This post originally appeared in The Scroll, a blog for the University of St. Thomas community. It was written by Dr. Carol Bruess, a professor in the Communication & Journalism department.
My smart colleague Dr. Wendy Wyatt passed along an opinion piece published earlier this fall in the Star Tribune. She knew I would like and applaud it. And indeed, the content was such that I can’t quite shake it from my digital-age brain. In fact, every ding of new email, log-in prompt and face lit up by a smart phone around campus brings my attention back to Chris Anderson’s commentary, “You’ve got mail! (Which means you’ve got demands).”
I mostly share his opinions, and they have come to claim a place in the front of my tech-stretched mind. With the new year nearly upon us, it seems timely to ask if Anderson might have put his finger on not only a profound problem but also a rather brilliant solution – one that can help all of us with an email inbox make sure next year is better than last. Could we be happier and healthier if we become better e-mailers? Sounds easier than losing 15 pounds!
Anderson’s day begins, like mine and likely yours, with a glance at his inbox: “A sample might include a message from the colleague of a friend about his startup venture. Another is about a staff issue. A third is a discussion, copied to six people, about an upcoming charitable event.”
He goes on, and this is where I started getting giddy and wanted to know more. I can’t stop thinking, “Oh my goodness. He’s pinpointed the problem to which I need a solution … as does, it seems, almost every adult, friend, student, colleague, administrator, staff, parent and pal I know.” He writes:
“These e-mails have nothing in common — except that none of their issues had been on my agenda that morning. I don’t even know one of the senders. But although it took only a few minutes to read these notes, I suddenly feel pressure to develop coherent thoughts on complex questions regarding someone else’s business, office politics and world peace. It’s barely 8 a.m., and I’m already drowning in e-mail. My day’s priorities have been commandeered. And more missives keep pouring in, including tweets, Google Plus notifications, Facebook status updates and instant messages. A fire hose of information all day long.” (more…)
![bayer_pattern_sensor[1]](http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/files/2011/09/bayer_pattern_sensor1-300x195.jpg)
Scary, but true: Because of the inefficient use of electronic media of all kinds over the past two decades, the world will likely face a pixel shortage in the near future.![writers-block[1]](http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/files/2011/04/writers-block1-300x200.jpg)
Even for the most seasoned writer, there may be nothing more daunting than starting to write… particularly when faced with a looming deadline and absence of an idea from which to begin.![business_writing_picture[1]](http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/files/2011/03/business_writing_picture1-300x199.jpg)
The Wall Street Journal recently featured an interesting article about the 
The Internet really is changing the way we communicate. Or should that be the internet is really changing the way we communicate?
Use Simple Language to Make Your Message Spread
Friday, March 9th, 2012A plethora of academics use baroque vernacular to articulate significance. Huh? Let’s try that again.
A large number of students use big words to try to sound important. Does it work? Not really, according to Inc.com. The reason you should probably ditch your thesaurus? You want your writing to be inclusive and appeal to a large audience.
Using unnecessary big words can often hinder your message from spreading because readers want to read something quickly and easily. They do not want to pull out their dictionaries to decipher what was said. (more…)
Tags: language, personal brand, thesaurus, writing
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