I have a question

CreepyPirate · **Posted:** December 3rd, 2007, 8:13 pm

Just something i had to ask, before i went to bed actually.

This might seem like an odd question but - When did it become socially acceptable to spell like a bloody moron?

Fine, i make spelling errors I'm not perfect. What i mean is this text talk:

WAT R U DOIN 2DAY?

Where did this come from and why do i accept it and view it as normal? For as long as i can remember, my grandmother would always correct me if i ever pronounced something wrong and tell me off for saying it wrong "aint isn't in the dictionary" comes to mind.

From the moment i started writing in school, i was taught to spell correctly. So at what point in my life, did this go out the window and people decided it's ok to misspell everything and write like a complete bloody idiot?

Was it mobile phones that did this with there texting? Why is it done on a computer, you've got an entire keyboard. WHY DO IT.

What has caused this wave of stupidity to just be accepted so easily and happily?

p.s This topic was made at 3am and i had to write it down or I'd never get to sleep, if it makes no sense, it's cause I'm sleep deprived. Shut up.

Adbot · **Posted:** December 3rd, 2007, 8:13 pm

Evelyn · **Posted:** December 3rd, 2007, 8:18 pm

Chatspeak was made so people have less keys to hit on their keyboard, therefore, speeding up the conveyance of their message.

And besides, nobody says "laugh out loud".

Skate_Ilkley · **Posted:** December 3rd, 2007, 10:42 pm

I used to type like that to save key presses. I sometimes feel that people attempting to spell words correctly (but failing) is worse than txtspk.

Mushroom Queen · **Posted:** December 3rd, 2007, 10:57 pm

Usually, there are two types of people who do this:

A. Young kids who think it's cool because they don't have to spell things correctly.
B. Old people who think they're cool by typing like the young kids.

Anyone else, other than these two types, who uses chatspeak has no excuse.

Anubis · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 5:52 am

I'm not entirely sure how it started, but it's sort of become a 'language' which a lot of people can type faster than actual english. You know, i think it has got something to do with mobile phones - I remember a long time back (must be 5 or 6 years now) i saw this ad on the side of a bus stop of a mobile phone and it said;

"I 8 A P 4 T"

So I'm not sure if the industry created chatspeak to promote mobile phone texts (and making it easier, obviously), or if it was something which was derived from "1337-speak" on the 'net.

CreepyPirate · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 6:08 am

Anubis wrote:

I'm not entirely sure how it started, but it's sort of become a 'language' which a lot of people can type faster than actual english. You know, i think it has got something to do with mobile phones - I remember a long time back (must be 5 or 6 years now) i saw this ad on the side of a bus stop of a mobile phone and it said;

"I 8 A P 4 T"

So I'm not sure if the industry created chatspeak to promote mobile phone texts (and making it easier, obviously), or if it was something which was derived from "1337-speak" on the 'net.

See i thought it was mobiles that caused it. First memory i have of seeing text talk was through mobiles.

Obviously i don't mean words like "LOL" i mean bloody stupid things like "tlk" over talk.

Adbot · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 6:08 am

Warren · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 6:42 am

I think replacing you with u and ate with 8 and for with 4 etc. was the thing way back. My step-father has all these saved files for games with it that were created in 1995ish. XD "xeler8r" "2slo" etc

There are the people who type with one finger while looking at the keyboard, and that's slow so it could possible speed them up. Also easy to make many mistakes and not notice them like that, since you're not looking at the screen.

Maybe they don't know how to use a keyboard properly but are trying to but can't. :-s

I know one of my cousins only started chat speak because all his friends talked like idiots.
I have no idea why I did, but I know why I stopped. >_>

Alex · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 7:28 am

Yeah, I think it was to do with text messaging. I saw an article in the newspaper a year or two ago saying how parents should learn to text quicker by shortening words so they can understand their children.

Apparantly people use it to type faster? Takes longer for me, anyway.

Kronic · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 3:50 pm

I agree with Alex. The use of shorthand expressions probably came from text messaging on phones. I know my phone, in particular, has a certain character limit on text messages and this along with saving a few extra buttons to push, caused it to be used more often. I have more sympathy for using "4" instead of "for" ina text message rather than in a chat server or forum.

Using it in a chat is ridiculous as it doesn't take much longer to type out the full word with a keyboard right in front of you and only gives other's an impression of immaturaty from you.

Sidespin · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 4:30 pm

yeah I don't understand using incomplete words other than, lol, g2g,bbl and that's all that I normally use.

Skate_Ilkley · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 10:09 pm

I first came across this shorthand method of communication on the internet. This was around 1998 or thereabouts and before I had my first mobile phone. This is just my personal experience and other people may be different.

Mushroom Queen · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 10:57 pm

Kronic wrote:

I agree with Alex. The use of shorthand expressions probably came from text messaging on phones. I know my phone, in particular, has a certain character limit on text messages and this along with saving a few extra buttons to push, caused it to be used more often. I have more sympathy for using "4" instead of "for" ina text message rather than in a chat server or forum.

Using it in a chat is ridiculous as it doesn't take much longer to type out the full word with a keyboard right in front of you and only gives other's an impression of immaturaty from you.

XD Sorry, guys, but I have games from the 90s that have chatspeak in them. And I doubt people were texting back then.

xOhYax · **Posted:** December 4th, 2007, 11:37 pm

lolz liek cht speek waz invnted lyk 100 yrzago by nerdz