Modern communication is taking a page from the ancient Egyptians.
by Bill Wood
Even if you’re not a member of the Millennial generation, you’ve probably learned how to use emojis in emails and text communications. However, I bet you weren’t aware that the emojis you’re using can mean very different things in different cultures. Maybe you’ve already found out after using the wrong emoji in communication with someone halfway around the world.
Such a problem has become a new business for a London firm that’s advertising for people to fill the job title Emoji Translator. The search has been going on for about a month now. “We are investing time and energy into this because we believe emoji usage will become more and more popular,” said Jurga Zilinskiene, CEO and founder of Today Translations. “It’s a complex area.”
A CNN Tech story hit home for me as I use more and more emojis in text and email messages. The little cartoon-like pictographs insert personality into the cold, black & white environment of a computer screen. Nuance is often missing in digital communication. It can sometimes be as bad as the old telephone game we played in grade school. I’m sure you’ve experienced this if you’ve sent more than a few messages through the digital world.
