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Comment by joejohnson | Hacker News Reader

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joejohnson·

Wow. This is the something "awesome"? Google+ is looking better and better.

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If you were a teenage girl, you'd think this was the awesomest thing ever.

(Or, y'know, whatever the translation of "awesome" into teenage girl at the moment.)

I've polled my teenage daughter several times over recent years about this. She barely _talks_ on the phone anymore - texting is FAR and away the most common form of communication. Even (facebook) chat is not used that often. I can't imagine video chat being compelling for her and her friends.

Whenever the topic of video chat turns up, I am reminded of an aside in Infinite Jest[0].

> WHY [VIDEOPHONY FAILED]

> The answer, in a kind of trivalent nutshell, is: (1) emotional stress, (2) physical vanity, (3) a certain queer kind of self-obliterating logic in the microeconomics of consumer high-tech.

[0] http://books.google.com/books?id=Nhe2yvx6hP8C&lpg=PP1...

They still say "awesome," actually.

I don't think teenage girls haven't heard of Skype, though...

God I feel old. And I'm in my bloody twenties.

Why is my comment making everyone feel old or young or whatever it is? All I said is that teenagers have probably heard of Skype, what's the fuss?

Ah, I missed your pesky double negative. Guess I'm back to feeling like a twenty-year-old again. :)

Now, if you ask about the founders' previews venture, Kazaa ...

Hey, even I barely remember kazaa :p

Not to be an ageist, but you're something like 35+?

I don't know whether to be offended or flattered!

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