Posts: 1,481
Threads: 111
Joined: Feb 2003
Hi everybody!
I am currently taking a Master's course in literacy studies here in Stavanger,
Norway. I have just completed my first year, and I am now preparing to write my
100-page thesis on the topic of my choice: Language and the Internet.
When writing a thesis, it is required that you do your own research, and so I will
need to get ahold of - and study - actual "real life" online correspondence, instead
of just reading books on the subject.
This is where you can come in! If you wish to participate in my study, you can do
so by sending me your last 20 e-mails (written in English) for me to study. It
doesn't matter whether you write perfectly idiomatic English, whether you write
poorly, or whether you use 1337-speak. What I need, is actual text written by you.
To be perfectly honest, I cannot write this thesis without your help, and so I would
be very appreciative if you wouldn't mind taking 5 minutes out of your busy
schedule to help me out.
The criteria you need to meet are as follows:
1. It needs to be 20 e-mails you've already written, not future e-mails
2. Please do not edit, proofread for errors, or amend your e-mails in any way,
except (see 3)
3. You may remove all sensitive information. (Your real name, private information
(phone number, bank account number, information of an intimate nature, etc.))
------
One of the most time consuming parts of writing a thesis is organising the source
material (in this case, the text in your e-mails). However, if you were to follow
these easy guidelines, it would lessen my workload immensely:
a) Copy the text from your last 20 e-mails into a new e-mail
b) Please separate these 20 e-mails by 3 asterix ("***") so it's easier to distinguish
where one e-mail ends and another one starts.
c) In the topic heading of the e-mail you're going to send me (the one containing
the text from your last 20 e-mails), please use this format: "<Name of board>.
<Online Nickname>. <Nationality>. <Gender>".
Example: "The Lurkerlounge. Diabloslayer666. American. Male."
d) After you've copied the text from 20 e-mails into a single e-mail, and made the
topic heading, please send it to me at: literacy.study@gmail.com.
With your help, we can make a contribution to this exciting field of study.
Thank you for your cooperation!
- [wcip]Angel // Eirik Jakobsen
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
[wcip]Angel,Jul 6 2005, 07:34 AM Wrote:Hi everybody!
I am currently taking a Master's course in literacy studies here in Stavanger,
Norway. I have just completed my first year, and I am now preparing to write my
100-page thesis on the topic of my choice: Language and the Internet.
When writing a thesis, it is required that you do your own research, and so I will
need to get ahold of - and study - actual "real life" online correspondence, instead
of just reading books on the subject.
This is where you can come in! If you wish to participate in my study, you can do
so by sending me your last 20 e-mails (written in English) for me to study. It
doesn't matter whether you write perfectly idiomatic English, whether you write
poorly, or whether you use 1337-speak. What I need, is actual text written by you.
To be perfectly honest, I cannot write this thesis without your help, and so I would
be very appreciative if you wouldn't mind taking 5 minutes out of your busy
schedule to help me out.
The criteria you need to meet are as follows:
1. It needs to be 20 e-mails you've already written, not future e-mails
2. Please do not edit, proofread for errors, or amend your e-mails in any way,
except (see 3)
3. You may remove all sensitive information. (Your real name, private information
(phone number, bank account number, information of an intimate nature, etc.))
------
One of the most time consuming parts of writing a thesis is organising the source
material (in this case, the text in your e-mails). However, if you were to follow
these easy guidelines, it would lessen my workload immensely:
a) Copy the text from your last 20 e-mails into a new e-mail
B) Please separate these 20 e-mails by 3 asterix ("***") so it's easier to distinguish
where one e-mail ends and another one starts.
c) In the topic heading of the e-mail you're going to send me (the one containing
the text from your last 20 e-mails), please use this format: "<Name of board>.
<Online Nickname>. <Nationality>. <Gender>".
Example: "The Lurkerlounge. Diabloslayer666. American. Male."
d) After you've copied the text from 20 e-mails into a single e-mail, and made the
topic heading, please send it to me at: literacy.study@gmail.com.
With your help, we can make a contribution to this exciting field of study.
Thank you for your cooperation!
