Rory Cellan-Jones blogs in response to the question of whether new technology is helping or hindering communication.

Some interesting points:

• “Technology is a massive aid to communication, but if it takes away regular face-to-face or direct conversations, then you lose something of the softer edges.” Sir Victor Blank, former chairman of Lloyds TSB.
• “I do notice that emails are often fired off without any real consideration – they’re also much ruder than more considered communications, so I think they’re inferior.” Lord Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times.
• Technology firm Atos has decided to phase out email as an internal communications tool. “Email has become the easy way to communicate but also the lazy way,” says Rob Price, the UK managing partner of Atos.
• Volkswagen’s Works Council has decreed that the German firm’s Blackberry server should stop sending emails to employees thirty minutes after their shift ends.
• “Prior to word processors, executives would dictate messages to secretaries and speak on the phone. So the use of technology has improved literacy.” Dr Monica Bulger, Oxford Internet Institute.
• “A third [student] summed it up for me: “You use social networking and modern technology to arrange meeting people face to face, when otherwise you might not see them for a few weeks – you might not bump into them.” We agreed that new communication technologies provided an addition, not a replacement, for traditional means.” Rory Cellan-Jones