The award went to a message from a sports car fanatic who wrote her message in ALL CAPS, with multiple run-on sentences. She used poor grammar and talked incessantly about herself. In reply, my neighbor rightfully pointed out that capitalization is considered shouting. Some people, apparently, just aren't cut out for e-mail. The author of one of my favorite books, Finding Time for Serenity , says that we're being changed by our machines.
College professors report that student papers are wordier than they used to be.
But they are not better. Maybe there is something about gnawing on the end of a yellow pencil and looking at a blank sheet of paper that we need to do. Maybe it helps us consider our words carefully, choose slowly. She has a good point. Just because we can write more quickly or send messages without thinking doesn't mean we should.