its gr8 2b able 2 txt in 160 ltrs but b carefl ur not letting it mpact how u rite or ul b sorry Ive red more of this l8ly creeps me out mayb im 2 old 4 this

Last year I wrote about the angst – both existential and real – I feel when I walk around the office and see my colleagues in the middle of several IM conversations at once, presumably with a combination of friends and clients. The possibility for sitcom-worthy mix-ups is high. Now, as if I don’t have enough on my plate o' angst, I’ve noticed text message-isms slowly but surely creeping into everyday work  e-mail: Numbers and letters standing in for complete words and syllables. Seemingly unimportant letters omitted from words   And punctuation? Fahgetaboutit So talented have we become at texting huge amounts of information in 160 characters or less that we forget writing complete sentences, using entire words and punctuation, and including upper and lowercase letters is actually a good idea and not merely an expression of retro charm, like hot pants or double-layer cakes.  In our profession, it’s crucial that we take advantage of new means of communications. (Ask anyone over 35 who knows me – I keep urging them to join Facebook for no other reason than it’ll provide instant insight into social media, which many people in PR – at their peril – still lack.) But it’s equally important we remember that there’s a time and a place for everything (talk about a retro sentiment). The very nature of text messaging demands a new way of smooshing words and ideas together, but don’t fall into the trap  of thinking it’s cute or hip to use text-like style in e-mail or other documents. It’s not. Keep in mind you never know where your e-mails will actually land, to whom they’ll be forwarded, who will read them. Err on being professional at all times. That’s what our employers pay us for.