Communication

1.
Facebook tests out new feature




Facebook has announced it's trying out a new feature.


Called 'subscribe to' it lets users follow their Facebook friends more closely.


But in a statement Facebook said: "[Subscribe to] lets [users] subscribe to friends and pages to receive notifications whenever the person they've subscribed to updates their status or posts new content, such as videos photos or links."


For more info: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/11201418


‘Facebook has always been in the news for its lack lustre privacy. The idea of being able to access others peoples so called ‘networking lives’ has raised questions in the past over the general safety of the client. The chance to preview you and your general interests to the world, as well as conversations has been described by some as a ‘paedophile paradise’, with easy techniques to find and talk to anyone.
With the new subscribe button looming; this privacy will be thrown into even more question, with a client having information shared to certain people, about everything they do. This idea of social networking will go from individuality, to complete and utter openness.'






2.
Instant messaging: ‘This conversation is terminated’
OMG. Instant messaging (IM), once the mainstay of teenage gossips, techie know-it-alls and office time-wasters everywhere, looks as though it is in trouble.


Just a few years ago, it was meant to be the future.


More immediate than e-mail, less fiddly than texting, sending an IM was widely expected by many technology pundits to become our preferred mode of online communication, whether socially or in the office - or socially in the office, for that matter.


But how times change.


For more info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8698174.stm


'Instant messaging has always been a major part of communication amongst people for a number of years now. Its innovative immediate use allows people to communicate with people anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, it rapid decline has raised question marks, and for me whatever they do will never be the same. The growth of social networking sites has really made an impact on the world today, and has overtaken the idea of just instant messaging. Its elaborate way of communicating in a number of ways (not just messaging!) has just crushed the idea and allows people to talk to each other through people status’, various comment as well as IM.
Skype has also blown past it, with its use to talk to people essentially face to face, for hours on end for free. This just overpowers the idea of talking to people on a computer and has been its main fault in the 18% decline in instant messaging sice 2003.Therefore for me, the application is dead and buried.’




3.
‘Phone texting helps pupils to spell'


Children who regularly use the abbreviated language of text messages are actually improving their ability to spell correctly, research suggests.


A study of eight- to 12-year-olds found that rather than damaging reading and writing, "text speak" is associated with strong literacy skills.


Researchers say text language uses word play and requires an awareness of how sounds relate to written English.


This link between texting and literacy has proved a surprise.


For more info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8468351.stm


‘Texting has always been in the news; either for its latest gadgets or for stories similar to this. The idea to text someone has been mind-blowingly successful, and has allowed millions of people to gain and give out information on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the way in which people are texting has overshadowed the general application and its developments. This especially for young people. Many people feel that ‘short texting’, which is the idea of abbreviations for words, for example homework would be ‘hwk’, has destroyed the English language and the way young people treat it. However, this has shown not to be the case, and has surprisingly turned the other way and is suggested that it will improve young peoples’ literacy. It is thought that the use of abbreviations will provide a mental note for the actual spelling and its use in a sentence. For me I agree, I feel that the common use of abbreviations is understood by everyone now days, and provides an outlet for longer words, to be cut down but at the same time known properly. So as long as literacy results are increasing, there should be known one complaining.’