Hungarian philosopher discusses MMS' visual communications, cultural barriers

Whenever I've been interviewed about why people will want camera phones, I respond that one important reason is humans are visual creatures, and using images is one way to communicate. An article in The Feature interviews an Hungarian philosopher who is exploring the use of mobile communications, including the value of MMS.

Steve Wallace interviews Kristov Nyiri, director of the Institute of Philosophical Research, part of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, who says MMS is complementary to face-to-face communications.

Nyiri says, "From a philosophy perspective, many academics believe that people think in terms of images and not words. Research shows that at least 50% of face-to-face communication is through expressions, gestures and tones.

"MMS can make mobile communications even closer to face-to-face conversations. It is not a version of a postcard -- it is all about immediacy, and adding visual elements to communication."

Culture hampers MMS use

Nyiri says although the [high] cost and [lack of] ease of use of MMS are hampering its growth, the major problem to the success of the technology is cultural. He says, "People are increasingly taught verbally and, at school, are discouraged to think in terms of images.

"We did some research with different users who were given MMS devices. The three groups were carpenters, soft drinks salespeople and estate agents.

"By far the biggest users were the carpenters because they were used to thinking in terms of drawings and images."