The [Nanny] States of America

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson

After seeing this quote, I was shocked at how applicable it is to today's society. Although Jefferson lived hundreds of years ago, we now realize how far ahead of his time he was. Simply put, Jefferson was a philosopher-king - the very type of leader that Plato considered to be most adept at leading people. Put metaphorically, Plato described a philosopher-king as a captain of a ship: "A true pilot must of necessity pay attention to the seasons, the heavens, the stars, the winds, and everything proper to the craft if he is really to rule a ship." To Plato, a philosopher-king looked at the "big picture" of things, always re-examining issues from varying perspectives - and always putting the people first. When I look at the people who are in leadership positions in this country today, I see the opposite of what Plato describes. I see a government that exemplifies exactly what Jefferson warned us about.

We have all heard the age-old adage that says you learn best by doing; anything else in inferior. When I reflect on all the lessons that I have learned throughout my lifetime, I realize that the vast majority of them came from the act of actually doing something. Additionally, the best ones have come from trying and failing. To put it plainly, we learn from our mistakes.

In the context of present day American society, the opportunity for citizens to learn by doing has largely been stomped out - due in large part to the rise of what many refer to as "big government."In my opinion, good government should allow people the chance to make their own choices, and then learn from them. Today, there is a growing trend in which regulations, bans, and restrictions rule every aspect of our lives. Obviously, the element of law needs to exist to a certain degree in order to keep society from falling into chaos. However, the American government of today goes above and beyond this. Today, it exists at a level where people aren't even allowed the chance to fail. Rules and regulations constrain behavior to such a degree that citizens are often banned from doing something before they are even given the chance attempt it, and thus, learn from it.

When I was a kid, my friends and I started up a neighborhood business to make some spending money. We emulated the old "lemonade stand" style of businesses, in which people driving by could stop and buy some homemade refreshments and snacks. The first day we didn't do bad, we made a good amount of money, but probably not enough to justify standing outside in the sun all day. With this in mind, I came up with a plan: in addition to selling snacks and drinks, I got the idea to set up a car wash. So as people would stop for a drink or a snack on the way home from work, I would explain that we could wash their car while they sat and ate. After implementing this, our business exploded and we made hundreds of dollars the first day. The food and drinks are what got customers "foot in the door" so to speak. Once we already had them, we would be in a better position to offer them a higher priced service - the car wash, which is where we made our real money. While the first attempt could be seen as a failure, I learned from it and adapted my business model, and found that by offering both snacks and a car wash simultaneously, I could make much more money than by running either aspect of the business alone.

Now, fast forward a decade to 2011. Four-year-old Abigail Krstinger, tried to run a lemonade stand in Iowa, in which she was selling cups for 25 cents each. Before long, the police arrived and shut her down for not having the proper permits to run a business. This isn't an isolated incident either. In Maryland, a group of young children set up a similar neighborhood stand selling beverages, with the plan to donate half of the money made to a non-profit organization that fights pediatric cancer. In this case, police not only shut down the stand, but they fined the parents $400. After reading about this ridiculous war on the childhood tradition of selling lemonade, it made me appreciate the fact that I was able to experience what it was like to run a business of sorts. Additionally, it made me sad that these children were denied a great life lesson, one that I have remembered dearly to this day.

While these stories don't exactly make for front page news, they are an important reflection of the prevailing cultural zeitgeist of our time. Government today exists in such a way that people are often times denied the freedom to take a little risk, in exchange for the hopes of gaining some sort of favorable outcome - be it monetary gain, or more importantly, a fulfilling learning experience. While there are certainly scenarios in which these business permit laws serve their purpose, the cases of these neighborhood lemonade stands are not among them. Law and order today operates in the form of what can essentially be considered a bureaucratic machine; rules are automatically and thoughtlessly enforced uniformly, without regard for special circumstances. While the laws themselves are enacted by various levels of government, the stories of these lemonade stands shed light on the way in which these laws are actually implemented in real life, by real public administrators - in this case, the police. As stated above, while these two occurrences are only a "drop in the pond" so to speak, they are a representation of the greater overarching attitudes of the government today. Furthermore, they serve as testament to the fact that this existing "nanny philosophy" that has been adopted by our government is an outright failure to the American people. We need to wake up and smell the coffee, or in this case, the lemonade, and vote in people who will lead this nation of individuals, not hold them back.

