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