3000 years and we’re back where we started
This entry was posted on December 8, 2007
3000 years ago we (well, some of us) were all wearing robes and living in pyramids in the desert. Written communication was via the use of hieroglyphics. All was well (ish). The years went by and new languages started to form in different countries around the world.
Written language was via the use of words, using a feather and some ink. This turned into pencil and paper, which turned into pen and paper, which turned into typewriters, which turned into computers and so on and so forth. You get the idea.
These days much of our written language is transmitted electronically. Printers, email, fax, text message, and IM are all examples of this. With all this electronic communication and writing things down, we’re starting to lose emotion from our communication.
What happened to the times we could call people on the phone and laugh / cry with them? What happened to writing a heartfelt letter on pen and paper? Electronic communication is just so… cold.
But, we’re trying to put some emotion back in, using these little things we call emoticons, or “smilies”. Not all of them are smiling, and they’re very useful to portray how you feel.
= “I’m happy”
= “I’m sad”
= “I’m sticking my tongue out at you”
= “I’m winking”
= “I’m very happy”
But that just means we’re right back where we started! Here we are, the 21st century, almost at the end of 2007… using pictures to communicate with people.
12 lovely people have commented
I’m sure you’ve heard of “a picture is worth more than thousand words”???
I don’t think good old fashioned letter is bad. I’m about to send a few over to some friends in the United States along with Christmas gifts.
We all now that images can lift a text/article/blog-post to the next level.
how true are the words you write.
and we are just as primive as we were back then…still at war and still not getting it.
things haven’t changed just the places and the people. sad isn’t it.
the ONLY difference is that i can talk to you in UK in SECONDS where before i didn’t know UK exisited while in egypt.
Once I asked someone (don’t remember who) why he didn’t use emoticons when IMing. He said that he didn’t need them, because having to express a feeling with pictures showed a deficiency of his language. I think that is true… however, most of the time I find myself having to explain things with pictures and metaphors. For example, I’m right in front of a friend talking, and to express something I have to get a paper and a pen and draw what I mean. If I can’t draw, then I’ll start comparing the concept to a bunch of thing until I feel that the description is accurate enough, without really describing. So it’s not just my writing but my general ability to express myself that needs polishing, or maybe I’m just a cavewoman
hiya,
I talk with pictures, no really, i do. I am semi verbal, which basically means i can hear what people say, but i am not able to talk back (well, not at the moment anyway). I tend to sign back.
^licks^
Jamie & Lion
I agree with what Regina said “A picture is worth a thousand words.” For a guy, I talk on the phone way too much for my own good. I mean, I could get brain cancer (if they ever prove that cell phones, indeed cause brain cancer).
I remember when I was little, I used to have these really nice penpals who would send me their stuffed animals. I was to give the stuffed animal a ‘tour’ of where I live and send it back with pictures of what we did. I agree with e-mail being cold and emotion-less though. I mean, when you’re writing on paper, the person can usually tell what mood you’re in by the style of your handwriting. Obviously, if your letter has blotches in it and your handwriting is messy, then the writer was in sad mood. If the paper has holes in it, it’s probably because the writer was in a bad mood and pressed to hard on the paper with their pen.
On the internet, no emotion is really communicated.
Oh, and the car is a Volkswagen ‘97. I’m not sure what model it is though, only the year.
Yay, you were talking about Egyptians!
I don’t see how a letter would be any more heart-felt than an e-mail! I mean, unless you have tear stains on the letter or something, I think conveying emotions isn’t much different when it comes to written means.
Personally I find it easier to figure out the emotion of the other person when they use an emoticon because then it becomes blatantly obvious how they’re feeling. In written works you generally have to guess how they’re feeling. Of course, verbal communication is a totally different story.
I don’t use those emoticon things much.
I think they look kind of creepy.
Don’t ask me why.
Haha
xo
… which just proves that the ancient Egyptians were genii . I mean why type all these words out when anyone can see that I smile from just two characters
I love letters. Love, love, LOVE.
I think the pictures are innate though. Somehow, we just don’t feel that words are good enough at describing how we feel. But apparently, colons and brackets are.
Leave a comment?
·
Aisling said:
I DO call people. And write letters. I would write you letters, but I am not psychic enough to know your address.
There’s nothing wrong with communicating through pictures, I find. I write letters and doodle all over them. Communication is about more than just talking and listening, or reading and writing. Visual stimulation is important as well!