Following on from yesterday’s food-fuelled diatribe about the importance of the idea and not its provenance, here’s another foray into gastronomic thinking around issues communicantes.
For background, you’ll have to look at this, a post from TechCrunch by the gloriously-named MG Siegler. (Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Siegler, I salute you and your fabulous name.)
However, because I know that you won’t, slothful blog trotters all, let me just pique your appetite with the tempting hint that it’s about the old and thorny issue of mobile ‘phones at the dinner table. Yes? Or no?
For me, it’s a no. If I’m out to dinner, I want conversation that is spontaneous and well-thought out – not just a commentary on who’s texted what to whom and who’s updated their status to what. If, on the other hand, you’re MG Siegler (and someone definitely is) then it’s a yes – because the continuing convergence of functionality and the prevalence of ‘smart’ ‘phones means that you can actually add to your well-thought out and spontaneous conversation with details that you’ve found on the webternet. (OK, this might make your conversation a little less spontaneous, but you’ll never be left thinking ‘ooo, ooo, ooo – what are the names of all of The Saturdays – oooo, it’s on the tip of my tongue’ etc etc etc.) (No, I don’t know.)
Anyway – as I said – it’s an issue and I’ll not get it resolved here.
No, what’s great about this post is the last bit. I’ve talked before about great ideas, but this is a genius idea. This is a Dyson moment. This is the sort of idea that I don’t have, which is why I am not a) a thought leader or b) as rich as Croesus. This is brave thinking, challenging the paradigm – whatever the f*ck that means.
To summarise – what does the future hold? People going to restaurants and having mobile device-less conversations? Or restaurant tables that are designed to facilitate the use of mobile devices?
Genuinely amazing.
thewordmonger 