One example of a common use of these Www Inmate Search concepts is a Www Inmate Search Mail User Agent that can be instructed to be in either "on-line" or "off-line" states. One such MUA is Microsoft Outlook. When it is "on-line" it will Www Inmate Search attempt to Www Inmate Search connect to mail servers (to check for new mail at regular intervals, for example), and when it is Www Inmate Search "off-line" it will not attempt to make any such connections. Www Inmate Search The "on-line" or "off-line" Www Inmate Search state of the MUA does not necessarily reflect the connection status between the computer on which it Www Inmate Search is running and Internet. The user may Www Inmate Search have the computer itself Www Inmate Search on-line, connected to Www Inmate Search Internet via a cable modem or an Www Inmate Search ADSL connection, but may wish for Outlook to be off-line, so that it makes no Www Inmate Search attempt to send or to receive messages. Or the computer may be configured to employ a dial-up connection Www Inmate Search on demand (whenever an application such as Outlook attempts to make connection to a server), but the connection may be an expensive telephone call from the particular location in which the computer currently happens to be Www Inmate Search (such as a hotel room) and the user may not wish Www Inmate Search Outlook to trigger making Www Inmate Search that call every 5 or 10 minutes to check for mail.
Another example of Www Inmate Search the use of these concepts is in the world of digital audio technology. A tape recorder, digital editor, or other device that is "on-line" is one Www Inmate Search whose clock Www Inmate Search is under the Www Inmate Search control of the clock of a "synchronization master" device. When the sync master commences playback, Www Inmate Search the Www Inmate Search "on-line" device automatically synchronizes itself to the master and commences playing from the Www Inmate Search same point in the recording. Whereas a device that is Www Inmate Search "off-line" uses Www Inmate Search no external clock reference and relies upon its Www Inmate Search own internal clock. When a large number of devices are connected to a sync master, it is often convenient, Www Inmate Search if one wants to hear just the output of one single device, to take it off-line, because if the device is played back on-line all synchronized devices have to locate the playback Www Inmate Search point Www Inmate Search and wait for each other to be in synchronization.[2] (For further related Www Inmate Search discussion, see MIDI timecode, word sync, and recording system synchronization.)
A third example of a common use of these concepts is Www Inmate Search a web browser that can be instructed to be in Www Inmate Search either "on-line" or Www Inmate Search "off-line" states. The browser only attempts to fetch pages from servers whilst Oilfield Job Search in the "on-line" state. Www Inmate Search In the "off-line" state, users can perform Www Inmate Search offline browsing, where pages can be browsed using local copies of Www Inmate Search those pages that have previously been Www Inmate Search downloaded whilst in the "on-line" state. Www Inmate Search This can be useful when the computer itself is also off-line, with connection to Internet expensive or impossible. The pages are either downloaded implicitly into Artist Search Engines the web browser's own cache, as a result of prior on-line browsing by the user, or explicitly by the browser being configured to keep local copies of certain web pages, which it keeps updated when the browser is in the on-line state, either by checking that the local copies are up-to-date at regular intervals or by checking that the local copies Www Inmate Search are up-to-date whenever the browser is Www Inmate Search switched to the on-line state. One such web browser capable of being explicitly configured to download pages for offline browsing is Internet Explorer. When pages are Www Inmate Search added to the "Favourites" list, they can be marked for being made "available for offline browsing". Internet Explorer will download to local copies both the marked page and, optionally, all of the pages that it links to. In Www Inmate Search Internet Explorer version 6, the level of Www Inmate Search direct and Www Inmate Search indirect links, the maximum amount of local disc space allowed to be consumed, and the schedule on which local copies are checked to see whether they Www Inmate Search are up-to-date, are configurable for each
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The Www Inmate Search ideas Www Inmate Search of Www Inmate Search "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 Www Inmate Search a subject of study in the field of sociology.[7]
The distinction between Www Inmate Search "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 Www Inmate Search virtuality, and "off-line" is reality (e.g. real life or meatspace). Slater states that this distinction is "obviously far too Www Inmate Search simple". To support his argument that the distinctions in relationships are Www Inmate Search more complex than a simple "on-line"/"off-line" dichotomy, he observes that Www Inmate Search some people draw no distinction between Www Inmate Search an "on-line" relationship, such as indulging in cybersex, and an "off-line" relationship, such as being pen-pals. He also argues that even the telephone can be Www Inmate Search regarded as an "on-line" experience in some circumstances, and that the Www Inmate Search blurring of Www Inmate Search the distinctions Www Inmate Search between the Www Inmate Search uses of 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 Www Inmate Search by the first generation of Internet research".[7]
Slater asserts that there are legal and regulatory pressures to reduce the distinction between "on-line" and "off-line", Www Inmate Search with a "general tendency to assimilate online to offline and Www Inmate Search erase the distinction", stressing, however, that this does not mean that on-line relationships are being reduced to pre-existing off-line relationships. He conjectures Www Inmate Search that greater Www Inmate Search legal status may be assigned to Www Inmate Search on-line relationships (pointing out Www Inmate Search that contractual relationships, Www Inmate Search such Www Inmate Search as business transactions, on-line are already seen as just as "real" as their off-line counterparts), although he states it to be hard to imagine courts Www Inmate Search awarding palimony to people who have had a Www Inmate Search purely on-line sexual relationship. He also conjectures that an "on-line"/"off-line" distinction may Www Inmate Search be Www Inmate Search seen Www Inmate Search by people as "rather quaint and not quite comprehensible" within Www Inmate Search 10 years
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The distinction where "on-line" is seen as virtuality and "off-line" as reality is sometimes Www Inmate Search inverted, with "on-line" concepts being used to define and to explain "off-line" activities, rather than (as per the conventions of the desktop metaphor with Www Inmate Search its desktops, trash cans, folders, and so forth) the other way around. Several cartoons by The New Yorker have satirized this. One includes Saint Www Inmate Search Peter asking for a user Www Inmate Search name and Www Inmate Search a password before admitting a man into Www Inmate Search Heaven. Another Www Inmate Search illustrates "the off-line store" where "All items are actual size!", where shoppers may "Take it home as Www Inmate Search soon as you pay for it!", and where Www Inmate Search "Merchandise may be handled prior to purchase!". |
