Choose two people that have had an influence on you. Write a letter to each thanking them for their contributions to your life (this should be done either early in the week or late in the previous week to see if you get a response). Write one in long-hand (you know, pen, paper, stamp, that kind of thing) and one via email. Think and write about how you chose which one to send the message via snail mail and which via email. Also, write about the differences in the language, length, tone, etc. Are there any differences? What kind of responses to you get? Due July 18.
For this assignment, I decided to write my grandparents who live in Vancouver, WA and my parents who live in Portland. I decided to do two GROUPS of people instead of two individuals. After all, it would be very rude to leave ones' spouse out when writing a thank you letter for their contributions to my life.
I decided to write my parents the e-mail, simply for the fact that I talk to them on a regular basis, and we send e-mails back and forth all the time, so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary to send them a quick e-mail letting them know how thankful I am of them. I sent my grandparents the letter because we have always had a very formal relationship. I always send them hand written letters for birthdays, thank you letters, or any other sort of update or message I want to send them. My grandparents also aren't quite up to date with technology. I think my grandpa does still have his computer and an e-mail address, but he doesn't really check it on a regular basis. My grandfather tried to buy a new computer, but once he got it home, he found it too confusing to set up and operate, even with my assistance. He got frustrated fast and gave up! So what it basically came down to was my influences' technical knowledge and awareness.
The e-mail that I wrote to my parents was pretty short and to the point, as most of the letters I wrote to them over the internet are. After all, Postman does describe information as a disease, and too much information can break down a system or make the information useless, so I kept it short! The tone of the e-mail was pretty easy-going, and simple. It wasn't some mushy letter that was describing my eternal love for my parents. It was just a hello, and letting them know I was thinking about how much I appreciate them. "No big deal" describes it pretty well, I think. I sent that e-mail off in the morning, and by the time I got off work around 5 pm when I checked my messages, I had already got a response back from my mom. The response was very similar to my original letter. It was very short, and to the point, but also clearly said what she wanted to say. Hers was a little more mushy though.
The letter I wrote to my grandparents was a little different. I put more thought into this letter since I don't get to talk to them as much as my parents. I really tried to emphasize what I was trying to say by making the letter longer by being more detailed in my appreciation of them, and all they have done for me. The letter was much more serious than the one I wrote to my parents. I used more I love yous, I miss yous, etc. This letter was definitely more mushy than the other, but my brother and I have always had that sort of relationship with our Grandparents, so it wasn't really out of the ordinary. I haven't received a response back from them yet, but I just sent the letter off on Monday, so I will give it some time. Most likely, I will get a phone call from them thanking me for the letter.
I'm glad we did this assignment this week. I was able to realize the differences in language use for different technologies, and I was able to let me family know how much I appreciate their support....
2 comments:
I think you illustrate a good point about the difference between communicating online and in other, more traditional ways. The "no big deal" component of email seems to apply to all forms of communication that are mediated by technology. It's strange to think about, but email is so informal simply because we can just type whatever we think as fast as we think it. In a letter, you might take the time to consider your words at the sentence or even paragraph level, but email, for some reason, is so much more "stream of consciousness."
Great blog, thanks.
I completely agree with you when it comes to the differences in writing an email and a letter. People use email so consistently through out their lives that it has become custom to be efficient and to the point in their writing. If every email was long and detailed then you would be spending a lot more than the desired amount of time on the computer. The opposite is true for letters. Because of the limited letters most people write, it is almost as if we feel compelled to write in more detail. The fact that they illuminate a more interpersonal feel also compels us to write in more depth. Great post, thanks
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