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Video calling is a great example of something you don't need, but because you can do it, you do it. It's also impossible to refuse a video call for fear of bein

Video calling is a great example of something you don't need, but because you can do it, you do it. It's also impossible to refuse a video call for fear of being seen as secretive or worse when in fact you just don't care to look up somebody's nose when you talk to them. I also wonder if it's mainly nerds who care about video calling because it speaks to their otherwise rather broken social skills. "Normal people look at each other when talking, right? Look! Using this heap of high tech makes me a normal person!" Meanwhile, I note that amongst actual normal people, interest in video calling is low because they see it for what it is: a poor substitute for the real thing. Just as no normal person is into cyber dildonics.

cloudjacker 10y ago
Girls refuse video calls all the time because their hair isn't ready Your premise is invalied
JumpCrisscross 10y ago
> It's also impossible to refuse a video call My camera never works. I've never had anyone lash back against this.
wkillerud 10y ago
Actually, video calling can be useful for those without hearing. Being able to use sign language in video is a useful alternative to texting.
sspiff 10y ago
> It's also impossible to refuse a video call for fear of being seen as secretive or worse Really? I refuse video calls all the time (or answer with audio only), and people never make a problem of it. > I also wonder if it's mainly nerds who care about video calling because it speaks to their otherwise rather broken social skills. "Normal people look at each other when talking, right? Look! Using this heap of high tech makes me a normal person!" That's a pretty horrible thing to say. > Meanwhile, I note that amongst actual normal people, interest in video calling is low because they see it for what it is: a poor substitute for the real thing. Just as no normal person is into cyber dildonics. Your personal experience is wildly different from mine. I know a ton of people who care deeply about video calling, and most of them are not technical at all. Parents and their adult children often use video calling to keep in touch (no as a replacement of real world visits, but as a supplement), and pretty much every expat or immigrant I've had extended contact with uses it to talk to their family back home. Just because you have a personal distaste for it, doesn't mean you have to be mean towards everyone who does care about it.
madeofpalk 10y ago
Video calling may be a poor substitute for the real thing (face-to-face conversation), but there's so many use cases where the real thing isn't possible. What about when they don't live in the same place? When I worked at Apple Retail, video calling (whether Skype or FaceTime or whatever) was mostly popular with the older generation - their relatives have moved away and when they call they still want to see their face.
csydas 10y ago
I find your position strange and contrary to what I've observed. I wouldn't say that my friends/family/colleagues first instinct is video call, but we certainly use it enough when the situation is appropriate. My cousin uses FaceTime to be with his gf when they are supposed to be doing homework, my family does FaceTime/Hangouts with one another to keep in touch (spread out across midwest), I've used FaceTime and Hangouts to provide technical support remotely when I wasn't able to get to a computer, we've used it to "stream" events that certain family members weren't able to attend (e.g., weddings, etc). Video conferencing has a lot of normal everyday applications; it's also not uncommon for people to just join up on various webcam chats just to hang out with people online, or for people matched on dating sites to start with a video chat. I don't know how you came to some of these conclusions, but I really don't think that this is representative of most users.
robertcope 10y ago
You are wrong. You are probably socially inept and assuming everyone else is, no offense. My family video calls all the time. Two year olds need the visual and family wants to see the kid. Nobody gives a crap if you decline a call, video or not.

cloudjacker 10y ago

Girls refuse video calls all the time because their hair isn't ready Your premise is invalied

JumpCrisscross 10y ago

> It's also impossible to refuse a video call My camera never works. I've never had anyone lash back against this.

wkillerud 10y ago

Actually, video calling can be useful for those without hearing. Being able to use sign language in video is a useful alternative to texting.

sspiff 10y ago

> It's also impossible to refuse a video call for fear of being seen as secretive or worse Really? I refuse video calls all the time (or answer with audio only), and people never make a problem of it. > I also wonder if it's mainly nerds who care about video calling because it speaks to their otherwise rather broken social skills. "Normal people look at each other when talking, right? Look! Using this heap of high tech makes me a normal person!" That's a pretty horrible thing to say. > Meanwhile, I note that amongst actual normal people, interest in video calling is low because they see it for what it is: a poor substitute for the real thing. Just as no normal person is into cyber dildonics. Your personal experience is wildly different from mine. I know a ton of people who care deeply about video calling, and most of them are not technical at all. Parents and their adult children often use video calling to keep in touch (no as a replacement of real world visits, but as a supplement), and pretty much every expat or immigrant I've had extended contact with uses it to talk to their family back home. Just because you have a personal distaste for it, doesn't mean you have to be mean towards everyone who does care about it.

madeofpalk 10y ago

Video calling may be a poor substitute for the real thing (face-to-face conversation), but there's so many use cases where the real thing isn't possible. What about when they don't live in the same place? When I worked at Apple Retail, video calling (whether Skype or FaceTime or whatever) was mostly popular with the older generation - their relatives have moved away and when they call they still want to see their face.

csydas 10y ago

I find your position strange and contrary to what I've observed. I wouldn't say that my friends/family/colleagues first instinct is video call, but we certainly use it enough when the situation is appropriate. My cousin uses FaceTime to be with his gf when they are supposed to be doing homework, my family does FaceTime/Hangouts with one another to keep in touch (spread out across midwest), I've used FaceTime and Hangouts to provide technical support remotely when I wasn't able to get to a computer, we've used it to "stream" events that certain family members weren't able to attend (e.g., weddings, etc). Video conferencing has a lot of normal everyday applications; it's also not uncommon for people to just join up on various webcam chats just to hang out with people online, or for people matched on dating sites to start with a video chat. I don't know how you came to some of these conclusions, but I really don't think that this is representative of most users.

robertcope 10y ago

You are wrong. You are probably socially inept and assuming everyone else is, no offense. My family video calls all the time. Two year olds need the visual and family wants to see the kid. Nobody gives a crap if you decline a call, video or not.