To say we live in tumultuous times is probably putting it mildly. Perhaps the root for much of this is the very nature of what is digital. Therefore, I’m using my Digital Pulse column to shed a tiny bit of light on one basic digital communication: texting (or text messaging).
I’ll begin with the concept text messaging allows nearly instant brief communication which then appears right in front of us on our digital devices. Yet, this type of communication or thought transference is often a message with levels of meaning and may be frequently misunderstood.
There has always been the double entendre as well as other incidents of grammatical obscurity. However, the point is taken.
One could say, “alternative facts” are very much the norm in much of modern society and particularly in communications through social media, gossip, etc. There are “facts” and there are “facts” according to many folks. The trick is to figure it all out.
Of course, in today’s immediately scrutinized global arena of data (not necessarily accurate data), there is very little that is straightforward or a simple concrete concept. There is depth to anything and everything. Now that’s not bad, but it complicates communications with less obvious hidden meanings which may, in reality, be essential.
This is my round-about way of stating that with the advent of texting, there is an added layer of nuance in the form of punctuation dialogue. Perhaps the best place to start examining this idea is with Wired’s June 2011 article 11 Secret Meanings Behind Punctuation in Text Messages by Sam Greenspan.
For example, he shows asterisks (*) are used as censors. You know what I mean. Just type a four letter word in your text box and you’ll see the first letter and asterisks. The 11 meanings are as follows:
1 Periods – You don’t need to end a sentence with a period or any punctuation.
2 Exclamation Point – It’s somewhere between playful and desperate.
3 Semicolon – You are probably trying too hard.
4 Apostrophe – This can indicate you are detail minds.
5 Left and Right Brackets – You are probably too logical.
6 Asterisk – Your reader isn’t as cool as you are.
7 Plus Sign – This can mean your extreme affection.
8 Emotions – This indicates you want to bring this communication to life.
9 Ellipses – This really indicates there is meaning between the lines.
10 Question Marks – (my favorite) As you use more, the meaning changes.
11 Tilde – You’re great at punctuation or you’re not.
READ MORE AT WOMEN’S VOICES MAGAZINE
