TSL - Texting As a Second Language
Indeed, I am completely amazed at how ingenious all these little humans can be when it comes to text messaging.
It seems like every week I am learning some new acronym in the instant and virtual world of texting.
If you have a few minutes, I'd like to discuss and interesting dialogue I had found myself in recently.
Okay so, we were sitting down at a local coffee shop discussing some of the challenges in the nearby communities with language barriers.
Far too many folks do not speak English and it hurts their upward mobility and further creates a divide as the gap between the classes grows.
Luckily, we have ESL programs here, adult education teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).
Now then, as bad as that problem is, we have another communication issue today - let's call it TSL - Texting as a Second Language.
You see, because text messages are short and too the point, and because some folks are much better at being concise with their written word than others - we have all experienced that "What did they just say or mean" phenomena.
Yes, they quickly replied to our email, text, phone message, but their reply was practically cryptic, who knows maybe they are trying to dodge the Verizon NSA "share everything plan" or; 1.
Maybe they are being rude 2.
Maybe they aren't good at texting either 3.
Maybe they are trying to blow us off 4.
Maybe they completely agree and have nothing more to add 5.
Maybe they need to think about it Yah right, so which is it? Well, you don't know.
You see, there is no body language to back that up and we all know you cannot read someone's mind over the phone.
Would it be different if there were online courses "TSL - Texting as a Second Language" and what if the link were provided when you sign up for the service? The reality is that even if you are a great text-messager you will still run into problems with those who don't speak your language.
Worse, some texting acronyms have multiple meanings to different people, so you are left wondering "which one did they mean" and even if at times only one should apply to a particular line of thought, it is quite possible the other party did mean something else.
As text-messaging grows, so too will it evolve, just like any other language, except 100-times faster as more people in more countries and cultures and languages use it.
We have to be ready to educate everyone on what everything means if we are to keep up with it all.
Please consider all this and think on it.
It seems like every week I am learning some new acronym in the instant and virtual world of texting.
If you have a few minutes, I'd like to discuss and interesting dialogue I had found myself in recently.
Okay so, we were sitting down at a local coffee shop discussing some of the challenges in the nearby communities with language barriers.
Far too many folks do not speak English and it hurts their upward mobility and further creates a divide as the gap between the classes grows.
Luckily, we have ESL programs here, adult education teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).
Now then, as bad as that problem is, we have another communication issue today - let's call it TSL - Texting as a Second Language.
You see, because text messages are short and too the point, and because some folks are much better at being concise with their written word than others - we have all experienced that "What did they just say or mean" phenomena.
Yes, they quickly replied to our email, text, phone message, but their reply was practically cryptic, who knows maybe they are trying to dodge the Verizon NSA "share everything plan" or; 1.
Maybe they are being rude 2.
Maybe they aren't good at texting either 3.
Maybe they are trying to blow us off 4.
Maybe they completely agree and have nothing more to add 5.
Maybe they need to think about it Yah right, so which is it? Well, you don't know.
You see, there is no body language to back that up and we all know you cannot read someone's mind over the phone.
Would it be different if there were online courses "TSL - Texting as a Second Language" and what if the link were provided when you sign up for the service? The reality is that even if you are a great text-messager you will still run into problems with those who don't speak your language.
Worse, some texting acronyms have multiple meanings to different people, so you are left wondering "which one did they mean" and even if at times only one should apply to a particular line of thought, it is quite possible the other party did mean something else.
As text-messaging grows, so too will it evolve, just like any other language, except 100-times faster as more people in more countries and cultures and languages use it.
We have to be ready to educate everyone on what everything means if we are to keep up with it all.
Please consider all this and think on it.
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