Language is perhaps the most important characteristic that human beings possess. We use it in everyday interactions to express feelings, desires and needs. Technology allows us to transmit information, using language, around the world accurately, precisely and immediately. A hurricane that devastates the Philippines is broadcast into American homes as it occurs; a car bomb in Lebanon is seen minutes after journalists arrive. The ability to convey information is taken for granted as sites like Facebook and Twitter allow family and friends, as well as complete strangers, to communicate instantly. Different modes of communication excel at providing specific types of communication. Twitter, while straightforward, limits users to 140 characters in messages. Cell phones allow users to communicate with words and pictures, but calls involving large numbers of users become cumbersome. Several products attempt to bridge the ability to communicate using words and images, both face-to-face and remotely. Microsoft's PowerPoint is perhaps the best-known method for transferring images and written information. Used by businesses, schools, and government agencies, PowerPoint slides are a common form of communication. Slides are used to present information in a face-to-face context, then emailed and provided to those who are not present. Geographically separated workgroups can collaborate by creating slides via email. Although convenient, PowerPoint has disadvantages. Poorly created slides inhibit the flow of information, and complex ideas are difficult to boil down into “bullet” statements. PowerPoint slides create large files that are difficult to email over slow Internet connections. Despite its disadvantages, the US Army has adopted PowerPoint as... middle of paper...mes April 27, 2010: A1. Print.Fogarty, Mignon. Grammar Girl's quick and dirty tips for writing better. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2008. Print. Hammes, TX. “Stupid stupid bullets.” Journal of the Armed Forces 2 (2009): n. page Military review. Network. November 20, 2013. Jones, Rodney H.. Discourse Analysis: A Resource Book for Students. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012. Print.Lythgoe, Trent. “Flight simulation for the brain.” Military Review November-December (2011): 49-56. Print.Ricks, Thomas E. Fiasco: America's Military Adventure in Iraq. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Print. Salahu-Din, Deborah, Hillary Persky, and Jessica Miller. "The Nation's Report Card: Writing." US Department of Education. Np, nd Web. November 20, 2013. The operational process. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2012. Print.