{"id":613,"date":"2013-04-06T09:47:32","date_gmt":"2013-04-06T09:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/f62.931.myftpupload.com\/?p=613"},"modified":"2013-04-06T09:47:32","modified_gmt":"2013-04-06T09:47:32","slug":"you-never-write-you-never-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.petehowells.co.uk\/index.php\/2013\/04\/06\/you-never-write-you-never-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"You never write, You never phone\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

You never write, You never phone\u2026<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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Knowing the appropriate tool is a skill, a skill often acquired after years of training, apprenticeship or else learnt by our mistakes. I learned the hard way when to use an angle-grinder instead of an old wood chisel for example. (I also learned, whilst using the 12 inch grinder, that removing part of the old chimney-stack, in my basement flat, to make room for a washing machine etc. that this was likely to have a deleterious effect on the whole seven storey listed building. That would indeed be another story.) The point I\u2019m almost hastening to make is, that not everyone knows how best to use the tools available to us today.<\/p>\n

I am referring to the TOOLS OF COMMUNICATION<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Sixty years ago, for most people, there was the letter, the public phone box or the telegram. People knew where they were. (At home mainly.) And the rules were simple.<\/p>\n

You wrote<\/i><\/b>, \u201cLetters of thanks, letters from banks, Letters of joy from girl and boy*\u2026\u201d and so on. Letters were ubiquitous.<\/p>\n

You phoned<\/i><\/b>,<\/i> when there was important news to impart, or because you were a long way from home, or you wanted to keep in touch with a loved one. Phone calls were infrequent and expensive (unless you reversed charge to a phone box).<\/p>\n

You sent a telegram<\/i><\/b> to congratulate the bride and groom, or inform someone of a death. Telegrams were extremely rare.<\/p>\n

You can still write a letter of course. If you can find a phone box you can even avail yourself of the public phone \u2013 if you know how to. (They don\u2019t even seem to vandalize public phone boxes like they used to.)<\/p>\n

You can still send a telegram but only if you have access to a computer. It\u2019s been called \u2018telegramsonline\u2019 since 2003.<\/p>\n

So how do we communicate today? Letter, Phone, (landline\/mobile) Text, Facebook, email, Tweet. Some people still fax.<\/p>\n

The problem about this plethora of writing tools is this; \u2018Where to start\u2019. There are so many tools in the box. The trick is, knowing which one is the most appropriate for the job.<\/p>\n