Lost in Translation... Email, Texting, Tweeting and the Like

Now that more and more people are texting, emailing, tweeting, and so on... it would be fair to say that communication will never be the same as it once was with good ole Alexander Graham Bell (the inventor of the telephone for the youngsters who may not be aware of who he is).

Consider what text gives you that voice does not:

• storage and retrieval: the ability to review over and over what was written (and not get the words wrong, although meaning is another story)
• flexibility: read it anytime, day or night; respond to it anytime, day or night
• megaphone to the masses: you can say it to thousands at once

Now, what does voice give you that texting does not:

• clearer interpretation: through tone and inflection

It may be one bullet but it's a biggie. How many times have you read an email, text, or tweet and thought the person was being sarcastic, angry, snooty, or otherwise obnoxious? Maybe they were but maybe they weren't. There is a danger in text alone. It fails to include the tone, pitch and/or inflection that makes it our voice. An exclamation point (!) can be taken several ways in text: anger, excitement, yelling, etc... And, speaking of yelling, how about those ALL CAPS THAT SOME PEOPLE USE. How do we feel about those? What do you think they are trying to convey? It's usually their inability to know where the CAPS key is or how it got turned on. But sometimes you may think it's due to the fact they think it makes their content appear that more important or that they are screaming. As a rule, I'd advise never to use ALL CAPS.

Look at your outgoing emails a little more carefully this week. Could any of them be confusing to a reader- as to your intent or meaning? How about those you receive? Before getting mad at your assumption of intention in another's emails, ask them to make sure you got it right. If you think they are mad ask them if they are, before you respond.

Happy emailing, texting, tweeting and the like. Just do it with the knowledge that it doesn't capture the whole you. Sometimes the joke gets lost. Or the seriousness is missed. Writer beware.