Is Letter Writing Passe?

Someone ought to write a tutorial for seniors (parents/grandparents) whose young kinfolk are off to college or a new job or whatever. Anyway, these kids inform us that letter writing is passé. Not that this generation cannot spell or write, they don’t need to (or want to). With spell checkers and grammar coaches on their computers, who needs to know how to spell or use correct grammar? But then, even computers are becoming obsolete in some ways.

Why? Because there are better (meaning easier) ways. After arriving at their school (or new job), TiVo’s were hooked up before the bed was made or groceries put away. Then followed the search for a wireless network and outlets for digital cameras and cell phones. Now, don’t misunderstand. They won’t need to write letters or even call home very often, if at all. Rather, they would rather IM, Skype or text you. Another senior moment has arrived: how are we going to communicate with these kids? Do we have to buy new equipment and learn new techniques just to say hello?

So, do we need a cell phone to communicate with their cell phone? Only if you want to text them. Text them? Now hear this: Texting is shooting out very short typed messages from cell phone to cell phone. It's really great in movies, in class, in restaurants, at concerts and anywhere else you can't really talk on the phone. It's probably like passing notes was in your day, except that now you can pass them to anyone on the planet and you're much less likely to get caught.

But what about IM-ing someone? First, IM simply means Instant Messaging. Listen. The big three are AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), MSN Messenger (from Microsoft) and Yahoo Instant Messenger. All three programs are free. They're all pretty much alike, too: when you want to chat with me, you double-click my name in a list of your chat buddies. If I'm on line at the moment, my computer "rings" to let me know that you want to talk. Then we type back and forth in a tall, narrow window. The beauty of IM-ing is that I can carry on chats with a bunch of people at once, in different windows. Unlike e-mail, it doesn't require me to wait around to get a reply. And unlike telephones, chatting is free.

Ah, so computers are essential after all. If I want to talk to my granddaughter in college, and if I do not know if she is in class, a lab, the dining room or on the roof studying, I am not out of luck. I can reach her anywhere, voiceless, non-interruptive (of others anyway). Cool (I picked that up from her). But she does have to have her cell phone and laptop with her. No wonder backpacks are in vogue again.

Then we must know something about Skype. This is another free chat program. But this time, you don't type; you talk and you listen, using your PC as a telephone and the Internet as the phone company. Over 19 million people have downloaded Skype (when this was written), which they're using to make free phone calls all over the world. A new service called Skype Out lets you make PC calls to regular phone numbers, not other computers. It's cheap but it's not quite free.

Ah yes. Even with all this equipment we better have high speed hookups (and lots of common sense in chat rooms) and learn a new language to go with it. Like RUOK. Are you OK?    CU LTR . . .