* Any kind of actual personal interactions. I'm not going to kiss my wife over VC, or hug my dad, or be at my cousins birthday.
* Any kind of deeply nuanced conversation. Telepresence is great for the day-to-day stuff, but not if you actually need to be closely aware of the other person's emotional state.
* Anything intended to foster closer bonds. That's much harder to do over telepresence than in person. That's a basic functions of how social animals work.
Telepresence is great for the vast majority of mundane connections. But it's not at the point where it can completely replace travel. I wish it could, because I'd love to travel less.
the visceral human experience brought about by the complex interaction of each sense combining together. For example when when you're standing on a cliff overlooking the majestic ocean, eyes absorbing the light as it reflects off the water and the sky, listening to the waves as they crash against the rocks, smelling the distinct salty coastal essence, and observing the cool wind flowing about your limbs. This complex interaction is soothing and cathartic, and leaves an imprint on the soul.
Hrm, I had read the start of the thread a bit differently and assumed more within the realm of business... I do absolutely agree that vacation travel is worth it, but I'm less convinced that a sales dude who flies from city to city every other day is actually needed and can't be replaced with telepresence.
Is sales worth it? It's a huge drain on productivity already since the most effective sales techniques revolve around annoying people until they buy something to shut you up, why should we let this market segment continue if it's got even more externalities associated with it?
* Any kind of deeply nuanced conversation. Telepresence is great for the day-to-day stuff, but not if you actually need to be closely aware of the other person's emotional state.
* Anything intended to foster closer bonds. That's much harder to do over telepresence than in person. That's a basic functions of how social animals work.
Telepresence is great for the vast majority of mundane connections. But it's not at the point where it can completely replace travel. I wish it could, because I'd love to travel less.