Technology and Language…Always Changing!

     I am sure you have heard the timeless expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”. In reference to writing technologies, and technological tools in writing, it is safe to say that change is inevitable, and the fact that things are always changing is a phenomenon that remains the same. Have I confused you yet with my attempt to be profound? One fact that remains the same concerning change is the evolution or turn over of language. What was “groovy” in the 60’s, was “fresh” in the 80’s, “awesome” in the 90’s, and “fab” in the 21^st century. Well, the same holds true with this new world of  technological advancements and venues for writers. With the emergence of the internet and writing -“cyber”spaces comes a completely new vocabulary of terms never experienced before now. “Net vibes“, “blog rolls“, “widgets”, and “social bookmarking“…”tag clouds”, “links”, “hypertext”, and “information ecologies“…if you wield these terms around in front of your parents or grandparents, they may look at each other and you as if you are literally speaking a foreign language. There is no doubt that technology is changing, and broadening our scope and style of writing; and with this burgeoning genre comes an entourage of new terms to learn and understand. When these terms are first introduced to a “virgin technologist” they are faced with a grimace and a snicker; but once they are applied and understood, they become comfortable and natural to our budding “vocabulary” reservoir and begin to be slung around with ease and sass, adding to our own sense of “coolness”, competency, and self-efficacy.

Dumb Drivers

     I just cannot help myself and must write a blog post in response to a brief news stint featured on Fox News this past Saturday morning, November 17, 2007. Forgive me if I come across as condescending or sardonic, but this news blurb was really quite comical. This news feature highlighted the top five states who house the “dumbest drivers” in the United States of America.  A list of five states flashed up on the screen, I cannot recall the list in full; however, the first two states were #1- New York and #2-New Jersey. My first reaction was to laugh in minor self-deprecation at the thought of New Jersey having the second most “dumbest drivers” in the country. My feelings then changed to minor offense, until the list of the least “dumbest drivers” popped up on the screen for the nation to view. In the first place position was the state of Alaska…yeah, you read right, Alaska! The second or third state listed was that of Idaho…yeah, you read right, Idaho! It took me a minute, just as it may be taking you a moment to ingest, digest, assimilate this information and make a logical assumption. I realize there are rural parts of both New York and New Jersey, but for the most part, and as my 10^th grade Algebra teacher would say, “It doesn’t take a mental giant” to see what’s going on here.  Whoever performed this survey and came up with these statistics, probably came to the conclusion that because there are more traffic violations and accidents in these two Northeastern American States that the drivers are more stupid than those in Alaska and Idaho. But, if you do the math the metropolitan regions of NJ and NY are probably the highest in the nation, ergo more major cities, more people, more cars, therefore more accidents…as opposed to the 50 mile straight single lane road that runs through the entire state of Alaska whose population is probably a third of North Jersey alone. Have you ever been to Idaho? I had the privilege of driving through this beautiful state this past summer while studying the geology of the national parks, and can attest to its “rural-ality” and sparse population. So, come on! Don’t put me in that category with the “dumbest drivers” in the country. I never pass on the right, talk on my cell phone, or forget to use my blinker. I have never been in a collision with my car, but I have been known to eat a quarter pounder on my way home from school, or touch up my lipstick in the rearview mirror. Hmmmm….maybe car insurance is so high in this state because …Oh, never mind.

I won’t “go there”.