Text Speak

[Kay 0]

I'm sure it has been brought up in various threads before but is anyone finding its increasing use quite annoying? I'm young myself but as soon as I see 'u' 'y' 'b4' and so on I can't take the post all that seriously and those same topics seem to descend into quite childish exchanges between members (not all the time but it is becoming more commonplace).

I was debating whether to put this in feedback or the cafe, but I think it belongs here for now until we know what the general consensus is. I don't see the need for it, as it isn't as if there is a limit on a post.

[Quiet One 15]

I'm sure it has been brought up in various threads before but is anyone finding its increasing use quite annoying? I'm young myself but as soon as I see 'u' 'y' 'b4' and so on I can't take the post all that seriously and those same topics seem to descend into quite childish exchanges between members (not all the time but it is becoming more commonplace).

I was debating whether to put this in feedback or the cafe, but I think it belongs here for now until we know what the general consensus is. I don't see the need for it, as it isn't as if there is a limit on a post.

U r right!

(Bet you didn't see that one coming!)

[elgo 1]

I don't like it either.And also it's hard to understand it for me!I think in Spanish,so the first read is like: y r u b4=igriega erre u becuatro.

edit: ok this post doesn't make any sense.

[dribbler 6]

I have a feeling i know where this thread was inspired from, so you know my view.

[aussief1 4]

It takes another second or two more to type correctly, so I put it down to people being a little lazy.

Another thing is that like elgo mentioned is that we have many members where English isn't their mother tongue, so reading text speak makes the forum very difficult for them in particular.

[Eric 0]

Yeah, it is pretty annoying. The point Aussie made is spot on, too.

I think text speak should be controlled since there is already enough confusion over language. I speak American, which isn't really English. And American isn't really a language, because American varies too much. I say things like "Heidi's pass on Nando at Bahrain was wicked" and people on the other side of the country don't understand what I mean by wicked. To make a long thing short, get rid of text speak, it's hard enough to understand us when we speak our best English.

-Eric

[Quiet One 15]

Yeah, it is pretty annoying. The point Aussie made is spot on, too.

I think text speak should be controlled since there is already enough confusion over language. I speak American, which isn't really English. And American isn't really a language, because American varies too much. I say things like "Heidi's pass on Nando at Bahrain was wicked" and people on the other side of the country don't understand what I mean by wicked. To make a long thing short, get rid of text speak, it's hard enough to understand us when we speak our best English.

-Eric

I don't want you all to speak a "neutral" version of English. I'd rather read you writing in your own version and learn the differences between english versions. But I do hate all that "u" "r" "2" stuff...it's really hard for us non english speakers to understand, and awful to watch in a sentence.

[Sato 0]

Text speak is pretty dire, I try to use it extremely rarely, and not at all on forums.

[ykickamoocow 0]

Text speak is pretty dire, I try to use it extremely rarely, and not at all on forums.

What annoys me immensely is when members that i know are British or Australian use the American way of spelling things. I dont mind the Americans spelling things wrong as that is how they learnt it but the British and Australian members should know better. Its tyre not tire, colour not color and summarising not summarizing.

[AutoRacer5 0]

We think it's right, so that's all that matters.

Aey Bee Cee Dee Eee eff gee ayh eye jay kay ell emm enn ohh pee kuu arr ess tee you vee uu exx y and zee

[Sato 0]

What annoys me immensely is when members that i know are British or Australian use the American way of spelling things. I dont mind the Americans spelling things wrong as that is how they learnt it but the British and Australian members should know better. Its tyre not tire, colour not color and summarising not summarizing.

Agreed. I've had to add some words in Firefox's dictionary so it stops telling me I'm spelling words wrong, just because I've got the american version running!

[ykickamoocow 0]

Agreed. I've had to add some words in Firefox's dictionary so it stops telling me I'm spelling words wrong, just because I've got the american version running!

Microsoft word is constantly doing that. I remember the first time it happened and it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to stop Microsoft Word correcting the word centre to center. Bill Gates has possibly been the worst influence on the English language in the history of the world.

[Kay 0]

Perhaps now it is flagged up people will try to avoid doing so, although I guess it could make some people want to do it more.

U r right!

(Bet you didn't see that one coming!)

ur rite.

[-Rafa- 0]

hamilton iz da best coz he drives 4 mclaern and iz alwyz finishin on da podium cuase he iz like da best ya and he even 1 a race so hez iz da best 4 sure also he iz britsh

PS txtspeak is very annoying, can't people just type right, I mean it's harder to understand txtspeak then actually English.

[Argento Reloaded 1]

It

[Max Mosley 2]

I agree entirely Kay. I too find it almost impossible to take some posts seriously because of the text speak used.

I don't want you all to speak a "neutral" version of English. I'd rather read you writing in your own version and learn the differences between english versions.

Yeah I agree. The varieties of language are fascinating.

What annoys me immensely is when members that i know are British or Australian use the American way of spelling things. I dont mind the Americans spelling things wrong as that is how they learnt it but the British and Australian members should know better. Its tyre not tire, colour not color and summarising not summarizing.

Yeah, agreed.

Agreed. I've had to add some words in Firefox's dictionary so it stops telling me I'm spelling words wrong, just because I've got the american version running!

I think there's a UK English dictionary now? Worth checking anyway. I would tell you for sure but I'm using Linux right now, with a different browser...

Btw (and personally I like those kinds of abbreviations, as opposed to B.T.W) everyone should use Firefox, or some equivalent with a spell-check built-in. If everyone did that simple thing then the quality of language used would increase enormously. I've often thought about starting a thread about that in itself, and maybe I will sometime. Really, why don't people use Firefox, or something with a dictionary built-in?