Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Cost of Computer Literacy (by anon)

Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and technology efficiently. It's the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and other applications that are associated with computers. Texting, instant messaging, and gaming language is being incorporated into our daily talk more and more every day. It's especially prevalent in any written/typed message. After being in college and, especially, after meeting a few computer-science majors here and there, I've noticed there seems to be an inversely proportional relationship between computer literacy and compositional literacy among first world computer users. Ease of speak comes handy when necessary, but since when did saying, "You're a sweet guy and I'd love for us to go out again" become "u r sweet. =) Din 2maro?" It seems to me that our power of communication is being diminished to remove everything but the point by cutting the limbs on which we once walked to reach our intention. It is as if the proverbial prestige and glamour of speaking with words of meaning seem to be turning into a taboo. What has happened to being charismatic? What has happened to having color in our words and devotion to what we write? Has this digital divide of radio waves and paper depreciated the way we talk so radically simply for the ease of editing? Or has the ease of editing been a factor that has integrated the word processors in our minds from the word processors on our laptops? I see no psychoanalytical explanation on the degradation of human vernacular. Yet our generation's grandiloquent linguistics have been infected by this tragically cool inarticulation of expression. It's not, like, as if we don't know what we wana say, like, y'know? Words are just words, but in order to have meaning we must have feeling in what we say and not be hesitant of what we feel. Speak with authority and respect. It does matter how you say things and how you write them as well. Punctuate, capitalize, spell; I plead you to spell correctly. A lot is two words. There, their, and they're cannot be confused. So I implore you, write like you know how to. Writing is an art, one of the humanities which separate us from animals.

1 comment:

  1. Your use of language is so extremely convoluted that you are guilty of the same charges you level at others. A failure to communicate!

    My advice to you is to learn how to write more simple and direct, stop trying to impress. The key is communication. Hemingway for example use to revise his novels and other writing by removing all of the useless adjectives and adverbs, leaving only the essentials.

    Effective writing on the Internet (news and magazines) should be directed at the eighth grade level. So save the convoluted writing for your philosophy paper or your next publication on Kant or Plato. Assume that we are all in eighth grade and your communication will be perfect!

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