The digital climate of English change

This essay considers predictions of the effect of digital technology on the English language, contrasts language content or information with language media or data, considers traditional dimensions of linguistic data and information, contrasts face-to-face conversation with mediated conversation like Twitter and Facebook, looks at alphabetic and phonetic shorthands in the context of digital social networking, makes several suggestions for English language reform given its present role as an international language, and closes with comments on the failure of the education to inculcate literacy.