- [wcip]Angel // Eirik Jakobsen
[right][snapback]82586[/snapback][/right]
Wow man, good luck with that! What a great idea for a thesis!
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 292
Threads: 4
Joined: Feb 2003
[wcip]Angel,Jul 6 2005, 08:34 AM Wrote:This is where you can come in! If you wish to participate in my study, you can do
so by sending me your last 20 e-mails (written in English) for me to study. It
doesn't matter whether you write perfectly idiomatic English, whether you write
poorly, or whether you use 1337-speak. What I need, is actual text written by you.
[right][snapback]82586[/snapback][/right]
Quick question for you: are you making a distinction between "personal" and "work" email? For example, my last 20 work emails represents about 2 hrs worth of elapsed time (not to mention that I would have to take out two thirds of the contents), whereas my last 20 personal emails would give you a better grasp on my use of language on the internet without constraint, but it would cover the last 6 months of my life (I don't use email much for personal communication).
Good luck with your thesis...
ah bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bob
dyah ah dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dth
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Posts: 1,036
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
07-06-2005, 01:50 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-06-2005, 01:51 PM by Rhydderch Hael.)
I've come to the frightening conclusion that, in my 8+ years of Internet life, I probably haven't written even 20 emails.
On the other hand, I could give you tomes of message board entries, brimming with wisdom and slow-simmered insanity.
Political Correctness is the idea that you can foster tolerance in a diverse world through the intolerance of anything that strays from a clinical standard.
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Rhydderch Hael,Jul 6 2005, 08:50 AM Wrote:I've come to the frightening conclusion that, in my 8+ years of Internet life, I probably haven't written even 20 emails.
On the other hand, I could give you tomes of message board entries, brimming with wisdom and slow-simmered insanity.
[right][snapback]82596[/snapback][/right]
I just checked.
I have over 1000 emails sitting in my inbox. Most are not spam. Most are from yesterday and today. I have to many emails.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 1,036
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
Granted, my Inbox is brimming with messages. Some of them aren't even spam.
But my Sent Messages box is devoid of activity.
Political Correctness is the idea that you can foster tolerance in a diverse world through the intolerance of anything that strays from a clinical standard.
Posts: 157
Threads: 5
Joined: Jun 2003
Unfortunately, Yahoo doesn't automatically keep a copy of the emails I've sent. I've only saved about a dozen emails I've sent out over the past year.
All my outgoing emails at work are saved, but they're off limits by NDA. Besides, the business emails are usually a lot more professional in their content and presentation.
Signature? What do you mean?
Posts: 1,481
Threads: 111
Joined: Feb 2003
Jeunemaitre,Jul 6 2005, 01:20 PM Wrote:Quick question for you: are you making a distinction between "personal" and "work" email? For example, my last 20 work emails represents about 2 hrs worth of elapsed time (not to mention that I would have to take out two thirds of the contents), whereas my last 20 personal emails would give you a better grasp on my use of language on the internet without constraint, but it would cover the last 6 months of my life (I don't use email much for personal communication).
Good luck with your thesis...
[right][snapback]82592[/snapback][/right]
Your personal e-mail would better reflect the way you would *naturally* communicate online, as writing an e-mail to one's boss might inspire you to be articulate and cogent :)
I would appreciate it , if you were to send me your last 20 personal e-mails, Jeunemaitre :)
Posts: 1,481
Threads: 111
Joined: Feb 2003
07-06-2005, 04:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-06-2005, 04:30 PM by [wcip]Angel.)
Rhydderch Hael,Jul 6 2005, 01:50 PM Wrote:I've come to the frightening conclusion that, in my 8+ years of Internet life, I probably haven't written even 20 emails.
On the other hand, I could give you tomes of message board entries, brimming with wisdom and slow-simmered insanity.
[right][snapback]82596[/snapback][/right] I suppose the problem is that e-mail is a different medium than forum posts, with different conventions and 'rules', and if I were to jumble together both these groups, my thesis would be standing on shaky ground.
The reason I'm asking people to include the name of the forum, is because I'm posting this on two different forums for comparison. I want to find out if you express yourself differently from people at another forum when writing e-mails.
