Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Pioneers Go West!
When we think about social networking, we may think about twittering, wall posting, or texting someone to know what they are doing at that very moment. How about the days of traveling West in American history? If someone needed help with their cattle or became ill, they could not type to someone and get help right away. For the help of another person or to receive medical help, the pioneers were forced to "suck it up" and to battle their issues as best as possible. Their social networking remained limited as well. They would only associate with people in their wagon parties. However, when they would reach a landmark or fort, they could associate outside their normal community. I wonder what they would have written on their facebook if it existed in 1843. "This heat is killing me, and my brother died today. Pa said we have to continue right away because our food is about gone."
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The fact that we communicate rather excessively through social networks does not mean that we do not meet up in "wagon parties" like we used to. Its just an indication of the changing times and means that we get to more "parties" faster than ever rather than one every once in a blue moon.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy a tasteful western immitation. Thank you for that anecdote. I imagine as well that those who could read and write porbably had letters 550 pages long and more , being in a caravan of wagons having so little time to discus thiings they probably "posted" miniture books to express their feelings and thoughts. Then they would mail them and that would be the longest passage or "connection" ever o have to await a response.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, with technology today we have it so easy because when we want to contact someone we have so many options like phone,email,text,social networks, and more. In the past it was harder to get hold of someone because the technology was not up to date like we have todday.
ReplyDeleteIt's so much easier to do things now. And instead of telling the same story over and over again, people can just post it and have hundreds of friends read it and have them talk back.
ReplyDeleteYes the way we communicate today hase rapidly and drastically evolved. Back in the day if there were an emergency, it took days or sometimes weeks before a person received information. Today we have instant messaging, facebook, email and the list goes on. After taking this class, i have a better appreciation for instant messaging.
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