Ben Compton stated "The virtual experience, no matter how rewarding, is
rarely as satisfying as the real thing."
I beg to differ. Twenty years ago, I was an enthusiastic chess player.
As well as playing "the real thing" at my local chess club, I also played
chess by mail. I found the "virtual" chess by mail more satisfying - with
no distractions, and plenty of time to consider the position, I was able
to play a higher quality game.
(Of course, a different person might play chess not just for the game
itself, but primarily to get a break from home life and socialise with
friends at the chess club.)
Another example is writing. While Dickens may have found it satisfying to
write his novels in longhand, I find the "virtual" writing on the modern
word processor better than "the real thing".
I believe the distinction that must be drawn is between experiences which
are enhanced by modern technology, and those for which high tech can only
provide a pale imitation.
--Richard Hills staffdev@ozemail.com.au
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>