As “blog master” for this project, I have had to examine each blog that is posted to this site for grammatical deficiencies. Even before being the head of this project, grammar has been important to me. After reading this article on punctuation, I gained a better understanding between the differences of written and digital communication. When speaking, especially in English, variations in tone help emphasize emotion, “but there are no pauses or inflections in digital communication”. Not having these necessary inflections may result in a person’s emotional intent being misconstrued.
Digital communication has evolved into a language of its own. A CBS article explained, “We spend so much time emailing, texting, and tweeting these days that it's easy to get lax and write what might generously be called a colloquial style” (Tobak, 2012). A simple period could be mistaken for aggression, but question marks at the end of a sentence may sometimes be perceived as sass. Proper punctuation is unheard of, yet lots of punctuation may be accepted if it is used in the right context. Ok is plain, k is rude, and okiee is cute. Using abbreviations such as, “lol,” or, “ily,” are good, but if every other word is this way it’s annoying. Put three Emoji’s at the end of a statement and it’s okay, putting two Emoji’s is a little weird, but put four and that’s excessive. Get it? Me neither. The digital world changes constantly and a person may easily lose track of the correct implementation of the variations grammar. |
Jessica Bennett reflects in her article, When Your Punctuation Says It All (!), stating, “It’s also as if a kind of micro-punctuation has emerged: tiny marks in the smallest of spaces that suddenly tell us more about the person on the other end than the words themselves” (Bennett, 2015). I agree with this. Attention to these small details has inflated in recent years. Proper punctuation in the digital world we live in is nonexistent. The way Bennett is able to discuss this in her own unique writing style was captivating. Most people, in the digital universe, place periods, commas, semicolons, and exclamation points in areas that do not necessarily need them. The choice areas where the punctuation is placed may not always be at the end of a sentence, but rather, where the writer wants their feeling emphasized. However, Bennett was able to discuss these topics in her own opinion using correct grammar and still get her point across! Most individuals do not seem to understand that slaughtering the well-known English language is the only way to get the point across. Although this is my first week reading topics from Bennett, she effectively portrays what she wants her readers to obtain simply by using correct punctuation and grammar in a way that many people can relate to. If this writing style could be implemented in everyone, would we really need this digital jargon?
-Kira
Works Ctted:
Bennett, J. (2015, February 27). When Your Punctuation Says It All (!). Retrieved from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/style/when-your-punctuation-says-it-all.html
Matos, D. (2010, August 6). Smile ;). Retrieved from Flickr.: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dmatos/4866232631/
McKnight, J. (2010, July 18). It's! (Cropped). Retrieved from Flickr.: https://www.flickr.com/photos/janetmck/4803993751/
Tobak, S. (2012, June 27). Does grammar matter anymore? (LOL). Retrieved from CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-grammar-matter-anymore-lol/
-Kira
Works Ctted:
Bennett, J. (2015, February 27). When Your Punctuation Says It All (!). Retrieved from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/style/when-your-punctuation-says-it-all.html
Matos, D. (2010, August 6). Smile ;). Retrieved from Flickr.: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dmatos/4866232631/
McKnight, J. (2010, July 18). It's! (Cropped). Retrieved from Flickr.: https://www.flickr.com/photos/janetmck/4803993751/
Tobak, S. (2012, June 27). Does grammar matter anymore? (LOL). Retrieved from CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-grammar-matter-anymore-lol/