Has Anyone Else Found Internet Posting to be Altering their Style?

I've done a lot of posting in busy chat rooms the last few months. And
because those posts are ephemeral (you might as well write "To Whom it
May Concern" postcards) my natural laziness/quest for efficiency kicks
in and I tended to write minimalist stuff that very quickly states what
it's about, makes a couple of supporting or related points, and gets
out.

I've regarded this as good writing exercise (who was it that recommended
writing in the sand at low tide?) but it's changing my attention span.
Reading magazines in the library, I'll bail out of one article after
another because though the title sounded interesting I feel the writer's
not getting to the point.

On the internet I'll have twenty tabs on the browser and in a lengthy
piece I'll often start something else and return several times before
finishing it--if ever. When video is ubiquitous on the net will anybody
besides us writers read any more?

:yoiks:

Its exaclty like you said, it becomes very ADHD, you focus for ten seconds and run. You'll miss too much otherwise, and for your posts to be read they have to be very to the point as well, because everybody thinks like that on the net after awhile.

My opinion is that it deals with the physicality of computers. As soon as computers are free and comfortable enough that you can curl up in bed with them like a good book, maybe people will read longer. But until that point its going to be all about grabbing ones attention and making ones point very quickly!!!

Or just liberal pieces? Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly; radio. Minimalist, to the point, visual. Almost all conservative writing is like that.

Works best for internet writing too.

See another reason we can't get our message out?

He warned against children watching cartoons and sitcoms because their attention spans get used to the 15 minute sound bytes with commercials interrupting the 30 minute shows. (I can't remember who said this, though.)

You bring up a good point. Our means of gathering information is much different with the internet. This may be one of the causes of declining sales in newspapers and viewing of the nightly news. I know I have a hard time reading the paper due to already reading the info. on the internet a day before.

...my patience for reading lengthy articles has been noticebly diminished over the past five years or so---never given much thought as to why. I know I wasn't like this ten years ago.

I don't mince words, direct is best. My Pm's and E-mails are typically 3-5 paragraphs.

On DU however, I can often express what I have to say in the header line. I find one of DU's greatest values is as a clearinghouse for links to news sources.

But the social aspects are very nice too. :grouphug:

:P but yes, I agree.

I have a hard time reading things thoroughly now. I tend to skim.