SOME MOBILE PHONES (like my Nokia E90 at left) let you associate special ring tones with specific contacts. That way you know if your other half is ringing because your ears pick up on the distinct ringer. I like that functionality because I need to stay close to those who are part of my special network. Some industry colleagues and members of my working groups in college also get special ring tones associated with them too. When they ring or text, it normally means co-ordination is required so it pays to pick up and talk with people in that node of my professional network. Outside these two degrees of separation comes the realm of popular social networking. Even though I chat to "friends" inside these social networks, few of them are in my pocket as mobile phone numbers. None of them merit a special ring tone. So in my books and in my pocket, the true measure of connected networking is all down to getting close, connecting in real ways. You cannot beat the emotive channel of voice when it comes to meaningful networking. Now it's off to sync a new phone with those special ringtones.
Sent mail2blog using my Nokia E90 and O2-Ireland Typepad service on the back roads of South Riding.
