Open Sky by Paul Virilio is philosophic journey through time and space. It is a good change of pace from our previous readings as it focuses more on the ideas of “what if” rather than those more instructional readings that I would equate to the concept “here’s how”.
The idea of telepresence is discussed at large in part 1 of our reading. In this section Virilio delves into the concept of being in two places at once through the use of technology. This reminded me of old sci-fi movies like Star Wars in which characters use holograms to display their physical presences without physically being there.
This notion of telepresence shows Virilio’s fascination for speed and instant gratification. Personally while I think that instant gratification can be satisfying it is not something that we as human beings should have access to on a regular basis.
I believe that part of us being human is the need to strive to complete goals, foster relationships and ultimately live our life. By introducing technology into the mix it detracts from the human element of life. This is something that I believe will be inevitable at some point in the future but for me personally I would take no part in it.
The idea of being strapped into a suit or hooked up to a bed like in The Matrix does not appeal to me. Sure you can live in an alternate reality and have any thing you desire instantly but is that really living? I’d rather live in an analog world where each minute ticks by second by second and I am the only one in charge of my reality and experiences.
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