Tuesday 6 January 2015

Modern Communication


Nowadays we use our mobile phones to communicate; we can call someone, text (sms), send a WhatsApp message or use social media channels to send our message. We also have access to emails, great we have fantastic digital tools to communicate.

But there is a problem....



We are getting lazy.

Or is this the "modern" way of communicating, personally I don’t think so.

There are clear "non-official" guidelines how one should communicate, in fact communication is offered as modules at University and Colleges. Typically there are standards for "casual" and business communication. It seems to me however that this standard is slowly but surely disappearing.

Before the internet business users will pick up the phone (landline, a device with a cord attached to it), talk to someone on the other end and things were done, the order was placed and both parties were happy.

Forward to today and things are waaaaay more different. Yes the generation Y and X's will argue that “this is the modern age" and I totally agree but is it necessary to go backwards?

Email Communication

Whenever I compile an email, business or private I make some effort to draft a message that is clear and concise. I don’t write a novel I am just trying to cover who, what, where and when so that the recipient clearly understand my message.

It is however disappointing when I get the following responses:

a. Ok..
b. Find attached..
c. Fine..
d. Cool..

without anything else. My question to email users are, Are you lazy or don’t you feel that I deserve a proper message. When we meet face to face, will you use the same words when we have a conversation?

Another thing that is extremely annoying is when someone types the message in the Subject field. The subject field is for the subject, is it that too hard to understand?

Mobile and social media communication.

One can understand that text messages (sms) are limited to a number of characters, so one can accept when someone uses abbreviations…LOL.

But you waste my time when I need a cryptographer to decipher your post on Facebook. You are not limited to characters, I am sorry but there is just no excuse for that. The same applies for WhatsApp.

But I don’t have time..

Yes, that is the number one excuse nowadays, how is it possible, we have all these digital tools and you still don’t have time to compile a proper message.

If you say 'I don’t have time', then I don’t have much hope for you. Either you have so much work that you cannot cope or you cannot manage your time.

To conclude

The wheel was discovered between 3000 and 4500 BC, and today it still serve a purpose as a circular device, there is even a saying "Don’t redesign the wheel" , why can we not apply that to communication.

If you send an email, a text message or even a message via social media, do it properly, or don’t expect a reply from me, I will ROFL, Lol

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