Read My Digital Lips
Technology has dramatically changed the way I write. Not only do I use word processors, e-mail text editors, or instant messaging text editors to create documents and messages versus writing on a typewriter, but I now choose from a multitude of fonts, font sizes, and font colors to emphasize the words in ways only a typesetter could do before. As Landow (p.219) discusses, in this digital textuality I interact with the words I type on a screen instead of writing words on paper. The words do not exist anywhere but in the memory of the machine and in my mind. I only perceive the words as pixels that make up the illusion of text on my display.
Internet technologies have dramatically changed the way I communicate as well. At work I text message or e-mail colleagues. That’s as much part of the “open landscape” (cubicles) that we work in as much as anything else because you have to keep noise levels to a minimum. Talking is out, text messaging and e-mail is in. I use icons, emoticons, short hand, and hyperlinks a lot more now too. It’s sometimes difficult to convey emotion in text. Emoticons are a quick way to indicate to someone that you are angry for example, versus merely being facetious. These modes of communications are also faster (Tribble, p. 68) because I never have to remove my eyes from my computer display to dial or answer a phone. I find I’m able to do several tasks at once. For example, I can communicate with several individuals at once with several instant massaging windows open and do my work all at the same time.
Comments
Your post almost made me want to have a Mac. I thought that the ComicLife idea was really cool, although I don't know how many people would sign on after the initial trial (as I have found in the past, when a trial expires, create a new email, use grandma and grandpa's address, and trial trial again.
Your ComicLife did a very good job of telling a story with fewer words (more so than I think my or any other Tablo ever could, which is probably why some people collect comic books, they're fun. I agree with your opinions of text messages, the shorter the better. People don't even have time for each other anymore. Relationships are made and depend upon non-personal communication.
Posted by: William | March 25, 2007 09:04 PM
Hi! I thought your comment,"Talking is out, text messaging and e-mail is in. I use icons, emoticons, short hand, and hyperlinks a lot more now too. It’s sometimes difficult to convey emotion in text." was interesting. Are there certain audiences with who you use emoticons, and some you do not? What do you think of the current thought that using emoticons is not necessarily considered correct professional communication? (This from the e-mail tips of the Communicators Forum at the U.) What kinds of things are difficult to express? I find humor and sarcasm are hard to express--sometimes a recipient will interpret feigned anger as real, for example.
I find that the phone is often a quicker way to find something out quickly. I rely on e-mail for complicated communications that take some thought. Sometimes I wonder if that is the right path, since no one seems to read e-mail very carefully.
Do you your text messaging for work or as a diversion? I know there is a University system for texting, called 'Jabber' I think, but I have never had the need to use it.
Posted by: Ramonac | March 25, 2007 11:14 PM
Technology has also dramatically changed the way that that I write as well. All of the ways that you have describes with using a word process vs. a typewriter and also with all the IMing editors and things really have changed the way that we all write and communicate with all the technologies that are available today.
I agree with you that it's hard to convey emotion in a text message or through an e-mail, and it's sometimes hard to convey the correct message as well. If you type something the recipient can intrepret what you have written differently.
Posted by: Harpal (Paul) Thind | March 25, 2007 11:14 PM