social docking

I bumped into someone new the other week. Someone who seemed nice, interesting, someone you'd think would be a good person to know. And we exchanged email addresses and the usual pleasantries about staying in touch. Time was that would have been it. But in the 48 hours after saying hello a thing happened that I'd not really noticed quite so bluntly; a form of social docking. Various connections were offered and accepted, on flickr, last, dopplr, twitter ; it struck me at the time as being like one of those space station docking sequences in a movie. Hoses extended and were coupled on, and the vapours of ambient intimacy started being pumped; the vapours that convert acquaintances into friends. It's good. I've always liked those docking/undocking sequences.

Comments

[Harsh]

Excellent observation Russell, We now leave behind a trail for others to catch on to and stay in touch.

Amazing how technology plays a significant part in bringing and keeping us close and available.

[Dino]

"The Vapours of Ambient Intimacy" could also be the name of a cool new band. In Second Life.

[Bernie Goldbach]

I "dock" with some people after I join them on radio or television discussions. In most cases, I have never seen the other person but fell I "know" them from the preceding conversation. More often than not, they're a little surprised by the virtual handshakes.

[dan burgess]

nice docking shot. where's it from?

[Nick Booth]

Exquisite description. How often do we undock in social space?

[Rob]

Lovely analogy. Thankfully we don't have to worry about getting the sequence right. No nasty exploding face symptoms if you do Flickr before Twitter!

Also, surely most docking procedures are now done by pressing 1 button. Someone has probably invented the social equivalent already - but after 10 seconds Googling I can't find it, so have given up.