Facebook networks are making it more attractive to meet people in the flesh. Why is the cell phone listed? Land lines do the same thing and have been around a lot longer, that is nothing new.

E-Mail is just a faster form of snail-mail. I can understand wanting to meet a pen pal but I don't see how having one is more appealing than meeting someone at a public place.

Facebook.. good lord. Social networking sites are a joke. I have more interesting conversations on IRC on a regular basis than anyone ever has on facebook. And that has been around for ages, as has instant messanging. Thinking about how facebook makes it "more attractive to meet people in the flesh" makes my head explode. I think I actually hate that site for how much crap it seems to be spewing out.