 Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Goodbye to Hello in Digital Age - Study
"People using new technologies to communicate are much more likely to start the conversation 'hey' and sign it off 'laters' than the more formal alternatives, says the study.
Influences from around the world have contributed to a more 'familiarised' language which the report has dubbed 'globespeak....'
'It wouldn't surprise me if, in 50 years, there was no longer a need for 'hello' and 'goodbye' in general or certainly in electronic communication,' said Mr Green, a lexicographer and author of a dictionary of slang....
The most common alternative for 'hello' when starting an informal email or instant message was 'hey', followed by 'g'day', 'hola', 'howdy' and 'yo', according to the survey of 2,000 people.
When it comes to saying 'goodbye', the most likely alternative is 'laters', then 'ciao', 'au revoir', 'hasta la vista' and 'in a while'.
The survey also looked at how people writing to one another by electronic communication referred to a friend. 'Mate' was the number one choice, followed by 'love', 'sweetheart', 'buddy' and 'pal'.
Tracy Blacher, msn marketing director, said: 'What is interesting is the speed that language is being modified by the adoption of new technology.' " [Ananova, via snowdeal.org | conflux]
I use "hey" for "hello" and "later gator" for goodbye when instant messaging, which sounds rude when I type it here but seems right when I type it in an instant message. In fact, I'm surprised when others do use the much more formal "hello" and "goodbye" (or even "bye"). What terms do you use?
ACLU to Provide Patriot Act Signs to Florida Libraries
"The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida will distribute hundreds of placards to county and university libraries warning about the law. The poster, roughly 10 inches by 12 inches, depicts the Statue of Liberty and states 'Attention. Under Section 215 of the federal USA Patriot Act records of the books and other materials you borrow from this library may be obtained by federal agents.' " [Library Journal - Breaking News]
RIAA On The Warpath...And The Backlash
"If I may use an analogy:
It's the late Cretaceous period. The asteroid has already hit. RIAA is a herd of lumbering Triceratops. They're already extinct; they just don't know it yet. The only question left is: how many of the rest of us will get squashed as they thrash around in their death throes?" [TechnoBiblio]
Tech Sector's Hot Spot: Wi-Fi
"On Wednesday, telecom giant SBC Communications Inc. will announce it is installing thousands of high-speed wireless connection points--called hot spots--across Illinois over the next two years.
By 2006, SBC hopes to have 20,000 hot spots spread over its 13-state region. A wireless hot spot enables a user with a properly equipped laptop computer or hand-held device to access the Internet at speeds faster than a traditional dial-up connection....
'Wi-Fi's not a stand-alone business," Ask said. "It has to be part of a larger strategy.'
That's because its unclear if anyone can make much money with Wi-Fi, analysts said. SBC's strategy to bundle the Wi-Fi service with other products makes sense because it could give SBC an edge at a relatively low cost....
'Wireless is a wonderful thing,' Notebaert said, 'but often the technology moves faster than people's economic models. I haven't met anyone who's solved the economics of this.'
An expensive aspect of Wi-Fi is supplying wired Internet connections to the radio base station that can send signals up to 100 yards away." [Smart Mobs]
All of which makes public libraries a natural space for free, public Wi-Fi. In a couple of years, it will surround your library. Don't be the one dead spot with no access.
Today I had the pleasure of lunching with Aaron. He graciously did not take pictures with his cameraphone during lunch, but afterwards when we went back to SLS to work on some scripts for his Library's site, he surreptitiously photographed SLS and my office.
Earlier in the day, I had noticed a most strange sight outside my window. The company in the building next door creates specialty plants and displays, so I often see strange sights in their parking lot. The best one ever was a topiary of giant bears dancing in a circle, but today's was pretty good, too.
I told Kate that I wished I had a cameraphone in order to take a picture of it and post it. Kate responded that we did have a digital camera, but to perform the equivalent action, I'd have to find the camera, take the picture, transfer it to my computer, resize it, and email or FTP it to my blog. Way too much work. So instead I just waited for Aaron to show up and he took the picture.
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