Help...... Cannot read so many posts these days.

[CleoT]

As a poster under 50 (37 to be exact) I am so with you guys on this one. I refuse to let my twelve-year-old text me with purposefully misspelled words, improper grammar, or crazy abbreviations. I don't care if he dumbs down his friends with it, but not his mother!

 

I've tried explaining to my nephew, who's really bad at text type, that he's making himself look less than appealing to employers. He just doesn't get it. He thinks spelling what "wat" is okay. :eek:

 

To the poster with the NYT author-friend, I'm working on publication and would be laughed out of NY if I refused to cut the prose. She's lucky to already have her following. :)

[bcd2010]

How's this: I won't expect them to change, and they won't expect an answer to their posts.

 

And this, of course, is the solution. Let's not waste our time deciphering or answering!

[our turn]

Thank you for this thread! The endless paragraphs drive me insane, so much so, that I give up reguardless of how interested I am in the topic. Fannish, I'll take your shinny new penny because I haven't quite hit the 50 year mark.

 

I have a 10 year old and a 20 year old. I think because of them I am fairly literate in text speak but there is a time and a place. Homework is a struggle because they are so used to cutting every corner posssible.

[Pokeynose]

I've seen the misuse of the english language and spelling over the several years by the younger group. They graduate from highschool not knowing where to put a coma, spell the easiest words and can't write worth a darn. I've seen this with my 6 g-daughters. I correct them every time they don't spell a word right. Another thing off topic, they can't add without a calculator or they count on their fingers.:rolleyes:

[fann1sh]

I would be delighted to mail out shiny pennies - two so far - and am glad I was wrong, Our Turn.

 

CleoT: congratulations on having a finished book, and someone (a literary agent?) to help you edit, polish, and prepare for publication. However, the NYT's author is definitely NOT a friend - just someone my friends and I enjoy bashing!

[sail7seas]

I've never sent a text message or received one.

 

I tend to skip over posts with too many abbreviations. It's not that they annoy me -- I am just not current with the lingo, so rather than try to decipher, I move on!

 

But I continue to enjoy the irony of those who sing the praises of good grammar, spelling and punctuation -- and yet their own posts contain numerous errors! ;)

 

 

Speaking only for myself, I am not looking for faultless grammar and spelling. I make spelling errors and I am sure grammatical ones, as well. I do think that in most cases, it is possible to figure out what I am saying. I cannot decipher what the 'texters' messages are in many cases. It takes more energy than I wish to expend.

[fann1sh]

I've never sent a text message or received one.

 

I tend to skip over posts with too many abbreviations. It's not that they annoy me -- I am just not current with the lingo, so rather than try to decipher, I move on!

 

But I continue to enjoy the irony of those who sing the praises of good grammar, spelling and punctuation -- and yet their own posts contain numerous errors! ;)

 

"I resemble that remark!", she exclaimed (all the while resisting the increasingly obvious need for bifocals).

[room010]

"puctuated" doh! :o

[Tamaracboy]

Sail,

 

You always seem to come up with the most interesting questions.

 

With this one I'm afraid we are teetering on the brink of losing the English Language as we once knew it.

(this from someone who used to argue with English teachers, and WIN)

 

2 B totally fair ;) :

We here have our own "shorthand" that the teen text fanatics wouldn't understand either.

Where would we on CC be without:

MDR

PAX

HAL

HotMan or HM

CD

DRM

DH, DW, DD, SiL, DiL,

etc.

 

As for me, I want to have the final edit on my own obituary and tombstone !

 

r.

[Hawaiidan]

Being a professional and having a deep understanding of the formal and established ways of expressing oneself, I find this, "text Speak", is an advances form of illiterate behavior ;by those who are in despirate need of being cool and sounding cool.:confused: THey cant even spell Text and speak...come on.

The inability to communicate the basics of english, in english, shows either an inept or self impotrant attitude.

" Hey, if you cant understand my cool and " with it cool knowledge and "with it lingo", then you are garbage. " Man I am so cool." Where, did I put that mirror, now":p

 

Consider that persons from other countries read this, people with other languages. How in Gods name are they going to understand anythig

I got rid of my cell phone when this garbage began.... I.could not stand to be a part of such idiotic demeaning life style.:(

[Alegria-Paz]

I agree with everyone who said: just say no to intentionally bad grammar!! (I'm in my 30s).

 

However, I don't agree that there is a dividing line at 50. And, I am more optimistic about the long time prospects of English. The fat lady hasn't sung yet. "Txting" language may be something of a fad ... and I predict a self-correction.

 

The person who made the point about the Cruise Critic abbreviations is right on. There is "insider" language used on CC that makes it just as difficult for new cruisers to understand posts as it does for CCers to read "txts" and "txt" language. Abbreviations create an insular, private world that is unfriendly to the uninitiated, novices & other interested parties.

