Sunday, March 16, 2008

I Don't Do Text Talk

Hi. How RU? I12cu tom. CU l8r, k?

I know this text/IM shorthand is all the rage and what the kids are doing these days, but really, it totally makes me LOL when I read this kind of stuff. It also makes me nervous, like some new pseudo language is going to come out, like Ebonics or Pig Latin, and everyone is going to start speaking it and behaving like some lesser species - like monkeys or maybe the French. Plus, if everyone starts talking and texting this way, I'm totally not going to be in the know, and I find this unnerving. I prefer proper grammer and language, thank you very much. So for all of you reading this,

@TEOTD, Pls JSN 2 txt tlk. Txs.

For all you highly educated folk out there, if you had trouble understanding me, you can check out text shorthand dictionaries here and here.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh no way -- I don't want to know text shorthand! I prefer to be like an old geezer and not have a clue.

Tanya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tanya said...

Well I don't know a lot of text shorthand and I find it rather funny when my dad and I are talking online and he says things like Luv U or lol or anything else in that lingo. Its even funnier when he ends the conversation like he would a letter...or is over and outs.

Anyhow I like you prefer my writings to make sense in the easy grammatical fashion that we were taught in school from a very early age. But then again when I read things that don't look like they were edited well I tend to change them. Sometimes I manage to just do it in my head but more often than not I grab a pen and change it permanently. :)

Sorry I had to edit that :/ would have been bad to have something misspelled when I just wrote about correct grammar.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I HATE "LOL." I have to admit. I really, really hate it. But not as much as "ur" instead of "your" and "you're." I really like decent grammar. Perhaps I'm a bit of a grammar snob and that's why I will not embrace this fad.

Emily said...

I HATE text talk. Hate it. I wish it would die off and be just another fad...

KC said...

I have no idea what you said, even after looking it up. the closest I come to it is "thru" instead of "through" and "u" instead of "you" - I know it looks horrendous, but I'm in a hury.

Abby said...

Oh, oh--this is gobbledygook! Just looking at it makes me shudder. Wow, now I'm on a rant; I'm passionate about this topic. "Lol"? What kind of a word is "lol"? Is it like flopping around only without the last "L"? And "ur"? That's like some place that people lived in Old Testament times, isn't it? And "NE1"? It looks like some sort of complex directional shorthand or perhaps some new brand a jeans that doesn't fit anyone (notice that I spelled it out) anyway... augh!

Now, I will confess that I'm severely text messaging impaired; it was hard enough to learn how to type when each letter had it's own key, okay? And I have trouble reading this junk, too--I have no idea what any of those things, said, and I don't want to find out. But I still don't think this is just my personal issue; I think it's about respect and consideration for the people with which one is trying to communicate.

When I write--even if it's just some quick email or something--I make an effort to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Sure, the person who reads what I'm writing might be able to figure out what I'm talking about even if I didn't make this effort, but out of consideration for that person's time and energy, I believe that the polite thing to do is to write as though I went to school when I was a child! (I actually didn't go to school much, but hey, I still figured these things out, so there's absolutely no excuse for anyone.)

So, all ye text messagers out there--please note that I hate text messaging so much that I didn't get a phone plan that includes it, and while I don't mind receiving a text if you have some valid reason that you can't call or email, I will not text you back. Ever. I just can't bring myself to do it. Grammar and punctuation--and spelling, people, spelling!--are wonderful social conventions that convey respect for readers!

And now I will end this (out of respect for readers, of course!), but first I will just state that on a similar note, please, everyone--one exclamation point per sentence is sufficient. You don't need 128 exclamation points to convey your excitement.

Okay, rant over. Thank you, Brie, for bringing up this all-important topic.

Shannon said...

Wow, it took me forever to decipher the text talk. I suck at that kind of thing.
PS-the French jab was hilarious. :)

brie said...

I'm so glad that so far, everyone seems to agree with me! My niece knows "text," and I'll get these messages from her - and I have no idea what she's saying, but I'm too humiliated to tell her, so I sit and try to decipher the code - I feel a bit like Indiana Jones, but with no hat, whip, or testosterone. So, I plege to you all to use proper grammar and language with you as long as you extend me the same courtesy. :)

And Abs, I've totally noticed your impeccable grammar and spelling skills in your email/comments, and I always appreciate it - you too, Emily! It really is so much easier on the brain.

it's me, t said...

what's wrong with the french!!!!???!!!

Stacy said...

I have a full key board on my phone... because although somestimes I say 2 instead of to, or too, or two and other such things, I am text-lingo-tarded and must have full words and sentences to comprehend.

Has anhyone ever jocked up a message using the t9word setting. I have written some wacked out messages by not hitting next enough times...

anyway. ALL FOR NORMAL SPEAK like the educated young adult I am (I PAID BOOCO bux for that college education so I am "gonna" usa it!)

stinkin' teenagers these days (now I sound old)

alana.rachelle said...

brie you crack me up. although i think its a valid point that we are taught proper english and should embrace it, i feel like playing devil's advocate on this!

i see nothing wrong with using a form of slang in the way it was meant to be used- ie...texting. i admittedly look down on people who say "lol" in a real live conversation. i stare in utter disbelief when i see my little sister attempt to shorthand an english essay with ur/jk/thx/etc. but in a world where messages are limited to 160 characters, there are still some people being charged per sent/received text, and the people you are texting with are willing participants of this ultra convienient form of communication, does it really make sense want to implement a barrier of even more effective communication- simply for the unversed texters who are uninterested in getting on board with a jointly technological advance?

it makes me think of people who want to use the internet but get frustrated when they can't figure out how and think search engines/operating systems/etc would work better "their" way. it's the kind of thing that just comes with the territory, so you can choose to learn or not learn but can't really expect steve jobs to change how a mac runs just because you don't understand it. does that make sense?

obviously people are more than welcome to make up their own mind on which letters to type in their text messages, but i don't think its bad or in any way an indicator of less intellect to know how and choose to utilize various forms of speech in their appropriate contexts. am i wrong?

nice post brie. i love hearing everyone's different POVs. haha just kidding! ;) ciao!

brie said...

Lana, you prove a very, very valid point. I think what most surprises me, is that there aren't just shorthand words, like, U and lol and 2, etc, there's basically, and I'm not lying, like shorthand for every word out there. And to me, texting isn't meant to be as deep and long as a real phone conversation - it's meant to just be a quick question or how are you? So I guess all I'm saying is that how intense and long the list of text vocab is was terribly surprising - because if I have something reallllly long to say, maybe, say, over 160 characters, I think it's generally time to dial that phone. ...And of course, there are always times when that might be possible, etc, but I think in general, the majority of the time, not every single english words needs to be shortened. It's just a little weird to me.

brie said...

Lana, woops. I also forgot to say that you are absolutely right about your shorthand texting abilities having nothing to do with your intellect. I was being facetious. I'm sorry if I offended you, because you know, of course, that I love you to death and would never do so on purpose.

alana.rachelle said...

oh i wasn't offended at all! i know i'm damn smart even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes! haha really, i just saw a plethora of comments all voting on one side of the debate and i just wanted to represent the other side! :)