Has modern communication become less expressive?

Has modern communication dulled people's communication skills?

Older letters were often more expressive, but military understatement could also convey precise urgency to readers who understood the code.

Older correspondence often used more elaborate language, especially in letters. The discussion then shifts from ornament to institutional code through British military understatement during the Korean War. A report that conditions were merely 'a bit sticky' could mean that a unit was close to being overrun and needed immediate help. The receiving staff therefore had to understand the convention as well as the dictionary meaning of the words. Communication quality depends on shared context and accurate interpretation as much as rhetorical flourish.