Taking a vacation is enjoyable for most people. The global economic situation has caused people to travel less. This week’s article suggests an alternative to real travel – virtual vacations. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.
Which of the virtual vacations mentioned in the article seem the most interesting to you. Have you used any of the programs or websites mentioned in the article? If so, what did you think of your experience? What is your impression of the road trip taken by Marc Horowitz and Pete Baldes? What do you think of their plans for September 19? Read the comments below the article. Find one that you agree or disagree with and make a statement about it.
9 comments:
The virtual tour of NYC seems very interesting; especially because when someone wants to take the subway, a video will play. I’ve never used any of the programs mentioned for a virtual location, with the exception of Flicker but I have utilized it in the way the article has described. Personally, I find that the “road trip” that was taken was lazy. If you really want to see someplace, how difficult can it be to get in the car and drive there, especially since they were already in the USA? However, as much as I disagree with virtual vacations, I do understand that it is difficult financially or otherwise for people to travel. Looking at pictures is one thing, but traveling through the web is completely different. Their plans for September 19 are spectacular for technology. I strongly agree with “Harvey’s” comment (posted on September 2,2009, as well as comments 5-9): as an experiment and for research purposes the “car trip” through Google maps was interesting, but with a “little expense & investment of time”, they really could have had a real vacation.
In my opinion, the virtual vacation that sounded the most interesting to me is the New York City Tour. The fact that it is possible to create a real life virtual tour of New York City already sounds amazing but with the ability to take the subway is even more interesting. On a daily use I use YouTube and Facebook, and while I was living in the states I always used Google Maps to find out my friends house or a unique restaurant. I absolutely loved using Google Maps, it’s simple and free to use. It also has the ability to create a real life image right on your computer screen. I thought that the road trip taken by Marc Horowitz and Pete Baldes was overall a joke. I think that in order to experience a real life road trip, you would need to take one. I think that the fact that they are going to create a “virtual tour” of New York City is a great idea. I agree with what Virginia said about the road trip, “I suppose it’s just armchair traveling taken to a different level, but the thought of anyone seriously taking a vacation on their computer is really, truly depressing to me.” I greatly agree with this statement because I find that there are better ways to spend one’s time rather than taking “virtual vacations” on their computers.
I think that taking a virtual vacation to Australia would be pretty awesome. Mostly because I can't afford it. I haven't used any of those programs because I travel, so I don't need to fake it. I think that it was really smart thinking up the idea of a fake road trip. But I think they need to get a job so they can go on a real road trip. For September they should save up their money and go to New York. I totally agree with -Craightond's comment, (September 2, 2009 2:43 pm)we need to live our lives for real. None of this lame virtual experiences, I mean if your a gamer it's alright, it's part of the game. But if you actually go visit real places you need to get a life.
NONE. I don't think any of the virtual vacations would be fun. Vacations are vacations for a reason: TO BE AWAY FROM THE USUAL (ie home... computers... work...school)
Given, I have used the virtual tours of hotels and college campuses and have browsed through photos of places in the world and honestly yes they do give me a sense of the place... but nothing compared to what the real thing is or would be like. Looking at a photo of the Great Wall simply can't be compared to climbing it--they aren't in the same category of experience.
As far as virtual roadtrips, I've never taken a GoogleMaps road trip and don't plan on it because if I really wanted to see it I would get up off my butt and go see it first hand. Sure I guess it would be fun to experiment and take the program and use it differently than intended, but after a while it would lose my interest because again, it's not the real thing.
I've been to New York City and I know that there are SO many places that you can't experience online. Going to New York isn't just about walking on the street and looking at famous places, it's seeing a Broadway play, eating at a famous diner, shopping at unique or designer stores or experiencing the many street vendors. Can you do all of that through a computer? Same goes for anywhere else in the world-- Rome, Beijing, Moscow, Cairo, L.A., Tokyo, Buenos Aires.
Financial problems are indeed something to take into consideration, like Attiya said, and I also agree with her statement about the difference between a photo and going there (as I said above).
Also agreeing with Tristan and expanding on it-- gamers play the game and sometimes see the world through games... but I know tons of gamers who would actually want to go and see the places their games are set in. I know I wouldn't mind seeing some of the places Call Of Duty: WaW deals with.
I completely disapprove of such things as virtual vacation for it lacks the actual confrontation. One will not understand or feel the excitement of actually going to the location. Virtual vacation maybe inexpensive and convenient but it feels so artificial and lacks some aspects of traveling has. The only word to describe what I feel about virtual vacations is disgust, for there are limits to which technology should replace. The internet has already made the world into a global community but it should be only up to an extent where it connects people from one side of the world to the other in a social basis, not a connection that make people sit on their butts all day, leading them to believe what the other side is like. Vacations should stay as the traditional vacation, filled with bustling and enjoyment of the feeling, not something lazy ***(rhymes with pass) people could do, simply by sitting in front of their pcs.
I thought that the virtual vacation seemed pretty interesting. For this, you have to have to think BIG. You can combine existing web pages and make it better. Well I personally used facebook in the States, but I didn't use anything like what it says in the article. I don't normally go on the internet and use the web except for facebook and checking my email. I think that the road trip was pretty lousy. I mean anyone can just get in their car and drive to that place. Now if they were going somewhere like in another country they have never been I would say that is pretty cool. I think that their plans for September 19 is very genius!! I think it would be and experiment through Google map. Google map shows you anywhere you want. Now they would have a fun time doing that.
I've never done the virtual vacation before, but if I have a chance to have those, I would love to have it. I want to visit some other countries in Europe, because there are lots of things to do and watch except it is expensive. It seems very interesting; traveling with sort of imaginary things. It is actually fake. I don't think it is good even though it looks interesting. It actually lacks the confrontation. Virtual vacation is kind of cool and inexpensive, but it doesn't have some aspects that real traveling has. I think its better to have a real traveling even though it is expensive.
In my life experience, I have personally used none of the programmes explained, but I can't even remember the last time I used google maps, & I never even realized that flickr has that programme until now.
I think that the road trip Marc & Pete took would work great for green-screening.
The 19/9/09 plan to make a virtual tour of NYC, will seem to be a heavyweight on the planners because of the major impact the internet will have.
I definetly will agree with John; the oxymoronic content here is definetly visible. My dad frequently travels, & does the exact same thing; he uses 5 of his senses, & 1 one his organs more than the rest: his brain, for he is an economist & goes on business trips.
Out of the virtual vacations mentioned, the future/in development on they mentioned seems the most interesting. Going through New York Subway systems with Youtube videos sounds oddly appealing and like it would capture more realism than the other approaches.
No I have not. I have seen websites like them, but I have never been interested enough to really check them out.
The road trip sounds somewhat interesting, but tedious. Driving across country in real life must be quite boring, so I can only imagine what doing it through a computer screen would be like. The idea is definitely creative though, and their innovation is appreciable, considering that Googlemaps has probably never been used like that before.
As I said before, their New York related plans sound quite interesting. The fact that they are applying so many different websites/programs is pretty cool. Them using Youtube to simulate something proves that they are capable of doing some truly great things to create realism through these virtual vacations.
I disagree with what Taylor said about vacations being ways to get away from the usual. That isn't true. You may go on vacation to see family, but we are already with family - just a different part of it. We would be going from one family home to another. Nothing changes but the location.
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