(When you read the Galahad novels, you often get a glimpse inside Triana's journal. But you really only see the entries that relate to the story at the time. Here, on the Galahad Blog, you'll get to see some of her more personal journal notes. And, you're invited to post your own comments to them, too.)
Electronic communication has been around for a long time, and I can't deny how useful it is. Email, a term that was born with the personal computer in the late 20th century, gets a lot of use on Galahad; I know that I rely on it daily.
And yet I'm finally beginning to understand why Dr. Zimmer did not want us to carry personal communication devices on the ship. On Earth, nobody is ever alone, nobody is ever out of touch; just push a few buttons and you're connected. I was convinced I would miss that on this mission.
Now, almost a year after launch, I realize that I haven't thought about it in months. I have learned to rely on face-to-face communication...which I'm sure was Dr. Zimmer's goal. We have email, and we have an intercom system. But the days of zapping an electronic message on the fly are over for us, and I'm pretty sure that our communication skills have improved because of it. If left up to us, would we have voluntarily abandoned our dependence on the old 'phones?'
This is not about condemning technology, or dreaming about returning to 'the good old days.' It's just an observation. On Galahad we usually are looking at the person we're talking to; I have to believe that it helps us to better communicate with each other, and likely has eliminated a lot of misunderstandings. We have a healthy balance between electronic communicating and real personal conversation.
When we arrive at Eos I'm sure we'll have the knowledge and tools necessary to once again take short cuts. The question is...should we?
(Okay, Galahad fans, now it's your turn. Do you feel like your dependence on email and texting has hurt you - even a little bit - when it comes to communicating? What do you think Dr. Zimmer was really trying to accomplish? Do you think things should change when the crew arrives at Eos? Feel free to share your ideas and feedback on this journal entry from Triana, or any of the others found here on the Galahad Blog. Thanks!)
