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Am I alone in thinking this is utterly infantile behaviour? It makes me rather sad that the art of correspondence (the beautiful letters of bygone times) is no

Am I alone in thinking this is utterly infantile behaviour? It makes me rather sad that the art of correspondence (the beautiful letters of bygone times) is now gradually being replaced with Facebook Messenger and animated GIFs.

forgottenpass 12y ago
I wouldn't call it infantile, just playful in a way that Google no longer has the personability to pull off.
paganel 12y ago
No, you're not. Plus I thought we left animated gifs back in 2013 where they belong (or was it 2012?). On a more interesting note, someone should revisit Giambattista Vico's theory about language. The closest that I could find on the English internet after a 30-second search was this (http://www.philosophypathways.com/fellows/fahey.pdf http://www.philosophypathways.com/fellows/fahey.pdf - PDF link): > Vico borrows the three ages of human history from the Egyptians. As shown above, the languages which corresponds to each are, first, the mute language of signs and physical objects; second, the language of symbols, comparisons, images and metaphors. The third is vernacular or epistolary language. It seems like we're about to fall from the third stage ("epistolary language", which you mention) to the second stage, that of "symbols, images and metaphors". Now, what that means exactly I don't know.
dctoedt 12y ago
This particular one is a funny-once, as Manny the narrator character said to Mike the newly-conscious computer in Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. (Manny also said something like, the second time it's half-funny, with a geometric progression downward.) It's possible to look at the glass as half-full: People can still write nice letters, and sometimes do (often by email), but they also have other avenues of creative expression.
smanuel 12y ago
If it's an exception - no. It's fun and it gives a new fresh look to big, evil corporations (but Google is not evil anyway [1]). If it were a rule - yes, definitely infantile and weird. [1] http://www.cnbc.com/id/101923422 http://www.cnbc.com/id/101923422
- forgottenpass 12y ago
  If you're looking for meaningful answers about propriety, I strongly doubt you'll find them on CNBC.
realharo 12y ago
The expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies here. Sometimes it can more accurately express their reactions and feelings.
vacri 12y ago
If you're demanding maturity, don't throw out petty, overblown insults. It's hypocritical.
auganov 12y ago
Infantile? Maybe. Infantile == bad? No.
billymonk 12y ago
A term like "infantile" when used in a derogatory manner is predicated on the idea that being young is something to be ashamed of. You should avoid it.
A_COMPUTER 12y ago
I am a huge, huge fan of imageboard culture, which reaction gifs are _undeniably_ derived from, but I believe just as strongly that it's not something you should let "leak" into normal communication, especially not professional communication. So yes, I agree.

forgottenpass 12y ago

I wouldn't call it infantile, just playful in a way that Google no longer has the personability to pull off.

paganel 12y ago

No, you're not. Plus I thought we left animated gifs back in 2013 where they belong (or was it 2012?). On a more interesting note, someone should revisit Giambattista Vico's theory about language. The closest that I could find on the English internet after a 30-second search was this (http://www.philosophypathways.com/fellows/fahey.pdf http://www.philosophypathways.com/fellows/fahey.pdf - PDF link): > Vico borrows the three ages of human history from the Egyptians. As shown above, the languages which corresponds to each are, first, the mute language of signs and physical objects; second, the language of symbols, comparisons, images and metaphors. The third is vernacular or epistolary language. It seems like we're about to fall from the third stage ("epistolary language", which you mention) to the second stage, that of "symbols, images and metaphors". Now, what that means exactly I don't know.

dctoedt 12y ago

This particular one is a funny-once, as Manny the narrator character said to Mike the newly-conscious computer in Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. (Manny also said something like, the second time it's half-funny, with a geometric progression downward.) It's possible to look at the glass as half-full: People can still write nice letters, and sometimes do (often by email), but they also have other avenues of creative expression.

smanuel 12y ago

If it's an exception - no. It's fun and it gives a new fresh look to big, evil corporations (but Google is not evil anyway [1]). If it were a rule - yes, definitely infantile and weird. [1] http://www.cnbc.com/id/101923422 http://www.cnbc.com/id/101923422

forgottenpass 12y ago
If you're looking for meaningful answers about propriety, I strongly doubt you'll find them on CNBC.

realharo 12y ago

The expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies here. Sometimes it can more accurately express their reactions and feelings.

vacri 12y ago

If you're demanding maturity, don't throw out petty, overblown insults. It's hypocritical.

auganov 12y ago

Infantile? Maybe. Infantile == bad? No.

billymonk 12y ago

A term like "infantile" when used in a derogatory manner is predicated on the idea that being young is something to be ashamed of. You should avoid it.

A_COMPUTER 12y ago

I am a huge, huge fan of imageboard culture, which reaction gifs are _undeniably_ derived from, but I believe just as strongly that it's not something you should let "leak" into normal communication, especially not professional communication. So yes, I agree.