 

Therefore, I second the idea of a Holland abbreviation list "sticky" ... as well as grammatically correct posts!

[IRL_Joanie]

I agree with everyone who said: just say no to intentionally bad grammar!! (I'm in my 30s).

 

However, I don't agree that there is a dividing line at 50. And, I am more optimistic about the long time prospects of English. The fat lady hasn't sung yet. "Txting" language may be something of a fad ... and I predict a self-correction.

 

The person who made the point about the Cruise Critic abbreviations is right on. There is "insider" language used on CC that makes it just as difficult for new cruisers to understand posts as it does for CCers to read "txts" and "txt" language. Abbreviations create an insular, private world that is unfriendly to the uninitiated, novices & other interested parties.

 

Therefore, I second the idea of a Holland abbreviation list "sticky" ... as well as grammatically correct posts!

 

 

I have a running list of CC abbreviations if anyone wants it. I have compiled it from varios posts here on CC over the past year.

 

If you want me to repost it just holler ar me.

 

Joanie

[Mitwif]

I am also one of the under-fifty crowd (47), and although I text like a fiend on my cell phone, I do so in complete sentences with correct punctuation. My younger husband (43) is even more intolerant of text-style writing than I am!

 

Ironically it is my 67 year old father that has discovered texting this year, and has adopted this unfortunate style of writing! :eek:

[DFD1]

If the thought is not important enought for the writer to use reasonably acceptable language and spelling, then it's not important enough for me to bother reading.

 

I just skip the unreasonably long paragraphs, run-on sentences and silly spelling.

 

There's lots of good stuff to read on here.

[PaulaW]

Count me in on one of the under 50 crowd-- I am 40! I wholeheartedly agree with all of you regarding the text-speak. I was raised in the "old school" where grammar and spelling are very important.

 

Maybe I am being a bit too extreme here-- but I consider "text speak" a bit disrespectful.

[MACPC]

I'm another voice in agreement. I can't MAKE myself respond to texts from my grandkids without using appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammer.

 

I'm on Facebook as a means of staying in contact with my large extended family. That's another eye-opening, jaw-dropping window into the lost world of written communication.

[tcook052]

I've never sent a text message or received one.

 

Me neither and have never owned a cell phone, a fact which draws incredulous looks from most folks young and old these days. :D

[Cruising-along]

I sometimes have occasion to use text messages but I take the time to use full words. I just can't bring myself to mangle the English language.

 

Me too. I've sent text messages but only to my husband and my kids. And I cannot imagine not using full words and punctuation, the thought makes me shudder! :p

 

When I see a long post or review with no paragraphs, just one long, long stream of words, I don't even try to read it. And count me among those who don't like it when people use text-style. It grates on me. <shrug>

[sail7seas]

Sail,

 

You always seem to come up with the most interesting questions.

 

With this one I'm afraid we are teetering on the brink of losing the English Language as we once knew it.

(this from someone who used to argue with English teachers, and WIN)

 

2 B totally fair ;) :

We here have our own "shorthand" that the teen text fanatics wouldn't understand either.

Where would we on CC be without:

MDR

PAX

HAL

HotMan or HM

CD

DRM

DH, DW, DD, SiL, DiL,

etc.

 

As for me, I want to have the final edit on my own obituary and tombstone !

 

r.

 

 

Very good point, Tamaracboy.

[dockrocker]

Wow! From MACPC's complaints about misspellings and poor "grammer" to Pokeynose's one-post festival of capitalization, spelling, construction and spacing errors, this thread has been full of entertaining ironies.

 

My absolute favorite:

 

my frustration with the denegration of our language.

 

Er, indeed.

[jhannah]

Er, indeed.

Of course it's "denigration." :)

[Lizzie1213]

I agree. I love words too much to use "text-speak!"

[Oceanwench]

Speaking only for myself, I am not looking for faultless grammar and spelling. I make spelling errors and I am sure grammatical ones, as well ...

 

Yes.

:D

[Oceanwench]

Wow! From MACPC's complaints about misspellings and poor "grammer" to Pokeynose's one-post festival of capitalization, spelling, construction and spacing errors, this thread has been full of entertaining ironies.

 

Oh my, yes!

And don't forget "coma" is not a form of punctuation! :D

 

Goes to show that it's true about glass houses ...

[KaraokeMusic]

Me neither and have never owned a cell phone, a fact which draws incredulous looks from most folks young and old these days. :D

 

I do not send text messages and when I receive one I delete it. Makes some folks angry.

 

When I see a text speak message on this board, I do not read it I just hit the report key in the upper right hand corner. If enough folks would do this the sticky listing might appear.