I think that webspeak/netspeak has a major impact on our culture. Technology is a major part of our daily lives and many people would be lost without them devices.  Linguistic language, emoticon and abbreviations have all become part of our daily conversations. I can recall hundreds of times speaking with someone face to face and the say LOL or OMG. What is considered norm language within webspeak/netspeak is now become an everyday language. I have also received emails where different lingo and abbreviations are being use. I believe because people text/IM so much that they began to verbally communicate in the same manner. Thurlow says that “’young people write it as if they saying it’” (16).

Society is so program with time that everything is done in a hurry. We use lingo, abbreviation etc. because the conversations are at a fast pace and we are press for time or occupied with other things. During face to face conversation we have so many things that we have to do that we have to limit the time that we spend communicating with one another and in order to do that we have to use language that we have developed online to communicate quicker.

I agree with Baron’s findings that a new hybrid form of English is emerging.  This language is developing in a new form of language just as Ebonics did. CMC technology has allowed us to communicate with each other without make proper sentences or worrying about subject verb agreement. It has made it easier to communicate. On my job we are informed that we have to communicate using an eighth grade level in order to ensure that everything is understood.  Is this because most CMC does not require an education and more people are webspeak/netspeak language? Will employer’s state accepting this language as appropriate? Will the world totally convert to this language since it is used so often?

The readings this week were quite interesting. Although I do not have experience dealing with non-English language personal on the internet however, I do have daily contact communicating with non-English speakers but interpreters come in handy.

In the Linguistic Diversity Reading the point about the National Censuses caught my attention. So many people that are fluent in different languages all use the internet. From interacting with people daily that are natives of different language I have noticed that many of them prefer to read documents in English instead of their native language. It was amazing that Gerrand used web presence to measure because all languages are not available on all computers and most people would use English for different reasons such as to ensure that the receive would understand, to try to become more fluent etc. So the researcher should have taken into consideration the reason for the web presence because it may have had an effect on the data.

Another interesting topic was in chapter 3 the flaming. “Walther et al.(1994) defined flaming as messages that include wearing, insults, name calling, negative affect, and typographic energy,” (Baym, 57). I have noticed that people result to name calling, insults etc. in order to obtain attention. I actually never heard of flaming before now. I believe people try to be nicer or just try to ignore flaming in order to try to make the person stop.

Other topics that caught my attention were the use of social cues, emoticons and linguistic language. Emotions are not easily express online and can be misunderstood. For example, typing in all capital letter could be taken as yelling. I was very amazed with Baym story of how people perceived CEO Jerry Yang’s memo. It is so common now to use LOL, haha and other language but I have never heard ROTFL.  How would the global research study results been different if each native language used different social cues and linguistic language to express themselves?

Chapter 2 and Herrin (2004) points out how people fear new technology use and harm that it will cause. People feel that it will diminish intelligence, cause problems in marriages and corrupt our kids.  As discussed in chapter 2 every new technology comes with its drawbacks. According to Baym, “when medias are new, most popular messages about them are deterministic” (page 24).  Some of the fear that develops is due to the reactions of other people. People tend to take the opinion of the majority in order to fit in instead of standing on or establishing their point of view. The major fear that people have is change and many people do not like change therefore technology cause resistance.

Baym points out many fears of technology and states that   “it will re-create political and cultural communities in cyberspace; it will bring pornographers, stalkers, and credit-card scammers into our homes, corrupting our kids and ransacking our privacy” (page 28).  She also states that technology would allow people to lie about their name, age and other things which would increase problems.

Technology has brought the fear of lack of privacy and the force of conformant. Herring says that CMC tends to “slouch toward the ordinary” which is so true because new things began as socially unacceptable and expensive but through time it become the norm and people cannot live without it.  It has been confirmed today that communication between one another is over and the use of advance technology has increase.  People hardly talk with one another face to face. Technology has taken over and now controls some people every move.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Tech User quiz I am a drifting surfer. The quiz states that “drifting surfers are infrequent online users.”  According to Horrigan drifting surfers consist of 14% of the general population.  “Drifting Surfers have a fair amount of tech resources at hand. They will skip a day of using the internet without worry. And are likely to be emailing or checking news headlines when they do log on” (p. 74).  I totally agree with the quiz that I am a drifting surfer this fits me. I really do not have time to be on the internet and I have all the devices to do so. I believe I’m only on the internet due to taking online classes. I do not do social networks and really do not have to keep up with the latest news due to my co-workers always keeping me updated. However, I do disagree with the Horrigan’s statement that “drifting surfer is slightly below average when it comes to online experience” (p. 74). This is definite not me I have plenty of experience I just choose not to get online unless I have to because I have other things to do. I think that some people need to detox form the internet because they cannot function without it.

Another type that would fit me would be the information encumbered. Horrigan states this group is well armed for the information age and thinks it is good to take a break from time to time (p. 82). I agree with this group and I have internet connect in my home, on cell phone, Ipad etc. I think I am a mixture of drifting surfer and information encumbered because I have qualities from both of them.

It is good to discuss other types of technology users because it allows you to define yourself as well as others. People find it hard to find themselves in different things but easy to point out someone else. The knowledge of the different types of technology users also helps with communication because provide an insight of what topics and type of language you could use while speaking with someone. For example, digital collaborators would be more likely to talk using text language (lol) than information encumbered.

Hi Everyone! My name is Stephanie Price and I am a senior Communication major. I plan to graduate in May. I and married and just celebrated my 5th year anniversary on Saturday. I have three beautiful children two boys and a girl and I work full time so my life is extremely business. I look forward to having a wonderful semester with each of you. Please let me know if there is anything I could do to help. Good luck this semester :).