Story of the bubble

Version française

All started in Paris with, Tristan, Natacha and Sacha, all thirtysomething. We didn’t know one another, although our paths had been running parallel to one another for years - during the course of certain events we may very well have met, and the same goes for our parents. Through our family histories the three of us knew it was necessary to give meaning to one’s life by serving humanist ideas. When we were kids, we already had computers and game stations, and then Internet came along. Our journeys have been different, of course, but similar in many respects.

So it comes as no surprise that we crossed paths on the net, too, while engaging in virtual activism. It is this very same humanist commitment that naturally brought us together. One day we finally made contact by email. We began bridging the gap with words without ever having met for real. We not only shared information but a peculiar sense of humour, as well. Then, later on, we met in ‘real life’. We put a face to the words and recognized each other. And we became conscious of a troubling coincidence; we felt close for a reason: We were neighbours! We lived in the same neighbourhood, Place Maubert (Paris Ve). And buy our bread a the same bakery…

For years now, whether it be for our association activities or for work, we have been on line every day, or almost (see notice below). Sacha, Natacha and their mother Tatiana already have a ‘wifi bubble’ at home; the whole family uses the Net for work purposes and for their association. Tristan also has his ‘own bubble’. He contributes to multiple projects and is good at hunting down wifi hotspots; it is quite common to see him working in cafés in the Saint-Germain-des-Près quarter of Paris. We share the same philosophy based on collaboration, friendship, respect and free exchange of goods and ideas.

As friends, Web surfers and neighbours, a pleasant mix has been created; the gap between the real and the virtual has been bridged, spheres interconnecting one person to the next. We speak together via Chat, e-mail, audio or visio-conferencing (and sometimes IRL !) We share information, opinions, and laughs. Thanks to recurent - immaterial - exchanges, a deep friendship has formed. We are like next-door neighbours. We exchange links, ideas, salt or sugar.

The idea of wifipicning arose during the natural course of our relation. The three of us were on the videophone when the concept emerged. Our bubbles drew closer together, a collective intelligence materialised. Why oppose the real and the virtual, why believe that technology is necessarily cold and distant? What if there were other neighbours to discover, other connections to make, other ways of meeting people, of having fun without fear, of thinking and creating together, of contributing to ideas in a spirit of ‘gai savoir’. In a society divided along economic lines, into political, religious and ethnic communities, each with its own customs and beliefs, people come together less and less and are less open and tolerant. We could choose to be favourably disposed to that which unites us rather than that which divides us. We would like to expand our bubble of friendship to include everyone, a humane and universal bubble, not a closed circle. The noosphere in the geosphere.

To read also
The first Wifipicning review, Paris, may 31, 2005

NB
Tristan Mendès France is an ardent human rights supporter. He writes books and articles, leads enquiries, makes documentaries and short art films. He also composes music, collaborates on numerous projects, participates in a number of associations and is also parlementary assistant in the Senate.
http://mendes-france.com and blog

Natacha Quester-Séméon and Sacha Quester-Séméon are both active in the humanist association « Les Humains Associés» - founded by Tatiana Faria, who, among other things, has had her own virtual community for ten years (web sites, forums etc). Recently, the association took part in the planetary protest against the war in Iraq. Their company I-marginal is responsible for the creation of web-sites and their contents, journalistic activities (written press and Web), conception, production, publishing, graphic design, photography and other related services.
http://humains-associes.org (The Associated Humans, NGO) and this blog (moblog, phone blog) : http://memoirevive.tv