There’s a new book by Susan Shapiro Barash asserting that women are better liars than men. (I haven’t read it.)
True enough, any woman with a wee bit of guile knows how to tell a proper lie. But basing your thesis on the data collected from a test pool of women who responded to Craigslist ads? Please. That’s begging for skewed results.
Who knew auto-fill could be so dangerous?
You start entering a name or email address in the “to” field, and auto-fill completes the rest for you. But in your haste, before you even check if the correct “Spock” is chosen from the auto-fill list, you’ve tabbed down to the subject line and are on your way to sending the email.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Spock the child-rearing guru is calling to ask why you sent him blueprints for a starship, and you sheepishly have to explain that those files were meant for a Vulcan’s eyes only.
Thankfully, I am not in the habit of sending love letters or lewd jokes via email, or I might be hiding in the server room pretending I didn’t exist. Still, auto-fill is a hazard for those who must regularly send potentially sensitive materials. It behooves us all to make sure we are actually sending our email to the intended recipient.
On the other hand, predictive text software on mobile phones now rewards those who leave an incorrect word unchanged. Presumably out of laziness, texters intentionally don’t correct mis-predicted words. Yes, suddenly it’s cool to get your mords wixed up.
Predictive Text Gives Birth to “Textonyms”
Here’s an example: You mean to write “home,” so you punch the corresponding numbers “4663″ on your cell. The predictive text feature thinks you meant “good,” but you leave it as is and continue your message. According to some sources, avid texters will still know exactly what you mean. They’re called textonyms.
I’m not sure I quite believe the apparent popularity of these textonyms. This article cites the use of the word “carnage” when the word “barmaid” was intended. I mean, really — who uses the term “barmaid” while texting? But who knows, maybe there are merely some very poetic texters out there.
Technology has really spoiled us.
“Geek Industry Insights” is my series of posts exploring the inner workings of a technology company. I will discuss the unique culture, politics, and challenges that permeate the industry.
In this installment we will explore the lighter side of ArcStone’s company culture, and how humor can bring a boost of morale and productivity when it’s needed most.
Tags:ArcStone business communication Fun Happiness nerds philosophy silly
With social networking all the rage, our lives becoming increasingly hectic, and Internet connectivity nearly ambiguous, it’s not surprising that many people maintain some exclusively digital friendships.
I haven’t seen many of my digital friends in over 10 years, and probably wouldn’t even recognize their voices. Even my brother, who is serving in Iraq right now, has become an all-digital sibling.
Whenever I hear of more Minnesota casualties on the radio my heart skips a beat, I rush home to the computer, and check his Facebook page hoping to see a recent update so I know he is still alive.
All this has led me to conclude that social networking sites don’t necessarily bring people closer together. In fact, sometimes they make people feel farther apart.