I know it'll take an extra minute or two sending me the text from your e-mails, and I do sincerely wish I could accept forum posts, but these two media are too different (despite both being forms of online communication), and if I were to accept both, it would cause problems for me down the road.
Posts: 407
Threads: 35
Joined: Feb 2003
Good luck. ^_^ I wrote a paper and did a project on (English) language and the Internet two years ago for a class on advanced grammar. (I still have some of the documents I used for that paper; PM me and I can share my sources.)
Have you considered message boards and chat rooms as other sources for language? Even someone who corresponds with clarity in email will use various shortcuts elsewhere. Looking at the level of importance people assign to Internet tasks is a paper in and of itself. :blink:
UPDATE: Spamblaster.
Posts: 957
Threads: 21
Joined: Feb 2003
[wcip]Angel,Jul 7 2005, 05:19 AM Wrote:Your personal e-mail would better reflect the way you would *naturally* communicate online, as writing an e-mail to one's boss might inspire you to be articulate and cogent :)
Two points on that comment:
1) It would be good to test that assumption, perhaps people don't change as much between the modes as you expect.
2) Business communication is also natural communication... I'm trying to think of a form of communication that isn't natural (comp. generated text??)
3) Best wishes for your thesis!
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Won kewd studee the Lowange. We tawk much good grammer here and have good languwage here.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 6,430
Threads: 204
Joined: Feb 2003
whyBish,Jul 7 2005, 12:51 AM Wrote:Two points on that comment:
1) It would be good to test that assumption, perhaps people don't change as much between the modes as you expect.
2) Business communication is also natural communication... I'm trying to think of a form of communication that isn't natural (comp. generated text??)3) Best wishes for your thesis!
[right][snapback]82667[/snapback][/right]
Chat room logs. I find business communication often stilted, and overrun with buzz words. YMMV. :D PS: How is the Visa application thing going?
Occhi
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
Posts: 27
Threads: 2
Joined: Mar 2005
Is it all right if the emails are not the last 20 consecutively? I have mine set to save all the ones I have, and thus have more than 20 in the folder, but I delete them over time, hanging on to some for various reasons.
Tank for hire.
Posts: 1,481
Threads: 111
Joined: Feb 2003
I doubt I have written that much email in the past 3 years.
I do the huge majority of my online communication in forums and personal messages.
Posts: 957
Threads: 21
Joined: Feb 2003
Occhidiangela,Jul 8 2005, 03:56 AM Wrote:PS: How is the Visa application thing going?
Occhi
[right][snapback]82686[/snapback][/right]
I'm disappointed by the whole process. (Unless I win the greencard...) By the time I'm "experienced enough" to get over there I'll be well rooted here. I've put life on hold for much to long thinking I'd get somewhere (else). Time to find a house/partner/piano etc.
On the business front I'm much better off staying here for now anyway, I'm about to be a software development team lead (of about 8 developers), but elsewhere I'd have to walk into a junior developer role. I'll re-evaluate my position again in 18 months time once I have delivered my first successful commercial project as team lead, so that I have something concrete in the management line for my CV.
Posts: 1,481
Threads: 111
Joined: Feb 2003
07-13-2005, 12:19 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-13-2005, 12:19 AM by [wcip]Angel.)
Thank you to everyone who have participated so far. I need many more participants, so if you can, please do send me your last 20 e-mails. :)
Posts: 1,036
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
07-13-2005, 04:11 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-13-2005, 04:14 AM by Rhydderch Hael.)
(wcip)Angel,Jul 12 2005, 04:19 PM Wrote:Thank you to everyone who have participated so far. I need many more participants, so if you can, please do send me your last 20 e-mails. :)
[right][snapback]83314[/snapback][/right] The only email I have saved in the Out Box are...well... business-related.
I don't think you can make use of mine, unless you are conducting a study on how does one go about the business of ordering swords from an armorer. ;)
"...no! I want a King's Sword of SPEED! Not Haste! Won't do me a spot of good, and has higher maintenence costs to boot!"
Political Correctness is the idea that you can foster tolerance in a diverse world through the intolerance of anything that strays from a clinical standard.
Posts: 638
Threads: 9
Joined: Feb 2003
Want to know something funny?
I don't save my sent E-mails.
And I never thought people did. :huh:
|
