So, in this information age, where nearly every technology we design and use is aimed at speeding up our communicative process (OMG, i tlk fstr? LOL!), should our goal be simply to figure out the fastest writing process and go with it?
I came across an interesting blog post by a writer named Dave Fleet. In it, Fleet talks about blogs vs. Twitter, both of which we've talked about, at least a little. A fair summation of his stance on a business' understand of blogs reads like this:
Blogs are a lot of work. To really pull it off consistently one has to have a strategy, enough content to write consistently AND the desire to even do it. But before even starting with a blog, blogging itself needs to first be recognized as valuable by upper management (which I think is still not even close to being a reality), controllable by middle management (in terms of helping/guiding the company blogger) and executable by staff willing/able to do it. And this, I think is where everything stalls. . .before it ever even gets started. . .
In my opinion, the perceived TIME it takes to create a blog isn’t a factor…it’s the EFFORT.
So, is our goal to reach as many people (or perhaps as many of the right kinds of people) as possible? If so, Y? bothA dedicating d tym n ef4T 2 ritN thorough content.
In only kind-of related news, after you look up hubris (and you should), notice that there's an ISP in Kansas called Hubris Communications. What were those folks thinking?
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?LazinessImpatienceHubris
ReplyDeleteowenc@hubris.net
I feel that taking the time produce great content is important to some readers but because of the shift in attention spans, readers do not want to read great content. They want shortcuts and chopped up language because it is easy for them to understand and phrases such as LOL and TTYL are much more familiar to them.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the response from "owenc." He directs us to an interesting explanation behind the use of the word "hubris," and it's an explanation I think we'd all do well to consider. To communicate successfully, we HAVE to believe that our work has merit, and we need to strive to continue. We just want to make sure that we avoid the classical pitfall of hubris, which is the downfall that always accompanies it.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Owen!
Hubris is a new word for me; in fact I do not even know how to pronounce it right. But going back to the subject about writing... I do believe that writing is an art and also a discipline. Art because the writer is creating content and a discipline because is important to practice.
ReplyDeleteI need to learn to write correctly in English, primary because I enjoy the process of creating but most important because at this time I have forgotten how to write in Spanish correctly and my English is definitely a second language.
I think what is happening with the writing is that now people likes to have information in small easy to read bullet points, I think is part of the evolution of the human being, to me, people are paying less attention to details; so we are adapting, our brain is changing and because of multitasking, technology, and quick responses out attention span is getting shorter and shorter.
I still believe that we need to write correctly and spend time creating pieces for the ones that care to read. It is important to know the rules so it can be broken.
I think our goal should be about finding the fastest writing process. As indicated above that technology is moving us faster and faster, but that is what is needed - speed. Within the IT world, information needs to be relayed just as fast as the new inventions and discoveries are made. I speak of major breakthroughs around the world to changes in a small businesses. The reason I say this is because communication is key to any business being succesfull. Knowledge is power and I say however that is communicated and understood is fine with me, just as long as it is a "good copy" or "10-4" (secure radio verbal protocol language).
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I understand the importance of content;having a well-thought out communicae. But I believe that the method of communication is to be tailored for the audience. Which generation I am addressing? What is it that I know will effect or persuade them and how to do it? The answers to those should help me locate which mode I should write, whether it is texting, twitter, blog, formal letter, story, article, or essay.
I agree with Marion in that I feel that writing is an art and requires discipline. Trying to find shortcuts will only deteriorate the art form and make people lazy. Yeah, some writing assignments are easier than others, but the accomplishment you feel after getting over a writers block is gratifying. I feel once you learn the rules and the accomplish the basics of writing then maybe you can create shortcuts to maximize your time; however, you should always take into consideration whether or not your audience will understand your language shortcuts.
ReplyDeleteI think that people sacrifice clarity in writing when there is a shortage of time, when it is meant to be a quick response, or when one does not care much about the topic that they are writng about. I am a writer. If I take the time to sit behind a computer and type, then it is going to be more than 3 lines filled with acronyms. The only time that I really use acronyms like "lol" or "mmk" (which are the only two I frequently use) are when I am texting or leaving a comment on MySpace or Facebook. I can't even bring myself to abbreviate words and phrases. (I've tried to abbreviate my Facebook and MySpace on here and I went back and changed it.)
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to writing essays and papers that are meant to be read by other people besides our friends and family members, I think that most of us have adapted to writng in acronyms and abbreviated language that we forget our purpose and begin trying to simply get through with the assignment rather than slow down and take more time to complete it. By adjusting our writing abilities in order to save time, we are sacrificing the value of the work we present.
So no, I don't think that our goal should be to figure out the fastest writing process and go with it. I think that we should figure out a way to minimize the amount of strain we are putting on our minds by using more pre-writing strategies such as brainstorming or writing outlines. This would limit the amount of time one would spend writing by keeping their thoughts focused on their essay and help them maintain focus. By maintaining focus you could decrease time spent working and possibly increase your awareness when trying to catch mistakes and punctuation errors.
I agree with Danica on why people use short hand when sending information. However I would say to keep a person's interest you should be straight to the point and only have the vauled information that is needed to explain the unexplained.
ReplyDeleteI feel the exact same way. The communication should be precise and effective. It should also be clear. The content varies depending on who your audience is. I have noticed that some of the things we read have been dumbed-down in order to convey hubris though.
ReplyDeleteHubris Communication puts other internet service providers to shame by providing quality service to those companies that are a part of the network.
ReplyDelete