Practicum-- Angela

Discussion today got me thinking about my practicum project and the idea of place and space in relation to the internet. We came to an inconclusive vision of the future that may involve us all sitting around in pods interacting solely through the internet--conducting all of our business, shopping and entertainment online. This made me think of the topic of sports, more specifically my topic of following the special interest group of climbing. While some sports have fairly comprehensive representations online (Fantasy Football, Madden, Skiing or Snowboarding games, etc) there are others that simply cannot exist without the "real world" or rather within an online or gaming "world". Sports like rock climbing or wind surfing would probably not make an interesting game or virtual experience. Certain extreme sports like bull-riding where the whole thrill is in the adrenaline rush and nuances of the game would be the most boring video game ever.
While reading forums and following this community, the online space has always seemed secondary to the real life experiences of climbing. The "tick list" feature is one example of how the online space is merely a record or even scorecard of what one does in the real world. I've created my own tick list during the semester and in talking to several people they seem to share my idea that the tick list is more important as a record keeper than for bragging rights. Likewise, people post pictures of where they've gone or read stories of the latest achievements in the climbing world not to live it in another place, but to salivate over what they want to do next or things to dream of achieving one day.
Thinking of a future where everyone just sits around jacked in to the internet 24/7 was a little too creepy for me and a little too disheartening. However, realizing that there are many instances where the only way to really explore or enjoy something is by being out in the real world and doing it gives me more of a sense of security that in the future we won't all be fat, lazy pod dwellers.