1. Ashley's CSEM Journal
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2. Issue#9
Title: The Joys of Instant MessengerI hate phones.
I’ve never liked them, developing a fear of talking on them when I was little, and it haunts me still. As a teenager I never spoke on the phone. Instead, I prefer to talk to friends at school or in person. When I arrived at Bryn Mawr, my mother gave me a 480-minute phone card to call home – it lasted all year. And now this year, my outgoing phone service is very erratic, sometimes I can get through and others do not get through. Dumb technology.
But none of that matters now, because with this wonderful T-1 ethernet connection, I can chat online all the time. Instant messenger has now replaced almost all other forms of communication for some college students. Especially since we spend most of our time sitting in front of a computer in our rooms, the impetuous to talk to friends and family is a lot greater because it is more spontaneous, not to mention free.
Away messages and subprofiles are now new hobbies for many people with instant messenger. Subprofiles offer more profile space on the Internet, as well as other functions like a guestbook, polls, random quotes, and pictures. Funny anecdotes, quotes, and information are now available for all your friends to check, so they do not have to actually talk to you to find out what is going on in your life. Unfortunately, this becomes very addictive, reading away messages and profiles, and can really drain your time. Not to mention if you participate; I’ve gotten to the point where I update my profile every day.
Instant Messenger has improved college life greatly, though it may be distracting. Couples in long-distance relationships can maintain contact constantly over the Internet, friends can talk to each other without leaving their rooms, and away messages can let people know what you’re up to. Some students backlash against the impersonality of talking online and only use the phone. But for everyone else, this is an incredibly useful service.
In a community that stresses personal expression, I find that subprofiles are incredibly fun to keep and help entertain others while they procrastinate. These services are free, and can be found on the Internet. There are an awful lot of pop up ads, but if you consider that all these services are free, it’s not a terrible inconvenience.
With exams and a long break approaching, creating a subprofile can be a fun activity to keep occupied. Use of instant messenger decreases dramatically when students go home, but for those who are die-hard fans, I feel your pain. This can be as addictive as heroin, checking and changing away messages and profiles. For those who want to jump on the bandwagon, check out www.subprofile.com or search online for a subprofile host.
2.0.1. Proofreader's Notes
Hooray for instant messenger. (And thanks for writing this article early.) I personally don't like instant messenger too much but it's sure a great way to keep in touch with people simultaneously. I mean, we are college students, we don't have all the time in the world. And yep, being addicted to away messages and profiles...that's me too. I think a lot of people can relate to this article and it's nice to know that there are addicts out there. Also, I like your beginning line of your article. =) Anyway, the following are some really really minor changes: --Karen2nd paragraph:
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"As a teenager I never spoke on the phone, preferring to talk to friends at school or in person." changed to: "As a teenager I never spoke on the phone. Instead, I prefer to talk to friends at school or in person." Suggestion: In the last sentence, maybe you can elaborate more on how your outgoing service is erratic and what other aspects lead you to think that telephone services are a "dumb technology."
3rd paragraph:
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Lower cased "Ethernet"
5th paragraph:
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"Some students backlash against the impersonality of talking online, and only use the phone." removed comma
7th paragraph:
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"With exams approaching, and a long break, creating a subprofile can be a fun activity to keep occupied." changed to: "With exams and a long break approaching, creating a subprofile can be a fun activity to keep occupied."
