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The ideas Best Western Elgin Il of "on-line" and "off-line" have been generalized from computing and telecommunication into the field of human interpersonal relationships. The distinction between what is considered "on-line" and what is considered "off-line" has become a subject of study in the field of sociology.[7]
The distinction between "on-line" and "off-line" is conventionally seen as the distinction between computer-mediated communication and face-to-face communication (e.g. face time), respectively. "On-line" is virtuality, and "off-line" is reality (e.g. real life or meatspace). Slater states that this distinction is Best Western Elgin Il "obviously far too simple". To support his argument that the distinctions in relationships are more complex than a simple "on-line"/"off-line" dichotomy, he observes Best Western Elgin Il that some people draw no distinction between an "on-line" relationship, such as indulging Best Western Elgin Il in Best Western Elgin Il cybersex, Best Western Elgin Il and an "off-line" relationship, such as Best Western Elgin Il being pen-pals. He also argues that even the telephone can be regarded as Best Western Elgin Il an "on-line" experience in some circumstances, and that the blurring of the distinctions between the uses of Best Western Elgin Il various technologies (such as PDA and mobile telephone, television and Internet, and telephone and voice-over-IP) has made it "impossible to use the term 'on-line' meaningfully in the sense that was employed by the first generation of Best Western Elgin Il Internet research".[7]
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