The program has been a tremendous convenience in a great many ways. I communicate with co-workers and clients while I'm working. The uses for instant messanging are nearly limitless. It's no wonder that AOL and Microsoft are locking horns in regards to this issue. And I've noticed that even ICQ has changed the way people communicate .
People find it awkward or annoying to type common phrases after a short while.
On the whole, I don't mind these little conveniences. But more and more, the English language is falling victim to this over-simplification. Too often I'm seeing things like enuf , yur , cuz , and the like. But I don't think I've ever used sum1 or sumfin , or any other bastardization of the language I speak. Without the help of tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions it is extremely hard to embody any sort of personality on the internet.