Light Within: Cyber Greetings

Cyber Greetings
Sunday, 28 December 2008

On Cyber Greetings, 'Ka writes this "Since not many people do that anymore, somehow those kinda cards/gifts that I cherish the most... I kept them very nicely," hence I am pulling this post up here.

I miss letters and greeting cards. A letter delivered by a postman, with its lines of handwriting, loops and angles that give a reflection of personality and, perhaps, secrets tucked inside the letters. Waiting for the postman to find a letter is old fashioned but many cherish still. Then opening letters, reading, and reading them again. There is a romance in writing and receiving letters that seems almost entirely lost to people particularly those who inhabit the cyberspace in this information era.

The switch to email and instant messaging has created an entirely new kind of language - of shorthand, emoticons (term coined by joining two words emotions and icons), graphics, and poor or nonexistent grammar, and missing punctuation, computer slang. It has also given birth to another kind of greetings: cyber greetings. This is about that.

Emails, instant messaging and text messaging (through cell phones) are quick and easy. Even person like me writes more of shorthand letters now than I ever did on paper. Granted, that they have increased contact with family, friends and colleagues than ever before. They provide eases and convenience. What would any day be like without a message window popping up mid-afternoon with a little emoticon sent by a dear and near one? Indeed, online communication is doing wonders for human relationship. A little goes a long way.

With rather longer prelude, the idea of cyber greetings is undeniably relevant to today, and it is intriguing. Information communication technologies provide an anonymity that allows people to reveal more than they ever would face to face. It also allows temptation to overcome good sense, and the results sometime can be overwhelming. Imagine two persons who came across each other after any one of them seeing online profile of the other and finding it "interesting" makes an endeavor and reaches out to the other online. Both are easily drawn to each other in online exchange of messages, too predictably, and without enough explanation as to why. The whole exchange takes in "real time". And before too long, the causal exchange turns into witty flirtation and may be into full-blown romance between those who have yet not met face to face. Clever combinations of e-mails, live chat lines, explicit emoticons and computer shortcuts, give way to the situation where 'the headstrong-girl-meets-self-sufficient-boy' and the urge to meet may becomes very strong.

So what is the point? Would you, like 'Ka, be more happy if the cards are written personally and directed to us the old way or are you prefer the cyber way of greetings?

Labels: Internet, Society

posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, December 28, 2008,

22 Comments:

At 14:34, Me said...: Shirazi u made me nostalgic....when i was in my teens, my girlfiend used to write a lot of letters to me ... i still have them with me, sometimes i open them and read, and i still feel the presence of them....thanx pal for such topic....

"What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can't reread a phone call."

take care...
At 19:36, Jose Anes said...: A written letter feels warmer.
It just takes a long time to make some effect.

Money and Investing
At 19:38, Colleen said...: What a great post. I love to write letters and send out cards and postcards. I'm always disappointed when I don't receive the same correspondence.

You're right. While the internet, email and IM helps people keep in touch, it also makes them lazier.

It looks like letter-writing is fast becoming a lost art.
At 21:28, Anonymous said...: Yeah, but. Did you ever see Ken Burn's series on the Civil War. Much of it is studies of incredibly interesting pictures backed up by actors reading letters between soldiers and their families. These letters are very articulate and compelling.

But you have to ask yourself how many letters that went unmentioned were very rudimentary and how many people couldn't read and write at all.

A hard copy letter is nice but much
of what we see today of the past is an edited - romantic - version.

Canadian Headhunter
At 00:21, Ms. Vickie said...: What a great post...I think there is an appropriate place for the use of both especially today. We are all busy, time is precious and communication is not a priority many times but a luxury. Yes handwritten is great and preferred but time consuming so if a choice is required between electronic communication which is quick or no communication many will make the choice of using the electronic communication.

Special occasions deserve extra attention so I try and take the time for or to use written communication or special cards with my hand written thoughts.

A phone call is wonderful you hear the voice it is quicker but when it is over it is over but I love them.

Thank you for always bringing great topis to our attention and asking our thoughts.
At 01:57, crude said...: Si, muy loco, no? I prefer snail mail, as most peeps have said, it shows a lot of time and effort in writing and sending them.. It ad's a bit of a personal touch and makes one feel a bit more special, more so for couples.
At 03:16, anonymuis said...: i've ever posted about handwriting and letter which has been sent per mail than email.

