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Another example of the use of these concepts is in the world of digital audio technology. A tape recorder, digital editor, or other Best Free Email Program device that is "on-line" is one whose clock is under the control of Best Free Email Program the clock of a "synchronization Best Free Email Program master" device. When the sync master commences playback, the "on-line" device Best Free Email Program automatically synchronizes itself to the master and commences playing from the same point in the recording. Whereas a device that is "off-line" uses no external clock reference and relies upon its Best Free Email Program own internal clock. When a large number of devices are connected Best Free Email Program to a sync master, it is often convenient, 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 point and wait for each Best Free Email Program other Best Free Email Program to Best Free Email Program be in synchronization.[2] (For further related Best Free Email Program discussion, see MIDI timecode, word sync, and recording system Best Free Email Program synchronization.)
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The distinction between Best Free Email Program "on-line" and "off-line" is conventionally seen as the distinction between Best Free Email Program computer-mediated communication and face-to-face communication (e.g. face time), respectively. "On-line" is virtuality, and "off-line" is reality Best Free Email Program (e.g. real life or meatspace). Slater states that this distinction is "obviously far too simple". Best Free Email Program To support his argument that the distinctions in relationships are more complex than a simple "on-line"/"off-line" dichotomy, he observes that some people draw no distinction between an Best Free Email Program "on-line" relationship, such as indulging in Best Free Email Program cybersex, and an Best Free Email Program "off-line" relationship, such as being Best Free Email Program pen-pals. He also argues that even the telephone can be regarded as an "on-line" experience Best Free Email Program in some circumstances, and that the blurring Best Free Email Program of the distinctions between the 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 by the first generation of Internet research".[7]
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