Put Shorthand & Chat Speak In The Corner!

[Marguerite]

Rule number nine: This is an English forum, and a literary one. Use full words when typing, do not type in "Internet Shorthand" - spell out 'you', 'are', 'too', 'be'. 'for', and so on. If you post something in a foreign language and someone asks you to translate, please do so.

The past few weeks I have noticed something. It seems chat speak has started to rear its ugly head into E. There is the usual BRB and LOL but once it starts to end up frequently in the SB where everyone can see it, this becomes a concern. Everytime I enter into the SB and see people not using proper grammar and spelling, it makes me wince and want to give a lesson in how to write. Even in the SB where members, new and old plus the unapproved interact, it irks me to see people not capitalize and use proper language. People, this is a writing site and one should know writing is going to be looked at by potential roleplayers. If one writes like this i liek jew and you are phat, it will be a good reason not to want to roleplay with said person who speak and writes in that manner.

Elliquiy is a writing site and no LOL should ever be seen in public areas. Think about it, can one understand another when he or she places:

OMG, U R EFFING KEWL

Some people may understand it but for the rest who take pride in the English Language and will not stand for leet speak it must be relegated to the dark corner. Baby may not want to be in the corner but chat speak will be forced in the corner. Take a look at Paradox's thread in the Bad & Ugly Thread called, Crimes Against The English Language which aids to point out the discrepancies people have in writing. He is not the only person who is a bit fed up with how people 'rape' writing and twists it into minimal words. Where once people used to write eloquent statements to one another has been mutated and thrown into a boiling pot of ooze.

Think on it, did people not enjoy receiving letters from loved ones with beautiful words. People swooned over receiving wonderful letters which invoked imagination and heartfelt joy. To receive a great post on E that people put time and effort into is something to be excited over. I am happy and over the moon to receive a post which I know someone put their thought and expression to get their point across. Yet, some people are happy with, 'Sexy bitch cum 4 me. So horny 4 u baBY.' When did people start enjoying short hand as opposed to someone proclaiming, 'You are so beautiful honey.' Which is better to receive? Someone calling you a sexy bitch and getting horny over you (especially a person who writes like a drooling idiot who obviously thinks calling someone a bitch will get them love)? Or a person who can write with some sort of education under their belts?

Ur kewl, my gawd i am hawt.

No to the chat speak. Down with the one liners. Fight against crimes against the English langauge. Keep to the standards set forth. 

[Vekseid]

I've often been tempted to replace that rule. While I agree with it in principle, as a general rule we usually just pick those people individually as staff and send them a quiet message about it. I'm not sure why you're saying it's rearing it's ugly head, basic searches reveal it peaked a few months ago. On the converse, we really need an 'Elliquiy is not a meat market' rule, it seems.

Yeah, it happens, I don't really like it. If someone uses it, point it out to a moderator along with the time and they can send the person a friendly reminder. They usually shape up fairly quickly.

[Alexander]

While I myself use shorthand in Online games I play with friends, its more out of comedy than anything else. Just like bad attitudes, I agree that the shorthand talk should be left at the door coming here. think of it like a restaurant where you always act a little more mannered, just with language, among other things.

*Nods sagely and Gives this blog the Thumbs up*

[SinsOfEden]

Yes. Although I don't have anything really constructive to say or anything to contribute...

I would just like to say that I agree. I mean, sure... I 'lol' and 'lmao' quite a bit and make faces ('cause I really do love them >.>) but that really bad netspeak crap is annoying and I can never understand it. It gives me a headache.

But I really do agree. It should be pushed into some dark corner and then obliterated by a Transformer. >.>

Sorry, really on a Transformers kick right now. Haha.

[Trieste]

I've always found it interesting what people consider 'chatspeak'. Marg doesn't use 'lol', and lists it as specifically chatspeak. For some people, 'omg' is fine, but the truncation of words such as 'u', 'r', and 'bcuz' are chatspeak. I have had people tell me that you are not actually into chatspeak territory until you start to t41k l1k3 7h1s. And there are yet deeper depths of chatspeak involving the formation of letters from |, / and \ that I cannot even begin to duplicate.

Then again, aren't contractions also a form of shorthand? Weren't secretaries taught a specific shorthand language last century, and the ability was a boon on their resume. And it has nothing to do with literariness or how profound the writing may be - large portions of the Diary of Anne Frank were written in secretarial shorthand, because it was the best way for her to practice what was, at the time, a valuable skill.

