>>> Item number 21483 from WRITERS LOG9311D --- (61 records) ----- <<< Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1993 18:00:05 JST Reply-To: WRITERS Sender: WRITERS From: Mike Barker Subject: WOTD: etalk? echat? try netting! try this definition on for suitability... net (v) (netted, netting) 1. to convey or exchange ideas by electronic mail (email) 2. to have the power of sending email, _child is learning to net._ 3. to express or utter or discuss in email, _you are netting nonsense; net them about it, please._ 4. to use (a particular electronic system), _she nets from her pc_ 5. to affect or influence by netting, _she netted him into posting again_. 6. to give away information, _we have ways of making you net_. Peculiar proposal, I suppose, but while I use "post" without any real hesitation (e.g. "I posted this to the list today") and email (e.g. "I'm going to email jc later"), somehow I feel a bit awkward about using "talk" for the exchange of email. I end up writing something like "MJI and I have 'talked' about this recently". I think (somewhere in the recesses) that I associate talking with voices, so using the term for the exchange of written or electronic messages causes a brief queasiness in my word-binder, or whatever it is that matches meanings and words. Let's see - last time I looked, the "hearing impaired" signed. Is there a special term for a lengthy "chat" in sign? Corresponded? That's a bit high-flown for daily use. Anyone have a better word for discussing something through the exchange of electronic mail? Want to etalk about it? Or do you prefer echatting? Perhaps you want to do some email with me? Too bad this isn't German - bitte, wollen zie mit mir electronikeschribbengesprachen maken? Just paste everything together and make a new word... Hum - we do say "We talked on the phone about it" to distinguish face-to-face from telephone 'talking'. Maybe "we talked by email about it"? Bit awkward, but that may be lack of practice... Any cyberpunk fans? Have they invented a term over in that land? Want to bet we end up with something like "we netted about this"? So... "While we were doing lunch, we finalized the business we had been netting about for weeks. Afterwards, I posted a summary to the company, faxed the bank, and netted the key people, so we are all in synch." Yeah, netting sounds good! Fits right in there with the other technojabber... (if you don't like it, let's net about it soon, alright?:-) New media need new labels - but don't let the techno-weenies invent them! a puzzled techno-weenie word breaker tink