virtual connections

Prior to today, I hadn’t watched a TEDTalk for a few years. “My Web Playroom” was a really interesting way for me to see the potential of virtual connections. Coupled with Justin Jackson’s web page, I felt a bit of existentialism. I tend to forget that there are actually billions of people in the world; access to the internet and other major networks really have the power to create beautiful connections amongst us.

Compared to a good majority of people, I haven’t had nearly as much experience with web-based social interactions. At one point in time, I did use Tumblr frequently. I was able to meet a girl from Brazil named Belle, with ESL. (I checked her blog recently, and she still posts) We messaged each other solely through Tumblr’s built-in messaging system from 2014–2016, which was super clunky, hard to access, and lacked responsivity compared to other features on the site.

There were some pretty bad syncing issues between mobile and desktop versions of Tumblr’s messaging feature, so I would often miss her messages if I switched between devices. This issue is how we, unfortunately, fell out of touch. I haven’t used Tumblr for about 7 years, but I’m sure there have been some optimization efforts. For me personally, I feel as if simplifying the messaging feature, making it more accessible, and increasing mobile and desktop compatibility would’ve improved our experience and helped us maintain contact.

By the way, Belle, if you ever see this: I’m still kicking! I miss you!