Around The World

I have some friends I communicate with on a daily basis electronically.   They are what I would call my, "3D printing friends."   People talk online in various different ways, this group of friends is via a sort of chat group not unlike a big text message chain with a lot of people in it in this case called a "channel."

What amazes me is that these people are all over the world but it doesn't seem like it.  Someone will have a picture of something they've printed.   They'll drop the picture into the chat group and we'll all comment about how lovely it is or what a good choice of filament or how funny that the models are mouse houses to protect his daughter's stuffed mouse collection from their household cat.   Anything at all can be posted. 

The rest of us see the picture a second or two after the person shares it.   It happens so fast we don't even think about the complex order of events that has to happen for the bits representing that picture to travel around the world from their device to ours.   Did the bits fly by satellite?  Did they go under the ocean?  What was the path taken, because it might have been anything other than direct.  

I've started thinking in time zones, trying to remember if it's morning or afternoon in Russia based on what time of day it is for me.  Or Australia.  Or England.    We talk about products related to 3D printing such as printers, filament, accessories, and through that discussion we're addressing the locale of the manufacturer, their location, and what shipping costs might need to be paid to get the item to them. 

There are commonalities, such as most people speak English in the channel, but there is a smattering of American and proper English amongst the group.   Currency for the various products comes up as well.  If a particular spool of filament costs $19.99 for me, what does that equate to in Euros or Australian dollars? Is there a way to get the product within your geography as opposed to buying it from the manufacturer?

It's a lovely little group of online friends I'll never meet.   I am humbled in that we all speak English, my native language, and the default currency discussed is the US dollar.   Everyone else does mental conversions regularly.   The world keeps getting smaller.   It was getting smaller, now it feels like it's getting more connected. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son got his keyboard back at a price.  He had to get online with his friends and say with sincerity, "remember how I called my mom stupid a couple of times yesterday?   That wasn't really a good thing to do.   I should have been more respectful."   We let him say it with his own words and that's about what he said.   I didn't want him to lose face with his friends as that is very, very important to him, but he had to say he was wrong.   And when he did, I heard the other children being supportive of what he was saying.   

The Tiny Girl Chronicles: Countdown to kitten visitation.   My best friend from childhood, whom I have missed very much these past COVID-19 months, has two kittens.   They are now safe to be out in the house with her other, older cat and my daughter has been invited over to see them.   She absolutely positively can not wait.