[TheSavage]

Is the horrible spelling I see posted by a lot of the younger people [And a few of the older ones to] a txt messaging short hand I must stumble though or just poor spelling skills?

[Synnen]

It's a combination of both.

The shortcuts of "U" (you) and "r" (are) are shorthand.

The lack of punctuation and blatant misuse of homonyms (there, their, they're, your, you're, etc) is just poor grammar and spelling.

[Curlyben]

I feel that it's a little of both.
OK so my spelling isn't the best in the world normally it's due to my brain working faster than my fingers, but at least I try.

The recent spate of bad spelling/grammer I feel is down to the holidays and the new computers that people have been given.
More teens have a lot of free time and they have stumbled upon our little corner of Cyber Space.

Shame really, but we are open to all.

[TheSavage]

Thank Thor for Firefox spell check lol. Even corrected Thor with a lower case letter.

[Curlyben]

The site does have an adequate spell checker, but FF's is so much faster. ;)

[nwsflash]

I think that if a person needs advise, spelling is not an issue ! The question they are posting is more important... I also like the little spell check option on this forum, that people can click on and check there spelling(s) before they post there reply or question.

I have to be honest I probley are one of the people here that does use things like lol lmfao etc because they are common internet and txt talk. So please don't shoot me for doing so.

[KMSRyana]

It's the "in" thing now. I feel it will not go away, either, unlike ebonics which faded into the sunset it's here to stay. And yes, mostly because of txt messaging and the shortcuts used in instant messaging. LOL, I'm going afk. :)

[curlybenswife]

I have to say Thank you for bringing this to light you know what bug's me the most is that there's a button just under here that allows you to spell check now what's the deal with not using it??

[Curlyben]

The odd bit here and there is bearable, just, but entire posts in unintelligible chat speak is just plain lazy.

It's not as if we don't have enough time to compose a meaningful answer and reread it before posting ;)
The other major bug is the run on sentence.
Haven't these peole heard of PUNCTUATION?

[nwsflash]

It's the "in" thing now. I feel it will not go away, either, unlike ebonics which faded into the sunset it's here to stay. And yes, mostly because of txt messaging and the shortcuts used in instant messaging. LOL, I'm going afk. :)

LoL your post made me smile, I agree fully that's its because of things like mobile text messages and people using msn, Yahoo, Google messenger etc ;) its seems to be the new in thing that does not seem to be going away !

English as a language is always having new words added to the dictionary, and moving forwards a little more each year, I would not be shocked to see words in text speak added the dictionary and become the norm.

[nwsflash]

The odd bit here and there is bearable, just, but entire posts in unintelligible chat speak is just plain lazy.

It's not as if we don't have enough time to compose a meaningful answer and reread it before posting ;)
The other major bug is the run on sentance.
Haven't these peole heard of PUNCTUATION ?!

I agree fully with your reply Ben its wrong to post a full reply or post in text and chat speak ! But don't c anything wrng with a little now and den.

[Nosnosna]

None of the shorthand is new, really. As much as I'd like to say that it comes from text messaging on cell phones (where space and carpal tunnel considerations are actually legitimate), it doesn't. Nor does it come from instant messaging. Nor online games, where typing quickly is required for any actual chat. Nor AOL chatrooms (which was the first thing I ever saw it attributed to when I first started wandering the internet with any regularity a little over 10 years ago). None of the real time communications are to blame, as it showed up in usenet and other persistent discussion forms, and back into the old days when you would log onto a local BBS, make your posts on whatever forum network they were on (back when you were talking travel times of days as local boards called each other and slowly passed along what they had to add to the discussion by way of the 2400 baud modem).

It's all down to laziness and apathy. I take pride in my writing, and in the ability to string together actual words into meaningful sentences and paragraphs, but not everybody else does. I've found that it's better for my mental health to use their inability to communicate using an actual language to fuel my superiority complex, rather than being offended at their lack of care. :D

[nwsflash]

None of the shorthand is new, really. As much as I'd like to say that it comes from text messaging on cell phones (where space and carpal tunnel considerations are actually legitimate), it doesn't. Nor does it come from instant messaging. Nor online games, where typing quickly is required for any actual chat. Nor AOL chatrooms (which was the first thing I ever saw it attributed to when I first started wandering the internet with any regularity a little over 10 years ago). None of the real time communications are to blame, as it showed up in usenet and other persistent discussion forms, and back into the old days when you would log onto a local BBS, make your posts on whatever forum network they were on (back when you were talking travel times of days as local boards called each other and slowly passed along what they had to add to the discussion by way of the 2400 baud modem).