How Not to Lose Friends

At 4:37 in the afternoon, Mike told me that he’s going to take a nap, Sara said she’s watching TV, and John explained how he’s been in the bathroom “for like, ever.”

Now why did I just share these enthralling tales with you? Because they shared them with me. Now, you must be thinking that I have the most boring friends on the planet.

But wait! These people are not my friends, and they did not talk to me.  They thoughtfully provided these fascinating little windows into their lives to not only me, but to their 700 “friends”, via the Facebook news feed.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for keeping up with what my friends are doing. But John, I barely even know you, and something tells me that even the people who do, probably don’t care how long you’ve been on the loo either. With the ability to instantly broadcast every detail of our lives over Facebook, it’s important to realize when not to click that ‘share’ button.

Facebook can be a very convenient and efficient way to keep in touch with family and friends – there’s no denying that. However, every social media user can also attest to the fact that, in addition to all the people you love to hear from, there’s also a handful of “friends” that make you roll your eyes every time you see one of their posts pop up on the news feed.

Of all the Facebook offenders, perhaps none are more well known than the person who has to post every single detail of their day online:

Awesome! Kelsea, thank you for sharing that with us, we are all better off for knowing that you practice basic hygiene just like everybody else in the country. But wait; was the water too hot, too cold, or just right? Did you condition or just shampoo this time? Please tell us more!

Next up, we have the “Shameless Self-Promoter and Spammer”. This person posts things like, “Wow, I studied less than John and still managed to beat him by 15%!” Or even, “Got the promotion as expected! What am I going to do with all this extra money?” While people have the right to brag about their achievements when appropriate, this is the person who is constantly filling up your news feed with posts about how awesome he is. This Facebook user may even take it one step further by consistently spamming his friends with invites and links. “Vote for me in the Battle of the Bands survey!” “Check out this link to my photography site.” “Please ‘like’ this page and support my friend’s sister’s former roommate’s new clothing line!” We understand what you are trying to do here, but if you could wait more than 5 seconds between each spam message that’d be great.

Additionally, there’s always someone who managed to successfully graduate from school, yet still can’t seem to use basic grammar and spelling on Facebook:

Daniel, I think you mean “that” instead of “day”, and “passing” instead of “passion.” I bet Whitney would agree with me that you should at least know how to spell “passing” in order to receive a likewise grade in English class.

Another type of post we have all grown to hate is the “Overly-Generalized Sweeping Statement” status update: 

There’s always one person who loves to make posts that are so ridiculously broad and oversimplified that they become downright annoying. Zoey’s post is a perfect example of this. Sometimes it might take a response like the one above to make this person re-examine her own behavior before broadly criticizing an entire gender of people. Touche, Toby.

Finally, we have the “I-don’t-know-the-difference-between-funny-and-inappropriate” poster:

While there are certain things you might not want to post to Facebook, this guy takes it to a whole new level. For obvious reasons, broadcasting the fact that you committed a crime to your 800-plus “friends” online is probably not a good idea. This is the same guy who uploaded pictures to your wall of you projectile-vomiting at last weeks party, even when he knows that Facebook is the main way you keep in contact with your family back home.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have developed into a fantastic way to easily stay connected with all the people in our lives. However, just because we can share everything with everybody, it doesn’t mean that we should. Let the posts discussed above serve as a stern reminder to us all: As social media users, it’s everyone’s duty to think before we click.

The Audacity of Stupidity

Driving drunk? Check. Skirting court-ordered duties? Check. Stealing retail merchandise when you have enough money to buy the entire store? Check.

Despite what her recent absence from the limelight might suggest, it appears that Lindsay Lohan is hell-bent on reminding everyone that she has all the necessary makings of a Hollywood celebrity after all. However, with all the negative publicity she has received, maybe there is something society can learn from her after all: What not to do.

Coming off the heels of an early release from a July 2010 stint in jail – in which she was allegedly in the infirmary every day for “medical treatment”, Lohan continued her insulting display of audacity earlier this week when she was turned away from her community service appointment at the LA County morgue for showing up almost an hour late. The only thing she could do to make her blatant disregard for the law more apparent would be to run for Senatorial office (Charles Rangel, anyone?)

