Listening to wonderful Skypecasts like Miguel Guhlin et al's "on the front porch" discussion of the use of blogging in teaching, I feel as if Skype is one of the most empowering, enabling tools ever.
On the flip side, the endless stream of (mostly Turkish, for some reason) men who contact me out of the blue - many of them with an opening gambit worse than any cliched pick-up line - is becoming a right pain! I have removed most of my details from my profile, so all they know is that I'm female and based in the UK. But that appears to be enough. It's gotten to the point where I practically ignore Skype now, which kind of defeats the purpose of having it, since I have managed to miss attempts by colleagues to open collaborative conversations with me. One of those colleagues tells me he is often "hit on" by Asian females.
I can only think it must be the prospect of a passport - or is that too cynical a view? Have I developed the arrogance that I so despise in others about living in the "first world" (ridiculous phrase)?
Whatever the reason, I have developed the kneejerk reaction of blocking callers - I only hope I haven't automatically blocked someone I actually would have liked to speak to!
Friday, August 25, 2006
Skype frustrations
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2 comments:
Can't you just block all users and then just search and add in the people you want? Perhaps only add in skype names from your aggregator and have your skype name on your blog next to your e-mail contact. Not many Turkish men of the type you describe would be reading the blogosphere - I don't think - and potential Skype callers can be pre-vetted before you add them to your list. Here's one for you add graham_wegner - I'll only talk education, I promise.
Hi Graham - Thanks for the heads-up. I have done as you suggested (and added you to my list of contacts). I don't actually display my email address on my profile and (I've just discovered) a Blogger profile doesn't include a field for a Skype ID. However, my Skype ID is karyn_romeis, just in case I forgot to "share" that with you on the hello when I added you to my contacts. I would be more than happy to chat with you in exotic Adelaide.
I hope you're right about my "suitors" ;-) and their reading habits - although one of them did say he was a senior lecturer in education at a university...
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