Thoughts on Vinge

I've never been a huge fan of the sci-fi genre...the plots are too loose and the characters all seem to be simpletons. I think that's what prevents me from appreciating some of the cool ideas and concepts sci-fi authors come up with. I know we're not reading this for the literary quality, but the critic in me had to comment.

HOWEVER...if Vinge is really this good at predicting the development of new technologies, I am not eagerly awaiting the arrival of "silent messaging." When I first started using text messaging on my phone, I couldn't get over how much that changed the way I interacted with friends. Texting eliminated many phone calls from my phone bill, especially the conversations that only required 2 minutes but swelled to 30. The need for vocals was eliminated, and my right thumb was all that was necessary.

After reading the first part of this book, I tried to imagine how eliminating the thumb would change things. It would be like telepathy. Four people talking to each other could carry on "sub-conversations," which would most likely influence the outcome of the actual conversation. There's an interesting part in the book when Braun, Vaz, and Mitsuri first meet the Rabbbit, and they're worried that the Rabbit might be silent messaging. Imagine the paranoia such technology would create! I feel like sitting in a bar with your friends would become a nerve-racking situation. If technologies like this do come about, I'm not sure I want to know how they will affect the way we communicate.