At the ripe old age of 25, “LiLo” has already built quite the resume of breaking the law, and then arrogantly attempting to escape the consequences of her actions. Prior to her mandated work assignment at the morgue, Judge Sautner stated that Lohan had intentionally skipped hundreds of hours of community service at a downtown women’s shelter.

Lohan’s actions are not only an insult to the average law abiding citizen, they are an insult to all those who are struggling to make ends meet in this economic downturn. Lindsay, how do you make tens of millions of dollars, and then only a few years later, wind up in a situation where you need to steal store merchandise? Although, we really shouldn’t be too judgmental here: with all the news of financial bailouts being handed out like candy, maybe Lohan just expected one too?

While all of this banter regarding the actions of one young actress may seem like simple bullying, it’s really just a convenient exemplification of what’s wrong with the political and financial institutions of today. Some of the broader phrases tossed around are, an absence of accountability, fiscal irresponsibility, and a general lack of prudence in regards to providing for the future.

While much of this may be beyond the perceptive scope of children and teens, the life and actions of Lindsay Lohan certainly are not. As the saying goes, “a child’s brain is like a sponge.” Do we really want our younger generation absorbing what Lindsay has to offer?

So what exactly can be done? Society must stop empowering her, as well as other public figures that set poor examples. In the case of Lindsay Lohan, there appears to be a step in the right direction, as Hollywood’s infatuation with her seems to have dwindled as of late. However, the media’s obsession with incessantly covering celebrity scandals offers us some assurance that the “plights” (and I use that word loosely) of Ms. Lohan, along with those of many other celebrities, will continue to be rammed down our throats indefinitely.

So with this in mind, we must change the way that we perceive these people. Lohan can be thought of as some sort of anti-role model, a case study in how not to act. Although human society in general has historically put a lot of emphasis on the importance of good role models, there seems to be a lack of understanding in regards to how visible examples of what not to do can be just as beneficial. Remember how Flick gets his tongue stuck on a frozen pole after being “triple dog dared” by Schwartz in the movie A Christmas Story? Had my mom warned me against pulling such a stunt, I probably would have gone out and tried it the next day. However, simply the sight of this scene alone made a younger version of myself solemnly swear never to follow suit.

Orange County Register Op-Eds

"Drunken Driving Bill Goes Too Far"

- Op-ed is opposed to Assembly Bill 2784, which would force California judges to punish "both drivers charged with driving just a sip over the limit with the same sentence given hard-core offenders: vehicle-ignition interlocks."

"Government Intrusion Into Broadband Hasn't Worked"

- Op-ed is opposed to a government stimulus plan that will help underserved / unserved areas in America develop broadband internet. 

Google World

In the years before the internet, people were usually forced to consult separate, unrelated sources in their quest for information: Newspapers, television stations, academic books and essays for a research paper, etc. Today, with the advent of the Internet, the search engine has seemingly replaced the need to utilize other avenues of information.

In 2007, a group of Austrian researchers stated that many people tend to think of Google as a “reality interface.”

The report found that journalism today is increasingly a direct result of a “googlisation of reality.” It stated that 94.8% of Austrian journalists begin research for stories on Google, and 60% used it “continuously.” The researchers state that this data is applicable to most countries world-wide, with some exceptions, such as South Korea.

This raises some concerns about how much influence large search engines, namely Google, have on the distribution of information throughout the world. “Google has become the main interface for our whole reality…with the Google interface, the user gets the impression that the search results imply a kind of totality. In fact, one only sees a small part of what one could see if one also integrates other research tools.”

The Austrian study raises some important concerns in regards to our reliance on search engines. In order to get a more balanced perspective, it’s critical that people try to utilize other sources and methods of research, and to understand that Google should not be considered the “be-all, end-all” information authority.

