…but so is comprehension.
Instant messengers and IRC channels are wonderful tools. I use them every day. But I think the quick fire, short lines, sound bite communication they engender oft times erodes a person’s ability to read and comprehend what another is saying the them. Instead of reading an entire thought, perhaps given in multiple post or messages, people get erroneous interpretations. If they would take the time to read and digest what the other is saying, perhaps they would understand.
But twice in the past day I have witnessed people jumping to conclusions based on a portion of what another was trying to say to them. In both cases, the follow-up statements were buried beneath reams of quick-fire remarks. The initial poster was simply unable to finish their thought. That’s sad.
Tags: online culture, rant