In a lot of jobs, the almighty wpm can be a distinct advantage, and people in the transcription business employ word expanding software. It is detrimental to their paycheck not to type in shorthand. Abbreviations are all over the English language so that we don't need to say "The American Medical Association recommends..."; we can simply say "The AMA". As long as they are commonly accepted and you know what they mean, why does it bother you?

Would it be the perversion of the English language? Because if you speak American English, you are speaking a perversion already. English itself is somewhat a perversion of German, or the great-great-great-great-great grandfather thereof. What is not from German is from Latin, and sometimes Greek. Language is perversion, a fluid thing adapted and changed to fit the lives from which it draws its use. I don't know about you, but I am a language person, and I have studied French and Spanish. I have picked up snippets of Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Latin... I am one of those people with an ear for language, who can determine the meaning of about half the German I hear despite never actually studying it.

Being exposed to all of these languages really drives home how limited English can be. We have 'you', and if you're feeling elaborate, 'you guys'. Spanish has usted y tu, French has tu et vous, German has du und sie. We are the odd ones out - and that's just a tiny example. How many words does Chinese have for 'love'? Or maybe it's Japanese I'm thinking of. Either way, why would you further limit an already limiting language by making it rigid and stoic? Why would you force it to be oblivious to the needs of those who speak it?

I think it boils down to the basic human mistrust of changes. Language is something we have had our entire lives, something we learned when we were still too small to remember. A baby's first words are as much a monument as her first steps, and we don't want to change that. I'm not necessarily advocating the rampant use of chatspeak, but it no longer makes me twitch like it once did. I don't like it by any means, but like any thing that I dislike, it seems prudent to take a step back, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: Why does it bother you?

[MusicNeverDies]

Might I point out the slight irony in the title itself?

You are using this blog to blatantly put down shorthand and chat speak, but use '&' in the title, instead of 'and'.

[Marguerite]

Might I point out the slight irony in the title itself?

You are using this blog to blatantly put down shorthand and chat speak, but use '&' in the title, instead of 'and'.

-Smiles-

Thank you Music, you are the first to catch it. I used it on purpose to show how it can easily slip into anything until someone with a keen eye can pick up on it. If I were the Ryven muffin man, you would get one for being the first to catch it.

[Oniya]

Back when I worked as online tech support, we were not allowed to use abbreviations or shorthand.  As a result, I got quite proficient in using substitutions for all the various emoticons and 'chat talk'.  (By the way, Trieste, the bit with the numbers and making letters with typographic symbols is more commonly called 'leet', or '1337', and started out being used by hackers before being adopted by script-kiddies who want to look like they're bad-ass.)  Yes, I recognize and translate seamlessly, but I'm far more likely to use *laughs*, *smiles*, *snickers*, *frowns* etc. for expressing an emotion.  Just me.

And really, is it that much harder to type 'Wow' than 'OMG'?

[Trieste]

I know what leet speak is.

I also roxx0r j00r boxx0rs, Oniya, so there. lololol

*waits for Marg to start twitching*

[Marguerite]

I know what leet speak is.

I also roxx0r j00r boxx0rs, Oniya, so there. lololol

*waits for Marg to start twitching*

Oh, I know when someone does it to see if I will spank her bottom.

-Eyes Trieste and grabs her paddle-

[The Golden Touch]

I am in your blogz, stealing your letterz... >> <<;  I am guilty of using 'roflmao' at times, as well as the random extra z's in my typing.  It use to bother me, but I let it go after a while.  It will never change, just decrease and then rise again. 

-Shrugs-

[jouzinka]

I've often been tempted to replace that rule. -snip-

OH, no, please... *sooo doesn't want to live up to the day she finds something like this as an answer to her game-post*

"i kll him n screw her brainzzout" 

[MusicNeverDies]

I think that general literacy level in a game is decided by both partners, as normally you find games where there are lengthy, elaborate posts from both players, or more blunt, subtle posts from both. I don't think any games would develop if you had a player using the 'i kll him n screw her brainzzout' and one trying to eloquently describe the texture of the tapestry. I've had similar cases and the game always ends.

