"The internet isn't the first technology to alter how we communicate, but it is making our language change faster and in more interesting ways than ever before. The programmers behind the apps and platforms we use decide how our conversations are structured, from the grammar of status updates to the protocols of comments and @replies. Linguistically inventive niche online communities spread slang and jargon exponentially faster than in the days when new dialects were constrained by physical space. What's more, social media provides a fascinating laboratory for watching language evolve in real time"-- Provided by publisher.

Informal writing -- Language and society -- Internet people -- Typographical tone of voice -- Emoji and other internet gestures -- How conversations change -- Memes and internet culture -- A new metaphor.