... and using things like contractions freak out a lot of old british tight asses that think everyone should speak the queen's english.

There was much moaning and gnashing of teeth when Americans started to use slang, lobbied for slang terms to enter the dictionary, bastardized a lot of words, etc etc...

This too shall pass, and pretty soon it'll (argh!) be acceptable to use text msg terms in resumes for jobs.

Times change, accept it and jump on board or GTFO and cry on the sidelines.

No.

Lazy, uninvolved PARENTS mean the younger generation lacks literacy skills.

Say what you want about public education - I sure do, it sucks hard.

But it could not possibly suck as hard as it does if it weren't for parents treating it as free daycare and taking zero interest in the education process.

Here's a hint: If your kid gets out of highschool unable to write a complete sentence w/ correct punctuation, it's YOUR fault.

Pretards? Now that's hardly constructive.

"This too shall pass, and pretty soon it'll (argh!) be acceptable to use text msg terms in resumes for jobs.

Times change, accept it and jump on board or GTFO and cry on the sidelines."

Yes, times change; but do we really want our literature to be defined by how big a screen Nokia can put on a phone?

I support IM speech. It's an excellent way for the stupid to effectively exclude themselves from positions of influence in society. It's a pyramid baby, and I'm on the top end!

Ugh. My sister sent me an e-mail today that I could barely understand. She'll be a senior in high school next year, if she puts ANYTHING like that on an application to even a community college she'll be declined faster than my credit card at the Gandy Dancer!

I, for one, welcome our new illiterate underclass. I'd like to remind them that as literate person, I am capable of deciphering the magic squiggles, and can be helpful in getting them all jobs toiling in my underground sugar caves.

A+ headline for "Pretards." I will be using that all week.

Pretards? Now that's hardly constructive.

But funny, nevertheless.

8?O


if you're not drooling over her... she'll efinitely be drooling over you.

fark on my phn n rly gtng a kick frm thse replys

2 TXTrs: STFU.

Take the time to write a complete sentence for God's sake.

It's a pyramid baby, and I'm on the top end!

The pointy bit? Sounds uncomfortable.

And apparently, I don't meet the upper class that knows how to add closing tags. So close, so close.

Times change, accept it and jump on board or GTFO and cry on the sidelines.

The level of public discourse and general intelligence is directly related to the quality of the language used by the general population. If we, as a society, continue this downward course we can look forward to much worse than GWB.

Of course increased communication decreases literacy.

shakespeare would find it difficult to understand queen elizabeth today

that said

romeo and juliet in 1337

At some point a more intuitive text interface will be available on phones, I'm sure. Then the need for abbreviations will disappear as another fad.

/hopefully it's not that dvorak keyboard...

I support IM speech. It's an excellent way for the stupid to effectively exclude themselves from positions of influence in society. It's a pyramid baby, and I'm on the top end!

Have you seen the way Manager's write? You know why they dictate so many letters I assume?

The sad truth is the ones in command of our futures are going to use AIM lingo.

I can see it now...

President: ZOMGLOLROFLCOPTER u gt t c ths!
Russian Prime Minister g2g, sry!

Spelling is a fad. People commonly changed the spelling of their own names a couple hundred years ago. The OED wasn't even completed until 1952, and is obviously a work in progress.

My boss is 47 and she asks me every week how to spell 'schedule'. Yesterday, she had to look up on the computer how to spell the name 'Betsy'.

It's not just young people, older people who haven't picked up a book or magazine since High School revert back to third grade in every category.

Don't worry scrote. There are plenty of 'tards out there living really kick ass lives. My first wife was 'tarded. She's a pilot now.

Pumonca: This too shall pass, and pretty soon it'll (argh!) be acceptable to use text msg terms in resumes for jobs.

FYII av years of XperENS writiN tech docz. bcnu h2cus

Wow, like a fly to a wall, so am I to improper apostrophe use...

/The irony, the horrible irony

It doesn't help them practise what we're trying to teach them.

I don't know about you but I spell it practice

satanorsanta

Practise is the verb
Practice is the noun

/the more you know

Doubleplusgood.

thaduke: Practise is the verb

This being a US based website, I would have to say nay.

I dunno about others but I write full sentences when I sms folk. I lack punctuation in my messages but the words/grammar is otherwise intact.

Maybe it's because I was in my late teens by time cell phones became popular with kids. I had a chance to grow up with normal communication mediums :-)

Simple solution: Don't buy your 7 year old kid a cell phone. They don't need one anyways. After they can get their own job, then they can get a cell phone. By then they're likely old enough to have some basic language skills behind them.

Pretards?? I'd say that's a bit harsh.

People in the 35+ age brackets often won't let younguns write important documents anymore. It's not just completing sentences that's the problem, it's explaining something plausibly in written form. One of the most important things anybody learns in high School is how to make a case in writing. If you didn't learn how to do that, your high school sucks - they didn't prepare you for college. Unless you are a programmer, in which case it doesn't matter.

