From what can be surmised from the readings, webspeak is having a mostly negative influence on our culture. While the languages of text and IM may allow people to communicate with people far from their respective locations, they lack the personal meaning and sincerity that comes with face-to-face interactions. Texting a person can appear to be more like writing someone rather than actually talking to them. Sometimes, you really have to know the person on the other side of the conversation for the message to possess any actual value. Only then will it seem like you are really speaking with someone.

     According to Baron’s findings, there are not enough similarities to say that posting an IM is not the same as talking to someone, saying “IM was far more pragmatic”. He also found that a new form of English is emerging for IM and text messaging. Even though I have limited experience with using or reading that particular style of texting, I do believe that it is becoming more common in today’s society. More and more people are using it and, as a result, there have even been new rules made on official writing tests that prohibit the use of text lingo. With the increasing frequency of its use, however, this rule may not last much longer.

     From what can be found in Thurlow’s readings, texting is an example of human “communication imperative.” This basically states that people use texting so much in today’s world, that it has become a daily necessity for many individuals. However, Thurlow also said that texting was an “exaggerated and prejudicial rhetoric.” This statement gave the impression that texting is getting too much attention in our current culture. Like several other people, Thurlow appears to have mixed feelings about the notion of texting.

            One intriguing issue was how one site mentioned in the textbook contained a lot of user-generated content from people who knew different languages. It stated that the blogs, while still 84% English, had another 16% that consisted of other languages, including Spanish, Russian, and Japanese. The variety of these languages is astounding, yet it could prove beneficial in the long run. With people coming to theUnited Statesfrom other countries and more residents of theU.S.speaking languages other than English, it is a worthwhile notion for Americans to attempt to learn as many different languages as possible. This would help prevent confusion between citizens of a diversified population. While I personally do not have any experience with non-English languages on the internet, issues such as these should not be ignored.

            The influx of different languages should not be counted out as the only interesting fact in these two readings. Second is how nonverbal gestures can convey emotional meaning, even when not accompanied by verbal assistance. This could also prove useful, since some individuals fear increased use of the internet could result in diminishing personal conversations between people. However, this is not the worst possible side effect of increased internet use. The worst is the lowering morality in today’s culture because of an increasing lack of people skills.

            One final fact is that social norms like politeness and civility toward others are being replaced with the notion that people should be mean to one another in order to succeed. This thirst for payback toward people who do other individuals wrong could prove to be humanity’s downfall. Loss of compassion towards others could prove an easy way to make enemies. It is a sad philosophy in today’s society: sympathy toward others has seemingly become revenge against adversaries.

There are numerous new forms of technology in today’s world. While some people think those can help mankind move forward, others think they can potentially hurt the march of progress. Susan C. Herring stated her concerns on this matter in her article, which could potentially raise suspicion or concern as to where this increasing influence of modern technology could take mankind.

The individuals who state that the advancement in communication technology is a good thing have well-founded reasons to state why. These new forms of technology, including web chats and blogging, allow for us to communicate with people much further away. The benefits for this type of communication, while helpful, can potentially have its drawbacks.

There are numerous other people stating that technology could potentially replace face-to-face interaction between individuals and could eventually lead to social seclusion and isolation. Herring noted on page 7 how experience has taught many users to be more cautious of “what they say and do” while on-line. Some forms of technology, including internet pornography, have the potential to ruin relationships, even those as intimate as marriage. Personal Connections in the Digital Age, by Nancy K. Baym, gives examples of such occurrences. These include the rare but alarming potential of internet stalkers or rapists on dating websites.

Technology is so common place now that it is often taken for granted. On page 6 of Herring’s article, an interesting parallel is drawn between various “new” forms of technology and those that “came before”. As the latest generation noted in the same article, children tend to be the lost group to have drawn the same conclusion and, as such, have yet to grow tired of some of the newer technology. This is what I believe Herring meant in saying, “CMC tends to slouch towards the ordinary”.

According to the results of the technology quiz I took, the user type that best describes me is a digital collaborator. Digital collaborators consist of 8% of the general population. I do not feel this is an accurate title for me. While I do have all of the assets listed on page 26 of Horrigan’s manuscript, I am not a member of the 39% who is “motivated by mobility”, (p. 6). Aside from using the internet to complete on-line courses, I never share creations with others. Additionally, neither the remaining “what you need to know about them” nor the “key demographic facts” on the chart on page 6 would accurately describe my user type or me.

Even though my family and I have a lot of technology in our home, we do not use every last part of it on a daily basis. In fact, it may be weeks or even months between usages of one or more forms of technology. While digital collaborators do not require any assistance with technology, I need assistance setting up new technology. A user type that would describe me more accurately would most likely be a drifting surfer. Like them, I scan the internet for recreational purposes, but could give it up easily.

I think it is valuable to discuss the different types of technology users. For example, with Horrigan’s notation about the increasing cell phone use for making digital photos, it would likely be unwise for me to open a traditional camera shop. Likewise, Horrigan’s discussion of the increased reliance on e-mails would correlate to the financial woes of the U.S. Post Office. It is a valuable concept to understand how other people value and/or use technology, as this has a large bearing upon interpersonal relationships, the economy, and media influence.