Quite an interesting prompt if you ask me. What is my online style? Before I begin on the main point this topic immediately made me think of texting and the new language it has created. One of my biggest annoyances is this idea of shortening words which came about with texting it seems. It's like shorthand for journalists but for people who feel the need to save half a second by typing "ttyl" instead of "talk to you later." Anyway, back to the main point, I feel my style is as though I'm writing on paper. I never use "internet speak", I find it repulsive. If I see any sort of document that has "omg, brb, ttyl" and the likes I immediately disregard the writing and move on. I feel the internet is a forum to show off your abilities and you will severely limit your willing audience by catering to one class of people. I tend to compose in much more detail than most people. It may be because I enjoy writing and creating sentences. It may be because I actually have something to say. When I read works done by teenagers and early twenties' students I sense a lack of passion when it comes to the important things. When I say important I mean world events not who's having who's baby.
I will be the first one to say "Twitter" is the worst idea ever thought. It teaches you to leave detail out and write in a pseudo language that only kids understand. As I have stated before, who cares about your life? What have you done that is so special that it warrants you sitting on your computer telling everyone? Why would I handicap myself with 140 characters?
I do have different styles for different occasions. I know I tend to write like someone who is in total disgust with his generation. It's true; this blog experiment has allowed me to vent my anger. This blog allows me pretty liberal amount creativity when it comes to the topics. I'm able to go off topic and back on topic, but I always feel I answer the question at hand. Obviously I wouldn't take this approach if I was writing for a prestigious online journal, but for this blog it works.
I feel my writing is still old school with a new school forum. There will never be, at least I hope, an acceptance for incorrect spelling and punctuation in the professional world. An employer will no accept papers or reports with “Omg r nmbrs r off.” The way I feel, why practice bad habits? Yes, the internet is a place where everyone has an opinion. Yes, they have a chance to be heard. Too bad you have to eventually get a job or start a career. I highly doubt your boss will accept your internet lingo in a report. Maybe the professional world will change eventually, but for now it hasn’t so either am I.
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I do agree with what you have to say here. When I do speak with people online I tend to abbreviate the words but at the same time if I am writing formally for a job opportunity or essay that all goes out the window. For me personally I do not have to think too much about the fact that I need to write correctly. As for twitter I cannot agree more. I find it to be absolutely ridiculous that people go on there every hour of every day to post how they are feeling. I completely agree about doing so on a regular basis but every hour? My teacher though brought up a good point that during the fires and trying to keep people updated twitter would have been an amazing way to go about it so I guess in that aspect it is a good thing. I have different styles of writing and speaking depending on whom I am talking to. In an interview it is still me speaking but in a more professional manner whereas I speak differently in everyday conversation and I think the same can be and should be said about styles of writing. The styles have their appropriate time and place. Thanks for a great blog!
ReplyDeleteOnce I read the writing prompt, I too, immediately thought of texting and the new language it created. It is interesting how texting is supposed to be a form of rapid communication. Yet, we do not think it is fast enough so we started shortening words. Although making these words shorter, into abbreviations, or acronyms is not very academically smart, I think it is not as bad as you say. As generations continue to become younger and younger, they are lucky to have the writing opportunities and freedom to express themselves in today’s technological advances and communication sites. Everyone may see it as a burden making students seem “dumb” because they sometimes transfer it to their school work. It really is not that big of a deal. Anyone can express themselves anyway they want to. Someone who writes or communicates in short hand should never be judged by it. I never use short hand or use acronyms in anything I write. So I am not defending what I do but I am defending those who have a right to express themselves anyway they want to. In the end, teachers won’t let students turn in work with this kind of writing on it. I have experienced it. So if teachers do not accept this work and since people have freedom, I think writing anyway anyone wants to is perfectly acceptable.
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