UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2...

My blog post started out as being a rant about the use of text speak in language but evolved, as these things often do to be more balanced. Whilst I personally get annoyed by the abbreviations of words - U for you, 4 instead of for - is it more than an annoyance. Is there any mileage in the argument it degrades the ability to write in decent English?

The outcome - depends who you ask...

This post cites examples from both camps. Whilst I still dislike it perhaps times are changing, if text speak is used in the right places.

First to comment on this thread AND on your blog!

Go me.

Hehe:)

Don't ask me, I've probably never sent more than a couple of hundred texts in my life :-)

I always type out my texts in full. I don't understand most of the textspeak anyway!

I nevr uz txt spk, it iz 4 foolz bra

Daughter once sent me this: CU @ escl8tr

Translation to come. Unless someone gets it.

Meses never understands thems text speaks.Meses tries an tries to but meses aint getting its..UTTER NUMPTYNESS

David wrote: "Daughter once sent me this: CU @ escl8tr

Translation to come. Unless someone gets it."

Thats meses e-mail address. How youses daughter get hold of its thems David?

Glad it isn't just me who thinks it is gibberish:)

David wrote: "Daughter once sent me this: CU @ escl8tr

Translation to come. Unless someone gets it."

Translates as: My dearest pa-pah. I would be upmostly grateful if you would do me the pleasure- nay, honour of meeting me at the travelling staircase. Yours preambulatory, darling daughter.

very clever spelling of escalator!

1st prize goes to Andy, though perhaps a century or so out.

Meses never gets anything rights.NEVERS!

CU = credit union
@ = trademark
escl8tr = Arthur's sword

Simples!

If my mate ever texts me, I won't reply as it will cost me money as I am on PAYG (that's not text speak is it???)
I will try to remember to email him back as that is free.

I did write a text earlier today. Probably the first time for a few months. It was to the window cleaner to ask him to come and clean the windows when he's next in the area. I do spell everything out, but I can't be arsed with capital letters. I do make sure I have the correct punctuation, though.

And I'm of the opinion that if you can't be bothered to write so that I can understand it, then I can't be bothered to read it.
Yes, use txt in texts and twitter. But not in forum posts and emails.
There's no excuse for not spelling correctly any more with spell checker. I slightly forgive homophones. We had a director who'd send out emails and they'd have loads of typos in them. Aaaargh. That's so unprofessional.
Yes, language evolves, but for the better not the worse.

Thriftiness and a sensible approach to the time/grammar debate...?

Joo, you're a marvel.

She also writes a damn fine review. :)

Who? Moi? "It wuz gud and I liked it lots"

I do talk in txtspk, though. An exchange with hubby just now:
"fink" "nanks"

or in English
"I'm just going to the kitchen, would you like me to get you anything?" "No thank you very much, I'm fine"

I like English as it is. It's considered one of the richest and most expressive of languages. I don't like to see it reduced in any way and tend not to respond when it's messed up.

Text speak is the grossest thing to be unleashed on the literate world! It has it's place on your phone when you get charged for your texts and need to say a lot in as few characters as possible. But is really ignorant to write this way for anything else, It is really destroying language, grammer and puntuation in young and maybe not so young and is such a shame.

Patti (Baku Bound) wrote: "very clever spelling of escalator!"

Only saves three letters!
The 8 replaces 'at' and they forgot to put an 'a' in

Is the time saved worth the effort?

Text speak is something that is used for a specific purpose and I have yet to see it show up in more formal contexts like letters or reports or even the media on the whole. I have not problem with that. The only encroachment I can see is young people saying 'lol', but that was used in emails first wasn't it?

It might only save three letters, but depending on what device they're sending the text from it might be nine key presses faster.

I think that one of the reasons that English has developed into such a rich and expressive language has been its ability to absorb new words from all sources and evolve with time. Having said that I can't see how txt speak will improve things, though it does seem to be staying in text messages at the moment.

I used Lol, rofl and WTF but usually that is about it.

There is someone trying to advertise their book in one of my FB groups who spams in text speak 'U' instead of 'you' and 4 (which I REALLY hate)- I am sorry but if you cannot write the damn promo in English what does that say for the book!
I found it interesting when looking at the research that it depends who you ask as to whether it is destroying our language. The survey and research supported both sides;)

Oh nine key presses - so about 10 seconds. Really? Learn2Spell, lolz! I saw a contract of 10000 texts a month - wow we worked out you would need to send a text every 40 seconds or something insane like that. If that is the case there is something wrong!

I don't like text speak, although I occasionally use it - normally when I have to squeeze everything onto one text. I had a friend once who had an unusual way of abbreviating things, and it took ages to translate what he was saying. You can normally tell if I am posting from phone/tablet as they use American versions of things and that is annoying enough!!

Hehe.

I did once use the term 'Vernacular architecture' in a text :-)

I think txt speak still clings on, particularly with users of candy bar style phones, where you only get a numeric keypad and have to go through contortions to type anything. But with the rise of smart phones and full alpha keyboards, better predictive text algorithms etc., I think it'll gradually die out. Although Twitter might keep the vestiges hanging on for a while.

Also, where kids are concerned, it has the allure of a "private language" that they share among themselves and the adults don't understand. A lot to be said for that (from their perspective).

"txt" speak as you call it has been around for as long as people have been communicating over long distances!

It first came in to fashion when the Electric Telegraph became available. People were charged "per letter" so they shortened words (like dropping vowels) to save money.

Good point Bill

I use text speak a lot. Not on mobiles, just when writing drafts or notes away from mu laptop.

Suppose I should have learned shorthand, but txt speak does instead

We could do a txt speak thread where we can only post in txt spk.

Wonder how long it'd be til all our heads imploded.

I hate what predictive text does. I just sent out a PM that was riddled with errors.

That's a first for you, Simon. Not.

Patti you are a khgcvh bbb hhgdc

Tim wrote: "I think txt speak still clings on, particularly with users of candy bar style phones, where you only get a numeric keypad and have to go through contortions to type anything. But with the rise of s..."

Hey I've got a candy bar style phone. I love the name :-)

I do have predictive text switched on. I don't want a phone telling me what to say. They are funny when they go wrong.

My handwriting which is bad anyway is much worse now as I rarely hand write anything. My spelling is crap as well, I don't have a built in spell checker in my fingers;)

My handwriting is my only qualification to practice medicine

Lol I work with doctors and that is VERY true.

Jim wrote: "Tim wrote: "I think txt speak still clings on, particularly with users of candy bar style phones, where you only get a numeric keypad and have to go through contortions to type anything. But with t..."

A candy bar phone? Is it a Crunchie?

My father used to lecture to medical students (he was a geneticist). On the bottom of one first year's exam paper he had written a sarcastic remark about the quality of handwriting. The student had to ask him what he had written because he couldn't read it :)

I had that. I told my tutor I couldn't read his notes about the quality of my handwriting:)

Will wrote: "
A candy bar phone? Is it a Crunchie? ..."

Well the back is starting to get a little lose so I suppose it's only a matter of time before the sim card falls out into my pocket again :-)

I don't get why they're called a candy bar phone? Never heard the term before.

I was going to suggest we bought Jim something more modern at Crimbo. But any phone built in the last b5 years has probably broken irretrievably.

Dave finally bought his very first phone over the holiday. He's always used crap handmedowns from a mate.

I think it was about £15. A Samsung that is very basic. Of course it uses a different charger than my galaxy.

I thought all chargers are supposed to be interchangeable now?

My bosses handwriting is terrible, and he often can't read it himself! Maybe I should get him to use text speak!