POST 12 : Spaces and Exchanges : Two cartoons

In the first document we can see the store window, from an external point of view. This shop is located on a sidewalk, in a city. A passer-by is certainly on his way to or from work, carrying a schoolbag in his hand, is in costume.

He seems to be very interested in the shop window, his neck is in rotation, a slight smile appears on his face.

In this electronics shop called "ace computers", we can see in the window three computers and a poster addressed to passers-by.

On the latter is written: "Welcome, Eco tourists! Why travel and add to pollution?

Stay home and visit exotic travel web sites!"

The man passing by on the sidewalk therefore seems to be particularly interested and intrigued by this ad. We will therefore try to interpret this comic strip.

The electronic sign, is directly addressed to passers-by, inhabitants likely to work hard without necessarily being able to afford holidays. The message addressed to them starts by qualifying them as eco-tourists, which is melodramatic. Every good citizen likes to feel respectful towards ecology. Moreover the message still supports this aspect with an indirect question: why would you want to pollute? Finally, the message ends with the proposed alternative: travel from your computer. This reduces costs, so it's accessible for everyone, and avoids polluting.

To conclude,How far is the boundary between real and virtual spaces becoming increasingly blurred nowadays ? Here the example of a virtual journey through websites is used. 

The customer seems interested, however, despite the advantages of this kind of alternative, a real journey cannot be replaced. 

In the second cartoon, we can see two office spaces glued together. Two chairs, two computers. On the screens of these you can see a man on each. These two characters are colleagues, chatting and must be at home, teleworking. 

The first one asks his colleague if he will go to work today. Greg answers no, that he is working from home and returns the question to him.

This means that the two men are talking to each other over the Internet, and that working from home seems almost self-evident.

To make a connection with the issue, today, even going to work is an option, as technology is so advanced. However, the negative point would perhaps be the end of real relationships, interactions, exchanges? Would a computer be enough to replace a real human presence?

We can relate these two documents to the problem since in both of them, the question of the limits of the virtual is put forward. In an era where technology is omnipresent, where everything is connected, the question of the limits of the virtual is put into question.