Language on the net

The Internet has really changed the way we communicate. I don't think that anyone would disagree. Email, instant messaging, texting, etc are all common everyday occurrences. Some Internet terms and companies have been added to the dictionary as nouns and verbs (when was the last time you Googled something?). Xerox, Kleenex, and IBM as well as many others suffered this fate before the Web was even invented. I saw an article the other day about how people are now naming their kids with "Web 2.0"-esque names. Instead of "James" they're spelling it Jaymz the article stated as an homage to shortcuts (?!) used when texting. Whatever... I guess I can't speak too much because we spelled my daughter's name a little different -- phonetically spelling her initials to make her first name. It makes it hard to find those personalized magnets at tourist attractions... Didn't think about that.

But, what was really strange was to see words taken AWAY from the dictionary because of the Internet. I don't remember where I saw the article, but the one that really stuck out was when the article mentioned that the powers that be (whomever they are) had removed gullible from the dictionary (click here to link to their explanation of the removal). The article went on to describe how, with the flurry of spam, scam and hoaxes on the Internet, and those sent via email specifically, it wasn't right to use the word gullible any longer. Scammers were becoming so sophisticated that even very intelligent people were getting caught in their snares and succoring to the come-ons.

Have we really gotten so dang PC that we can't even accept things for what they are here either?!

Better secure your hard copy of the dictionary. At least that they can't change in an instant!