The uncertain linguistic identity of Netspeak, in its various Internet manifestations, is presumably why so many usage dictionaries, guides, and rule books have appeared in recent years. People seem to have begun to sense that they are dealing with something new, as far as their linguistic intuitions are concerned. They are realizing that their established knowledge, which has enabled them to survive and succeed in spoken and written linguistic encounters hitherto, is no longer enough to guarantee survival and success on the Internet. Perhaps they have encountered the ‘painful and awkward lessons’ in social interaction which Patricia Wallace talked about (p. 18). Perhaps they have been misunderstood, misperceived, or attacked (flamed) because they have failed to notice the differences between this new medium of communication and the old. David Porter sums it up this way: