99.9% of Proper Grammar Is Obsolete

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Module 2 Case Assignment 24 June 2012 Module 2 – Case Assignment Smartphones are all over the news and chances are you may have one – only you know them under a different brand name. They are mobile phones with computer capabilities and access to the Internet. With the introduction of the Smartphone, people are able to communicate through instant messaging. Instant messaging is real time conversation, and users have to be able to type fast; so, they use abbreviations. According to David Wertheimer, author of 99.9% of Grammar is Obsolete; instant messaging is the most popular form of communication and the use of abbreviations cause users to forget about proper grammar. In his article, Wertheimer said: “In the forward-thinking Internet environment, were user preference and societal norms drive innovation, carefully constructed sentences are starting to disappear. As users evolve, becoming accustomed to one another’s abbreviations and time constraints grammar continues to deteriorate”. According to Wertheimer; “Grammatical expertise wastes time and money. Neither commodity has been a necessity; civilizations have existed for centuries without formal sentence structure”. Users across the globe are being exposed to these shortcuts and they are astounded by how much time and effort they save. I believe that instant messaging works because users tolerate the non-standard “Internet-speak” or “shorthand”. Personally, I have experienced this new form of “shorthand” when reading instant messages I receive from family and friends – especially those I receive from my grandchildren which I can categorize as being of ‘The Millennial Generation. I must admit; I prefer to read proper grammar on my instant messages because I don’t understand the meaning of most of these abbreviations. I am 51-years of age – and hardly use abbreviations in text messages.

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