Ep #28: Using AIM to reflect on always-on tech and social norms

Episode 28 April 17, 2023 00:30:21
Ep #28: Using AIM to reflect on always-on tech and social norms
Rethinking with Alex Torpey
Ep #28: Using AIM to reflect on always-on tech and social norms

Apr 17 2023 | 00:30:21

/

Show Notes

Do you remember Netscape, AOL Instant Messenger, and loud dial-up? Well in this episode of Rethinking, we drink some cool refreshing millennial nostalgia and talk about the values and assumptions built into different social communication technologies, and how much those have changed over the last 25 years.

We trace some important differences between things like dial-up AOL Instant Messenger to the always on connected devices that pervade nearly all corners of the world now. We talk about how differing designs in technology impacts our own capacities, such as the difference between learning to navigate around by using a compass and map versus GPS. And we think about the three tier red-yellow-green system that was implicitly built into AIM (and many other areas of our life), as a framework to help us create more uniform social norms about how we communicate with each other, how present we are in what we’re doing, and how productive we are at work.

You can find all the episodes of Rethinking at rethinkingwithalextorpey.com or wherever you to listen to podcasts. Please feel free to share or like if you enjoy!

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted here, and in large part that is because I’ve been settling into living up in New Hampshire and Vermont and my new job as the Town Manager in Hanover, New Hampshire. If you want to hear what we’re up to there, we actually have a town podcast called “Hanover Happenings.” We’re working on lots of interesting stuff!

Other Episodes

Episode 25

May 31, 2022 00:42:02
Episode Cover

Ep #25: Municipal borrowing - is rising debt a problem in your community?

While millions of Americans are in debt or behind on high-interest credit card payments, many trillions of dollars is owed by governments at various...

Listen

Episode 32

June 07, 2024 00:05:23
Episode Cover

Ep #31: Five Min Book Review - The Machine Stops by EM Forster

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where people constantly shared and consumed video content, for an...

Listen

Episode 19

December 07, 2021 01:01:43
Episode Cover

Ep 19: Discussion on polarization, civics, libraries, and where we go from here at the South Orange Public Library

Join former mayor, municipal manager, professor, and consultant Alex Torpey for another episode of Rethinking. This is a special episode. What follows is a...

Listen