The development of textspeak, like the earlier development of email style, was prompted less by space constraints than by time constraints. As the earliest IMers had realized, keeping up with the torrents of conversation pouring through computer screens demanded quick reflexes, nonstop skimming, and constant shifts of focus. Every second spent on one message left one less second for all the rest. Speed in reading and terseness in writing were essential to staying afloat on the information flood, which in turn was essential to maintaining a robust social life.
