While not dismissing vocabulary as an indicator of cultural change
underway,  I have no faith in the durability of "linespeak". I suspect that its
perishability, that you refer to, Ann, does indicate something of its long term
impact. Technical jargon whips in and out without leaving so much as a whisper
(well, maybe a term or two, like so much flotsam after a storm).  I'm thinking
about the things we do before and after we pick the words.
    Here's an arbitrarily ordered, non-comprehensive list of questions as a
"first cut".
        - How long does one compose before firing out a response to something
found on a list?
        - What mental image of the recipient(s) does one hold in mind?
        - What is the effect of the knowledge that 747 (some lists will double,
triple that number) pairs of eyes will scan one's work, potentially within
moments of release?
        - That the Net is always awake, blinking responsively whenever it's
called, on company time, on personal time, bluring distinctions between the two
even further, what's the effect?
    I can muster no more thought tonight, but you get the idea.
Any thoughts?
Aaron Goldblatt
Please Touch Museum