So as far as games, I think that it will monitor itself. We may well develop to have a few members who play amongst themselves in the more lax style, but it will not involve people like Paradox or Marge or myself, who do not like to tolerate such.

I feel in game is pretty safe from chatspeak, for those who want to be safe from it. The Out of Character chatspeak is most certainly not my best friend, and like the rule about translating a foreign language, if someone uses it to an extent I'm not understanding what they say, I'll ask for it in English.

But I don't think it is something one can control, in the Out of Character boards. The new members we'll be getting, those turning 18 in the next year, or this year, were likely given cell phones in elementry school. They developed a large portion of their language skills with texting and Instant Messagers.

As for the evolution of the English language, ... I do see that happening, but that does not mean I must like it or support it.

[Haibane]

But I don't think it is something one can control, in the Out of Character boards.

Oh it is. If you are firm and clear with the rules.

Let's not confuse netspeak which is the shorthand used on the original bbs and news boards. Terms such as LOL, ROFL, WTF and OMG all stem from those roots. Netspeak is always initial letters to stand for words (the correct term for which eludes me right now). Leetspeak is something else where the act of looking kewl is the driving factor, you use it to show you are part of an in-crowd.

Netspeak for me on forums is fine since it was invented for that very use.

Leetspeak is part of a certain community, its useage denotes membership of a sub-culture.

Its that sub-culture that I do not think Elliquiy needs to embrace. In fact I think it should firmly reject it.

Everything else people mention here are language barrier issues and things for the grammar police to worry about.

[Risa]

I believe that shorthand shouldn't be put in the same group as leet speak, mostly because I think shorthand is much less annoying. For example, I'd simply write "OMG" instead of "Oh My God" or whatever, because I'm simply lazy. Leetspeak, on the other hand, I agree is not something people should be exercising anywhere.

[Nadir]

OMG, U R EFFING KEWL

Oh, I do protest! 'Effing' is not chatspeak! It's a lovely pseudo swear word, on the same level as 'bugger' and 'bloody' - don't take it away from me!

[Marguerite]

Oh, I do protest! 'Effing' is not chatspeak! It's a lovely pseudo swear word, on the same level as 'bugger' and 'bloody' - don't take it away from me!

-Grabs the rope and gag ball-

[Nadir]

O.O

You don't think it's a lovely darling British colloquialism?

[Marguerite]

I can deal with bloody and bugger since I hear it a lot.

[Haibane]

'Effing' is standard British slang, been around tons longer than the internetz. Yonks in fact.

[MusicNeverDies]

I'm with Eden. 'Effing' is a more acceptable way of dropping the 'F bomb'. Like anything, when used in excess it would be annoying, but I'd prefer to see someone saying that than actually swearing. It seems more refined.

[Oniya]

And here I thought the problem with that sentence was the U, the R, and the KEWL.

[Marguerite]

And here I thought the problem with that sentence was the U, the R, and the KEWL.

-Nods-

Seems Effing grabs attention but not the other three words.

[Rhapsody]

Terms such as LOL, ROFL, WTF and OMG all stem from those roots. Netspeak is always initial letters to stand for words (the correct term for which eludes me right now).

Acronyms. :)

I don't mind smilies, and I don't mind common-use acronyms like AFAIK, BBIAB or IMO in out-of-character or casual talk.  I even use them myself occasionally.  I severely frown on it in a roleplay setting though, and I grit my teeth every time I see someone use "u" for "you", "ur" for "your/you're", "2" for "to", etc.  I play MMOs, so I've gotten used to seeing them everywhere, and I've come to regard them as one of the unfortunate aspects of online socialization, but lazybonics is listed as one of my turn-offs for a reason.

[Haibane]

Acronyms. :)

Yes! YES! Thank you! I've been worrying about that for hours. *hugs like mad*

And I suspect the U, R and KEWL in the other post were all considered unnacceptable at once. No discussion needed. Effing was borderline as it seems like its new to some of you. Americans I assume?

My mother used to say "Stop that effing and blinding!" to kids in our village when I was a child. I was on the phone to her today and mentioned the phrase. She said she has no idea how old it is but her mother used it, so it goes back to around the time of the last World War at least.

This seems to have been a hot topic and the blog entry has spiralled. Perhaps the Admins should look again at leetspeak and see if there is a strong desire among members to officially ban it in the OOC forums. I suspect a huge majority would support the move.