What Shits Me Off - Texting language in a Forum !!!

[MiG]

Yeah, the eastern block countries always promote a great grasp of the English language! Are you serious??? Ever listened to an eastern European, who is new to Australia speak english??

Well, fuck, they're new! The rudeness might come from being too proud to be comfy with not knowing the language well + eastern european asshole characteristics (I do speak from experience).
A friend of mine who scored highest in the state in the compulsory english competition, only learned english in her teens when she came here from russia.
It has been my experience that the people with the best english weren't born here.

But back to point, SMS speak shits me. I can't read it at a decent speed.

[javaman]

English spelling is over-rated

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

[TopCat]

imhoru4realg1lolcultrtc

[Daisy]

Yeah, the eastern block countries always promote a great grasp of the English language! Are you serious???

Yes, I am serious. The other forum I'm on has a lot of members from non English speaking countries - and not only the ones I mentioned. They do make a real effort and don't bitch about being corrected. On the other side of the ledger, the worst offenders by far are English. In fact, I've concluded that they don't have a school in Birmingham.

[Colette]

Hey Gos...HTFU

[Loz]

Compare the way you write now to the way English was written a century ago - we're already speaking a bland and stripped-back version of our own tongue. All languages evolve over time, ours is evolving more quickly because the interwebz lets ANYBODY be a published author using whatever version of whatever language they care to speak. Can't fight it, it's progress, for better or worse. That said, it shits me to tears as well, it makes people sound stoopid.

[BikerBoy]

who cares??

[esie]

I'm with you Gos, it drives me up the wall as well! When it is used in a text message, that is bad enough, but when it is used in a forum, I really feel like posting a rude message to the writer to go back to school and relearn grammar! My two youngest sisters also used to use sms style typing in emails as well as text messages, they stopped doing it once they realised they weren't going to get a reply until they structured and wrote the email correctly!

[aggerz]

I understand peoples concern, but really I don't think it matters too much. I think people are being over sensitive. (dry your eyes princess )

As for words becoming more phonetic, right or wrong isn't there surely some logic in having words actually spelt like they sound? Does anyone here actually think spelling Knife with a K makes sense? (Certainly not that 'thx' and 'ppl' is phonetic..)

Language evolves just like everything else; it is unreasonable to expect it to stay stagnant while the rest of the world and its people change.

Where do you draw the line? I mean, using words like "don't" is even a bastardisation of the language why not say 'Do not' ? Why don't people talk like Shakespear, middle english or even if you want to get religious Jesus/Allah/Whatever, not that he/she/they would have spoken english but my point that language changes wether you like it or not, you can't just say evolution should stop here because you are happy with its progress up until now.
If evolution of language was a bad thing we'd all still be grunting like Apes.. Hang on, I think some of us still are so you might have a point

To be, or not to be? That is the question— whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them?

[Daisy]

If evolution of language was a bad thing we'd all still be grunting like Apes..

Trouble is, some of the barstages can't even spell "grunt".

[Poyda]

If evolution of language was a bad thing we'd all still be grunting like Apes..

Trouble is, some of the barstages can't even spell "grunt".

I thought it was spelt "Ugg"

When I started year 11 (1991) physics My teacher told us he didn't write much, that was our job, and we were to abbreviate all words by omitting all vowels. S sntncs strt t lk lk ths (So sentences start to look like this), once you get used to it, it's just as easy to read the sentence. He regulary checked our class notes and you would be marked down if you didn't comply. Needless to say the guy was a massive tosser and I ditched the class after a week.

English is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn due to the different sounds some letters can have, so its no wonder people abbreviate, so I think it comes down to a persons education and their attitude towards making an effort to sound/look like they have some sort of an education.

[matt76]

Very good call!!!! I cant even stand it in text messages. The only one i will use is LOL because it is hard to portray emotion though text.

[aggerz]

English is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn due to the different sounds some letters can have, so its no wonder people abbreviate, so I think it comes down to a persons education and their attitude towards making an effort to sound/look like they have some sort of an education.

I 100% agree in with in terms of real person to person contact, pronunciation of words and not using phrases like "you'se guys" (which I HATE). In that instance you absolutely SHOULD make the effort and show people that you have a brain, but I think written informal communication like on a forum, mobile etc it should be more relaxed we're not running a business here.

At work I would certainly expect to be pulled aside for saying 'thx cya' in a professional email however this place for example, a sports bike riders forum, Surely we have more things to worry about than how someone types their message? Since when did bikers become language critiques?
Funny thing is wind the clock back 30 years or so and hippy bikers had a reputation that they could barely spell their name, yet today on a motorcycle forum in 2007 people want to dicuss the disintergration of the English language.. interesting..


ps. for 'grunt' I was describing the sound not actually making the sound - as far as I was aware 'grunt' is a pretty accepted word is it not?

[Daisy]

Since when did bikers become language critiques?

Since English language teachers bought Kawasakis. And I think you meant "critics".

ps. for 'grunt' I was describing the sound not actually making the sound - as far as I was aware 'grunt' is a pretty accepted word is it not?

Apparently not everyone reads Douglas Adams either.

[Gosling1]

who cares??

I care !! Thats who !! and a few others as well by the looks of things........

.....isn't there surely some logic in having words actually spelt like they sound?....

absolutely not. They tried this years ago, and it made a difficult language (English) even harder to learn.

Mind you, even the current President of the USA needs phonetic prompt-boards behind the TV cameras so he can get the names of foreign leaders correct !! I guess phonetics does still have a place in the world...... whilever the leader of the free west has an IQ of <100 that is....