I do miss the old way to communicate: sending letter by mail

I don't like romance
At 03:21, Lorena said...: i agree with you.

i love getting handwritten letters or cards. i agree they are so much more romantic. just reading this has motivated me to write one soon to someone. i hope people don't forget this form of expression.

great post.
At 17:57, Anonymous said...: Online romance or cyber romance is a product of modern communication technology and is popular nowadays. It is true that it's quite difficult to determine the identity of people online. However, meeting someone through online communication is just one of the initial steps in finding a true romance. There is nothing wrong with this method as long as your heart’s intentions are good. But to be cautious, make sure that you really know the person well before giving too many personal details about yourself.
At 10:10, Rose said...: Great post. I enjoy cards and hand written notes more because you can pull them out anytime and read them. Emailing is okay but from those super special persons I want that written connection that comes to my door...
At 10:17, Rose said...: It's me again. I love receiving mail. It is more appealing because it take more time and thought I think to do this. But I do enjoy reading email also. But still I prefer the mail that comes directly to me.
At 18:06, iamnasra said...: How true..loved and missed those cards
At 04:30, DCS said...: Long ago, in another time, I used to be the queen of letter writing. Forget about shopping for clothes. I lived to shop for stationery and greeting cards!

Sadly, I seldom send letters by "snail mail" anymore. I think about it, but it just doesn't happen. I buy greeting cards all the time, but I often never send them.

I have become the queen of cyber greetings. I can shoot off a personal email message or e-card much faster than I can send the same by regular mail.

In the end, I am grateful to anyone who take the time to send me a personal note, whether it is done electronically or by snail mail. The advantage of handwritten correspondence, of course, is that you can save it in a box and re-read it over and over again. Thoughtful post, Shi.
At 04:33, DCS said...: BTW, I do save email from special people, especially my children. I cherish email correspondence from my children as much as I do their handwritten notes and cards.
At 07:39, Teresa said...: I like both. I correspond more with people because of the ease of the internet, but nothing beats a *real* card. I was glad to get many for the holiday. I also like getting them for my birthday and for other special occasions.
At 07:50, Jaimie said...: I got 2 Christmas cards this year. :(
At 13:04, Rain said...: Shirazi,
As I alawys say , the internet and the cyber space is just a new way of communication .

Personally , both are important to me BUT nothing is more real than real communication.
At 13:19, Hasan Mubarak said...: Rose discussed the same Electronic VS Hand-written letter thingie. And most of the people agreed that, still, the most emotionally effective way of communication is through writing letters and hand-written greeting cards.

One cannot deny the joys of getting such a message wrapped in a more personalized form.
At 14:27, Zoozan said...: I love a hand written letter and I keep the special ones. But I'm hypocritical because I rarely write a letter - thanks for reminding what a nice thing a 'real' letter is
At 14:44, 'ka said...: once again... it's very well written, shi :)

i loveeee receiving cards/gifts/anything that are personalized... even a voice mail, as long as it still can make me laugh.... the only problem with voice mails, i can't same 'em... basically it's not easy to save e-cards, voice mail or those digital memories... perhaps we can save 'em in disc or tape... but how long will those disc exist while, as you know, new versions of every single computer/high tech applications keep coming out every single day???

meanwhile for cards, gifts, etc., that we can touch/hold/smell/whatnot, can be kept in a box and tuck 'em somewhere.... natural disasters or forgetting where we keep 'em are the problems, but at least we don't need to worry if the flash version isn't the correct one to view the e-cards.....

even a simple hug/kiss given by special person at a perfect moment and perfect situation is much more meaningful than any cards in the world... it can't be kept in a box or a disc... but in our memories that we can keep "playing" it over and over again... problem? there's always one... if only we get amnesia....
At 20:50, Aims said...: I love writing & receiving letters but must admit now thanks to email & text I rarely do either. Yes, I'd love to receive a letter. I did send one a few months back to an old friend I'd bumped into, I never got a letter back so maybe she didn't love receiving it? I also hardly ever phone anyone any more. I really need to do better!
At 09:03, DIAMONDKT said...: I tend to feel that the virtual stuff is ok at times and is acceptable, but when you really want to be more personable, you act more personable. So that requires putting old fashion pen to paper when it comes to writing a card or letter. It just seems more heartfelt. That's just my 2cents though. ;)