Is Letter Writing Dead?

Could it be that modern technological times could be fading away letters? I think not. Many important once-in-a-lifetime moments require letters; such as, approval for enlisting into the army, congratulations for being accepted to a prestigious university, final notices... Although modern times are pushing to go faster letters are meant to be pauses in the rush. Letters carry with them an imposing importance not only because they are 2-Dimensional, but because they have structured formats and sometimes carry a signature. To send a letter requires time and effort both of these requirements give a letter the importance. Letters ask the reader to pay attention to their content. Don't you think you would pay more attention to this blog entry if it were a letter signed by me?

Why are lawyers and technology experts warning companies to store, organize and manage computer data?

The answer, of course, is the legal liability a company can be hold accountable for if any suspicious unlawful behavior occurs. Companies are required legally to store all of its companies data including email and instant messaging. By educating employees about how to use email and instant messaging services responsibly can make the difference between negligent use and improved productivity. Controlling personal use and business use can benefit the employer while restricting the employee to work at work. While storing data is essential, more essential is the management of the data collected and having the basic system requirements to handle the data load.

Once a memo or any other document leaves your hands, you have essentially published it.

The reality now is once your send a email, post a comment, and tweet a picture every detail is recorded and never deleted. Companies are bound by law to save all emails and exchanges within their company. Your credibility can be questioned if past emails are sourced and demonstrate negligence. Increasingly memos and documents are relayed to employees through electronic sources like email, so don't be surprised if your paper document comes back to haunt you in digital format. Documents can be scanned and photographed, so it is always important to make sure that you are putting your best out there. Out there is somewhere even after you press delete.

Instant messaging could be the dial tone of the future?

The title statement is in fact true. As human technologies advance we innovate new and bury old. Such is the case with phones, phones are becoming less relevant and cell phones mostly function now for texting, IMing, tweeting, facebooking.... Instant messaging is the dial tone of the future because sooner than later we will make the transition from audible communication to visual communication. In a faster paced world that is the only path forward; people will continue to find new communication horizons. Fashions come and go and so does technology a perfect example of this is the Blackberry. The Blackberry had its prime time, but is now becoming less relevant to world increasingly dominated by iPhones and Androids.

What's Perfect?

Can good writers sit down and write perfect document? Probably not, but would the document be more cohesive than some other document composed by a okay writer, probably yes. A good writer would still benefit from proofreading regardless of how many years that individual has been writing. When composing a document and even while I am writing this blog entry, the mind wanders in and out of ideas it isn't cohesive by nature. Writing requires energy, energy that reigns in ideas and de-tangles them.This fact makes it impossible to sit down and make a perfect document.Writing skills can improve over time and incorporating techniques and tricks can make writing easier, but almost never turns fluid thought into a perfect sentence.

Its DUE, but do you turn it in?

Would you turn in a document that has not been proofread and sacrifice your credibility? Or would you keep the document past the due date and proofread the document and risk looking like a procrastinator? Decisions, decisions,... Personally, I would hold the document until the document was properly proofread instead of sending a rough draft. Tardiness is preferred over sending an incomplete document out to be ridiculed. In the Business world, incomplete documents would mean a job not well done. Avoid placing yourself in this situation and take the time to insure that the document is without faults and that is cohesive and concise.

Short Sentences.

Short and sweet would seem basic principle when communicating a message, however, the same applies to writing. Taking too much time to write convoluted messages not only cause the writer a strain, but also may causes a reader a headache. Never underestimate the power of short sentences and paragraphs. This is an elemental part of writing effective business memos, emails, letters, etc... Elongating a message can distract the reader making the message ineffective. Powerful business entities rely on quick transactions, however, quick simple messages are also crucial for increased productivity. Business communication requires direct messages that can be easily understood and contain no double meanings. Remember to rely on simple direct messages rather than lengthy messages.