Hay guise wats goin on in dis post?

Language evolves.

The further you go back, the less intelligible your native language is to you. The further forward you go, the less intelligible your language will be to future native speakers.

It's the nature of language.

Add to this the fact that currently there are more English as a 2nd Language speakers (E-L2) than there are English as a Native Language speakers (E-L1). Is it really any surprise that the language is changing?

/BTW... Notice my, and your, English-Centrism in that we automatically assume (whether we RTFA or not) that the language in question is English.

//Having said that, one of my pet peeves is people that say "25 cent".

///As in, "Can I borrow 25 cent?" This REALLY bugs the shiat outta me. 25 of ANYTHING is plural by default, therefore the plural form is required. (Damn farking undereducated shiatheads!)

////Also, notice the way I threw in a few abbreviations and informal spellings. Most people probably read straight thru the text, without even noticing the informal parts.

//That's how language changes. Slowly and imperceptively.

do we really want our literature to be defined by how big a screen Nokia can put on a phone?

Or the number of characters Nokia can fit in a transmission.

Did they pull this crap in the days of telegrams? No, because it wasn't immature little kids sending them then.

Kublai Khan: I support IM speech. It's an excellent way for the stupid to effectively exclude themselves from positions of influence in society. It's a pyramid baby, and I'm on the top end!

This.

Pumonca: Times change, accept it and jump on board or GTFO and cry on the sidelines.

Ah, welcoming the idiocracy. But no. I don't accept it, and I'm not on board, and to be honest, I don't think I'll be crying on the sidelines any time soon. Most kids are stupid - many not because they were born that way but because of society's influence - but there are still plenty who do give a damn and can be bothered to learn. All this text messaging crap does is make it easier to spot, at a glance, the rest of the idiots. I wouldn't want to work for someone who accepts sh*tty language skills, and those who don't accept it will find me that much more attractive. So I'm feeling pretty optimistic, thanks.

At some point a more intuitive text interface will be available on phones, I'm sure. Then the need for abbreviations will disappear as another fad.

It's a goddamn PHONE, just TALK to the person! If they're too busy to answer your 19 second question personally they shouldn't be taking the 7 minutes required to punch out some barely legible cypher of an alphanumeric reply bespeckled with variants of acronyms representing phrases no sane human being would ever utter aloud.

/bah

satanorsanta: I don't know about you but I spell it practice

If he's British, he doesn't. It would be incorrect.

Spud Boy: This being a US based website, I would have to say nay.

Then either I was unaware that internet users must conform to the spelling and grammar rules of any website's home country, or you're an idiot.

When I IM I use proper english, and when I text message I use proper english. It's called T9 biatches, use it!

i'm sure the they'll become very familiar with the word "fired".

/and then i'll laugh

A site full of silly abbreviations is making fun of IM speak. Glorious!

I remember a similar argument about computers and handwriting. On that count I'm guilty. My handwriting is terrible, and I blame the computer. Practically the only times I need to write is to sign my name, or jot a note on a post-it note. I certainly don't go out of my way to brush up on my handwriting skills.

magores: ////Also, notice the way I threw in a few abbreviations and informal spellings. Most people probably read straight thru the text, without even noticing the informal parts.

Opting to use vernacular in an informal communication is one thing. Being unable to use anything but is the issue at hand here. No, I didn't notice the informality in your post, but it's because in this context it makes no difference. Plus it's the internet, and one becomes inured to atrocious spelling and grammar after a while. Submit that sort of thing to me - or anyone else - in a professional setting, or when trying to present a serious argument, and it will be noticed... and severely undermine your message.

"Thru" just sucks, by the way.

SFA has spelling errors in the first few paragraphs, "practise" , for example. Morans (sic)

Pumonca: ... and using things like contractions freak out a lot of old british tight asses that think everyone should speak the queen's english.

There was much moaning and gnashing of teeth when Americans started to use slang, lobbied for slang terms to enter the dictionary, bastardized a lot of words, etc etc...

I still hate these things.

I can deal with contractions, but would rather not use them, in general. As for slang... slang has no place in a dictionary, and I have little respect for the powers that be who allowed that to happen.

Asa Phelps: No.

Lazy, uninvolved PARENTS mean the younger generation lacks literacy skills.

Say what you want about public education - I sure do, it sucks hard.

But it could not possibly suck as hard as it does if it weren't for parents treating it as free daycare and taking zero interest in the education process.

Here's a hint: If your kid gets out of high school unable to write a complete sentence w/ correct punctuation, it's YOUR fault

You are exactly right. My kids complain when I ask them to make corrections their teacher would not catch.

illustri

The hypertext link you provided for our viewing enjoyment was quite amusing. I'm pleased.

I thank thee.