It's all down to laziness and apathy. I take pride in my writing, and in the ability to string together actual words into meaningful sentences and paragraphs, but not everybody else does. I've found that it's better for my mental health to use their inability to communicate using an actual language to fuel my superiority complex, rather than being offended at their lack of care. :D

Nosnosna you say that you use this because of peoples "inability" to use English correct, and also to fuel you superiority complex, I have a B.A in English Language with (Honours) and use this kind of talk from time to time, so I feel its wrong to call people stupid that do make there choice to use this kind of language, I view txt and chat speech as a language of its own.

[KMSRyana]

SometimeswhenIamonlineIliketonotusespacestogetback atthosewhouselanguageinsuchamannerthatitinfuriates metoreadit. Hopethishelpsshedsomelightonthesubject. HAHAHA!!

[Curlyben]

One, Of, The, Best, Ones, I've, Just, Seen, Goes, Something, Like, This.

Now, Try, And, Type That, For, A, While, Really, Does, Your, Head, In!
OR... HOW... ABOUT... ABUSE... OF... THE... FULL... STOP... ;)

[KMSRyana]

Too, Funny, Curly, Ben, I, Will, Have, To, Use, It, Sometime.

[ashleysb]

I agree that short hand is very common use on the internet. I use it all the time when chatting with my friends on MSN Messenger. But I personally don't think forums are the place to use them. The people that are asking for advice or are giving advice need to be comprehendible. This does not include typing a paragraph in all caps with no punctuation and using so many abbreviations, that any one who could help can't even understand. I'll admit, if I can't understand a post after reading a few times because of grammar and such, I just don't reply. So yes, there are times when this standard of writing is acceptable, but I feel more and more people are losing the skills of proper English that we learned in, what, second grade?

[Nosnosna]

Nosnosna you say that you use this because of peoples "inability" to use English correct, and also to fuel you superiority complex, I have a B.A in English Language with (Honours) and use this kind of talk from time to time, so I feel its wrong to call people stupid that do make there choice to use this kind of language, I view txt and chat speech as a language of its own.

You learned the right way to do things, and then chose your own way. This is how it's supposed to be. In every subject, people find their own ways to do things. For example, compare the standard letters we all learned in grade school with how people actually write... usually there are a few differences (My capital E looks like a backwards three, my lower case t and I both have a flourish up, and a number of other things). I developed this particular style after learning the correct way of writing, and kept it all in the framework of being recognizable and legible to anyone capable of reading English (my atrocious penmanship aside).

The problem with this type of writing, though, is twofold:

First, if, as you say, it's a language of its own (I'd use dialect, personally, but that's just semantics :)), before using it in a given situation you have to be able to tell if it's appropriate to the venue. Not using the appropriate language is becoming all too common, and you will see 'text speak' on job applications, in business e-mails, and in actual written work such as essays. Far too many people using this new language don't know when it is and is not appropriate.

Second, a new dialect should be a supplement to the existing language, not a replacement. There are a large number of people growing up now who can't be bothered to learn how to actually write, because they can say it in text. Parts of it are spilling over into verbal communication now, with people pronouncing acronyms (as in saying 'loll', not even 'ell oh ell').

Back on point, though, I don't think they're stupid, I think they're apathetic, which is actually much worse. And I see nothing wrong with feeling superior to someone who doesn't care about appearing literate.

[nwsflash]

you have to be able to tell if it's appropriate to the venue. Not using the appropriate language is becoming all too common, and you will see 'text speak' on job applications, in business e-mails, and in actual written work such as essays. Far too many people using this new language don't know when it is and is not appropriate.

Ok I have to honest :) you get me on that point! Because I fully agree that there is a time and a place, that people can use the above way of communicating , job applications and business email etc I agree are not correct time and place to use it, and full correct English should be used at all times in these situations.

I also have to agree to a point with you that in this day and age people are using the above as there first language, and this is not good because people will forget how to use English in its fullest means as it was intended to be used ;) but I do think that there is a point where things have to complement one another rather then becoming the main, there is a time and a place where txt or chat speak can be used and have a full meaning.

We live in a world today that is ever changing by the second and new words are becoming part of the langue all the time. There are some many new words being added to the English dictionaries they are now being updated every few months.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Curlyben
One, Of, The, Best, Ones, I've, Just, Seen, Goes, Something, Like, This.

Now, Try, And, Type That, For, A, While, Really, Does, Your, Head, In!
OR... HOW... ABOUT... ABUSE... OF... THE... FULL... STOP...

That made my eyes go funny

[NeedKarma]

It'll be interestiing to see what happens to this generation of chat speak/text messagers when they reach the business world.