A New World Order

After the attacks on the World Trade Center towers, the Patriot Act was implemented with the obvious goal of protecting the country from future threats – most notably through the implementation of increased governmental cyber security and surveillance powers. With the passing of this legislation, many became much more aware of how their rights are affected by the common need for national security. While this exemplifies the age-old private versus public interest debate, it is not as simple as black and white. A multitude of critics have rallied against the push for increased governmental cyber security – many of whom propose some form of the question, “are the rights of our citizens worth sacrificing in order to gain more security?” It appears to me that this is the wrong question to ask. There is no strict dichotomy between personal liberties and national security. Both can exist simultaneously in differing capacities; it’s a matter of knowing when to shift the balance in either direction. I believe that the issue society should really be examining is where this “point of compromise” needs to lie. It’s no secret that in the era when the Constitution was drafted, America existed in a much different world. With the advent of computers and modern technology, information is now transferred instantaneously. Many people still view their rights in the context of how they existed over 200 years ago. It’s crucial that society understand how the relationship between personal rights and national security has changed in the face of an increasingly technologically advanced and globalized society. Furthermore, it is up to the general public to utilize this technology to take an active role in supporting the policies they feel are righteous, and to fight back when they deem that dissent is necessary.

The Patriot Act greatly broadened and strengthened many of the surveillance powers available to the American government, most notably their “cyber-surveillance” powers – the ability of law enforcement to conduct surveillance through the use of modern technology. Although some of the powers discussed or referred to have been altered or nullified since their inception, they are still relevant for analysis because they were legal at some point in the very recent past.

One of the more controversial powers expanded under the Patriot Act is the ability of law enforcement to ask a judge for permission to secretly conduct a search on an individual’s personal property, and to delay indefinitely, notification to him or her that a search was even carried out (MacDonald.) Also known as “sneak and peek” warrants, these can be used by law enforcement investigating any type of federal crime, including misdemeanors. Before the policy changes, this type of warrant could only be used for a short time span and under very specific conditions, such as when a person’s life was in direct and immediate danger (Stambaugh). Now, delayed notice warrants can be used in any situation in which there is a risk of interference with an investigation (Stambaugh). Many critics make the argument that the nature of sneak and peek warrants are the very exemplification of what the Constitution defines as an “unreasonable search”, especially since they can be used in cases of lowly misdemeanor violations.

            The previous discussion on sneak and peek warrants serves as a sort of a “micro view” or case study to represent the way most people currently view the larger theme of governmental cyber-surveillance powers. In other words, most of the people currently analyzing these powers do so by relating them to the United States Constitution – a document created over two hundred years ago. While this view is important and certainly has its merits, it’s equally valuable to examine these surveillance powers from a new perspective: the way in which technology complicates and changes the issue. This is something that the founding fathers of America couldn’t have accounted for in their drafting of the Constitution – which is why it’s critical to understand the limitations of examining the surveillance powers only in terms of their constitutionality.

Modern technology and computers have brought about the era of instantaneous information transfer. From the ability of computer hackers to send out viruses that can take over control of thousands of other machines, to the power of spy satellites that can read the print off of an open phonebook from over one hundred miles in the sky – technology such as these have “changed the game” so to speak. It’s essential that society understand that our rights and liberties exist in this modern context. While it is impossible to know exactly how every personal freedom must be adapted to fit every situation, it’s helpful to look at some specific scenarios.

Take for example, two provisions granted / enhanced upon under Patriot Act legislation: national security letters (NSLs), and the expanded scope of information that can be obtained with subpoenas. A national security letter is used to obtain certain information from a person or entity – without requiring that the subject be a suspect in any criminal investigation. Additionally, the usage of an NSL does not require the demonstration of probable cause, nor is it subject to judicial oversight (Dept. of Justice, sec 505). As for the change to subpoenas, they can now be used to retrieve the following information from Internet and phone service providers: the person or entity’s name, address, billing records, phone number, IP address, and payment methods, such as credit card or bank account numbers (Dept. of Justice, sec 210). Additionally, these service providers can voluntarily give this information to law enforcement if they have reason to believe that there is a risk of bodily injury or death. Now, if an examination were to be conducted on NSLs and the adjusted subpoena powers using the “common” or “old” perspective, through an analysis of their constitutionality, many flaws would arise. For NSLs, it’s understandable to see how the lack of suspect status, probable cause, and judicial oversight could form the foundation for a strong argument that this power is in violation of America’s founding principles. Similarly, it’s not unreasonable to recognize how the new subpoena guidelines could be a target for criticism.

However, when analyzed in relation to the way in which technology plays a role in the issue, a case could be made for both the usage of NSLs and broadened subpoena powers. Take for example, a computer hacker who is using malware to gain access to sensitive information in a CIA database. He is a first time offender and isn’t currently a suspect in any criminal investigation. By the time the authorities work their way through all the bureaucratic red tape of seeking approval for a warrant, getting a probable cause hearing, and possibly even getting judicial restrictions placed on it, all trace of the hacker could be lost. However, the usage of a national security letter expedites the process and gives law enforcement the immediate discretionary power necessary to conduct surveillance on him. Furthermore, the broadened subpoena powers could be utilized to access information from the Internet service provider that is crucial to apprehending him, such as his IP address and personal information. As demonstrated above, a critical analysis of the NSL and subpoena power from both of the different “perspectives” yield two different results.

This highlights the need for society to examine government cyber security and surveillance powers from both angles, and then determine where on the continuum between constitutional rights and national security a “point of compromise” can be found, depending on the situation. It will not always be practical or appropriate for the judicial system to carry out this critical analysis in every situation, which is why it is so important for the general public to play a role in acting as “watch dog” of the executive branch in every case possible.

 Also essential to the debate on cyber security and surveillance powers is how they will fit into the future of a technologically globalized society. Jo Bavisi, president and co-founder of the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) claims that “as our national and global economies become ever more intertwined with the Internet”, America’s biggest national security threat will be attacks from cyberspace (Bavisi). In August 2011 alone, there was an attack on San Francisco’s Bay Area Transit system, a hacker who released the personal information of hundreds of thousands of users from the Seiko Epson Corporation database, and an attack on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that suspended the trading of several major companies for over two days (Hoffman.) These cyber attacks made on San Francisco’s transportation infrastructure and on Hong Kong’s financial institutions demonstrate the importance of implementing Bavisi’s recommendations, such as the creation of an Office of Cyberspace Policy, and the need to give our president emergency powers to protect the nation’s systems in case of a major security breach. However, he also emphasizes the need for limitations to keep these executive powers in check, such as, Congressional notification, time constraints, and the assurance that the president will not have a “kill switch” to shut off American Internet services.

A related issue is that of “political hacktivists” – a term coined for people who use hacking as a means to a political end. In recent months, there was an attack on the Syrian Ministry of Defense website that posted a video of Syrian protesters being killed by the military, and a claim that the regime should be tried for treason (Hoffman.) Additionally, there was a breach in the database of American defense contractor Vanguard Defense Industries, in which a hacker released a multitude of confidential counter-terrorism documents (Hoffman.) Just as people have protested the actions of their governments for thousands of years, the same is being done now, but under the veil of Internet anonymity. This raises serious concerns in regard to governmental surveillance powers and their role in national security. In decades past, it would take a large, organized uprising to be able to put up any sort of real opposition to a major government. Now, a teenage kid with an affinity for computer hacking anywhere in the world could potentially shut down major electronic systems in America. Again, the tug-of-war between personal rights and national security presents itself, but in a modernized way. While Bavisi’s suggestions appear to be an effective way to mitigate the detrimental effects of these actions, it’s important to keep in mind that political hacktivism does have it’s place in modern society as a sort of governmental “watch dog”, such as in the scenario where hackers exposed the murder of Syrian protesters. Some of Bavisi’s limitations, such as the recommendation that no one – not even the president – be given the ability to “shut down” the Internet, are absolutely critical. They work double duty as both a check on the executive branch, and also as a way to offer some assurance that the helpful, or “good” kind of political hacktivism still has a chance to reach the ears of those who will listen.

In the world of cyber security, the term “black-hat” hacker is used to refer to someone who hacks for an illegal or “bad” purpose, usually for some sort of personal gain. “White-hat” hacker is a person who uses their skill set for “good”, which often means hacking with the intent of revealing the current exploits, loopholes, or areas of vulnerability of a system in order to warn the owners or users of that system (Jackson.) Shawn McCarthy, leading cyber security expert and founder of the U.S. Government IT Infrastructure Program, has been a major proponent of “using hackers to catch hackers” (McCarthy.) “Cyber Challenge” events have been held in America and China for several years, in which white-hat hackers use their hacking skills to discover the latest weaknesses and exploits, as well as make recommendations on how to fix them (McCarthy.) This is probably one of the most promising methods of increasing security in cyberspace. Utilizing people with existing hacking expertise to combat the black-hats who create the malware is intrinsically effective – it’s essentially “fighting fire with fire.” Using hackers to catch hackers also decentralizes the power and responsibility. Rather than having a single agency attempt to do this, thousands of individuals take on bits and pieces of the task, all the while giving hackers who might otherwise have become black-hats an incentive to stay on the “good side.” Additionally, this decentralizing of power reduces the need for checks and balances that a single government bureau might require.

