Analysis by Comparison and Contrast of Powerpoint vs. Prezi

¶ … powerpoint vs. Prezi There are a number of claims that the author of "99.9% of grammar is obsolete," David Wertheimer, makes in this particular article. The thesis of this article is that conventional grammatical rules and conventions are obsolete in the wake of communication facilitated by the internet and embraced by various mobile devices. As such, the author writes in a sarcastic style in which he embraces the new development of the English language facilitated by the aforementioned means of communication, and warns that standard written English is waning.

He emphasizes several different points to aid him in demonstrating the veracity of his thesis. The author claims that the specific form that the new language will take (or perhaps already has taken) is based on abbreviations. He alternately calls this new method of communication newspeak or internet-speak, a fact which the subsequent quotation demonstrates. As users evolve, becoming accustomed to one another's abbreviations and time constraints, grammar continues to deteriorate.

Depending on needs, the folks on the Internet have taken matters into their own hands, feeding customized "Internet-speak" -- a practice elsewhere known as "shorthand" (Wertheimer, 2002). The fact that the English language is becoming more and more abbreviated is fairly important to the author's thesis. It implies that the actual verbal communication of this language is the same. Individuals who use this new language are still employing the same words (for the most part) that English has always had. They are merely writing them differently.

Another substantial claim that the author of this document makes is that the reason the writing of English is changing is largely due to temporal factors. If people write with abbreviations, it does not take them as long to communicate as it would someone who is spelling entire words out. The author posits the notion that saving time is one of the most influential drivers for this method of communication in the following quotation.

"Abbreviations make it possible to type short messages for all devices as easily and quickly as just for one. Between the spiraling time commitments of full sentences…online shorthand provides the only approach to online communication that makes…sense" (Wertheimer, 2002).

It is interesting to see that the author refers to the length of time to write complete, conventional sentences as "spiraling," and describes the mode of communication facilitated by shorthand as "short." Another claim that Wertheimer makes is that reading and writing standard written English is too difficult for a number of people. Thus, shorthand has an appeal to this audience which is largely ignorant of the grammatical rules in general.

Subsequently, they break such rules with impunity, and are not even aware of the fact that they are doing so. The author implies that it.