Week 3 with MummaJules - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I'm growing into it!

Welcome to the thoughts of Mummajules!

This week I have been asked to reflect on my own experiences with communication technologies and how I use them.

Before participating in this class I have not been a real big fan of these modern technologies. One reason I guess, is that my life has been so busy from a practical and needs based perspective (see personal profile), that I have not had the free time to explore these new mediums. If I needed to talk to someone I would just ring them up and get the job done so that I could move on to the next thing. And if it is for social reasons, I would rather meet up with a friend to enjoy their company, and share some time together.

Another reason is that I get frustrated with technology. It is great when it works and really annoying when it doesn't. In a way you have become dependent on it in that it has become your mode of interaction and then when it lets you down, you have nothing else to fall back on. If the net is down, it is down....... and know matter how much you want to type that note, speak to that person, complete that assignment, there is nothing you can do - for the moment. Grrrrr!!!!! I have a saying with my husband Trev, "I dont want to know how it works, I just want it to do the job" Quite ironic, now that I am taking this course, and need to understand the nitty gritty of the workings and functions of New Communication Technology. Life has a way of bringing you around doesn't it?

Email has been the starting point of new communication technologies for me and was originally used more for business back in the 90's, than for personal use. While running a business which designed and manufactured swimwear, email was a daily ritual; sending information to suppliers and contractors in order to keep them all informed, sharing rosters and timetables, forwarding minutes of meetings etc. This proved to be a very successful business tool and an effective form of communication with the added advantage of being able to track each detail and part of the process by having a confirm message sent each time correspondence went out.

The company grew quickly and required a lot of my time, and so alongside business use, personal use of email allowed me to stay in contact with friends all over the world. I love that email is immediate, unlike the older methods of mail taking weeks to send and receive. Being able to attach photos and even video clips to messages means that I can share family events as they are happening and more than just hearing about them, friends are able to see them as well.

Another technology that I use is Skype, with a camera. Allowing me to stay in close and visible contact with each of my four daughters who are living all over the Australia and other parts of the world. To speak to one honeymooning in Thailand, another living in America, another working in Sydney and one locally on the Gold Coast we are able to communicate separately or in conference together. It really is an amazing technology.My only frustration is sometimes the delay or lag that you get on the line.

I have four beautiful daughters who insisted that I have a MySpace page and set it up for me but I am not very good at following up. Before now, I thought that I preferred to share with people that I know, but after checking out some of the other student's blog sites, I realise what a privilege it is to get an insight into the lives and thoughts of these amazing young people. As they share parts of their lives, it brings out the Mumma in me, and has challenged me to consider chatting with new friends.

Another advantage is that it provides me with the opportunity to touch base with people that I may have not seen or heard from in years. Your life moves on, and you lose touch with some friendships, and form new ones as you experience the different seasons of life. These developing methods have definitely exposed me to new opportunities to communicate.