As an exercise in caution, many in the industry look towards China as an example of what can happen if governmental cyber security and surveillance go too far. Several years ago, China launched the “Golden Shield Project”, with one of the main purposes being the strict surveillance of Internet usage, as well as censorship of any Internet content that is deemed to be in opposition of the regime’s ideals, including pornography, certain news sources, and many religious sites (OpenNet Initiative.) While this is an obvious and blatant suppression of human rights, it serves as an essential case study in government security. However, one of the more interesting observations is the way in which the people of China have fought back. Many have discovered loopholes in the system, including the use of proxy servers outside the country to access blocked sites. Additionally, many programs have been created that allow users to bypass China’s firewall, such as Ultrasurf, which was created by Silicon Valley’s Ultrareach Internet Corporation (Ultrasurf.us.) The implications of China’s attempt to monitor and censor Internet activity in the country are far-reaching. This issue demonstrates that when a government’s policies err too far on the side of national security, a kind of “market correction” will occur – meaning that the general public will restore the balance between personal rights and security. In other words, the more resourceful and independent thinkers of a population will find a way to get the rights they deserve through the circumvention of over-zealous policies.

The arrival of modern technology has changed the way personal liberties and national security interact with each other. In order for progress to happen, people must realize how their rights have evolved in response to this technological advancement. The Internet has forced us to think not only in terms of American society, but also in the context of an increasingly globalized community. It is the duty of the people to play the role of governmental “watch dog”, and to employ the use of technology to advocate for policies that work, and to fight back when they deem that dissent is necessary. 

Bibliography

Bavisi, Jay. “Biggest National Security Threat: Cyber Attack.” Fox Business.

            (2010).

Dept. of Justice. “Text of the Patriot Act.” Department of Justice Website. United

            States Federal Government.

Hoffman, Stefanie. “10 Biggest Cyber Attacks in August.” CRN Technology

            News. (2011).

MacDonald, Heather. “The Patriot Act is No Slippery Slope.” City Journal. (2005)

McCarthy, Shawn P. “10 Big Issues for Cybersecurity Czar Schmidt.” IDC

            Government Insights. (2009).

Jackson, Kelly. “A Call to Disarm Black Hat Hackers in China.” Dark Reading:

            Security. (2011).

OpenNet Initiative. “China Including Hong Kong.” OpenNet Initiative. (2009).

Stambaugh, J.J. “Sneak and Peek Warrants Debated.” Knox News. (2007)

Ultrareach Internet Corporation. “Ultrasurf: Privacy, Security, Freedom.”

            Ultrareach Internet Corporation. (2011)

Internet English

We all know that language is constantly changing; always a reflection of the attitudes and culture of the  people people using it. In my opinion, technology has had more of an impact on the English language than just about any other factor. First, text messaging began to gain prevalence as the major form of communication among younger people. This popularized a more short-hand usage of English, with many people beginning to move away from many of the grammatical nuances of the past. And now, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are building off that movement and changing the way people think about language in an even bigger way.

In the past, cultural shifts and movements spurred a slow but steady change in the way people used English. However, because of their instantaneous nature, social media sites seem to have a way of morphing the English language at an exponentially faster rate.

While we may not yet know exactly what kind of changes these will be, it is apparent that social media sites have utilized language primarily as a tool for real-time communication with others in an efficient, short-hand manner.

The main effect I've witnessed is the creation of an endless number of what I like to think of as "English sub-languages" - with each one tailor-made by the group of people using it. Even in my own group of friends, we have created new words, new meanings for existing words, and new phrases - all through the usage of Facebook. Additionally, changes like this are occurring very quickly and consistently. After looking at some of my old Facebook posts and messages, I've realized that the way in which my friends and I speak to each other has evolved dramatically, even over the short period of only a few years.

Social media sites have been in existence for a only a short period of time, yet they have been changing the way in which people use language. It will be interesting to see what kinds of implications these sub-languages will bring about for the future of the English language.