paintedmusic
Full Member
I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't I would die. -- Isaac Asimov
Posts: 124
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Post by paintedmusic on Feb 10, 2008 22:30:52 GMT -5
LoL.
We had to write a short essay in English (due this Wednesday) as a response to some article that some author wrote. It's about reading and how teenagers these days don't read enough because of TV. One of the comments the author made was one I couldn't agree with under any circumstances. The comment was: "I know people will argue that reading pidgin IMs with u and 2 doesn't count as reading, but I strongly disagree. You're getting language skills, just not spelling skills." I found that kind of... odd that the author would say that, so I wrote my response essay on that... and, to prove my point, I wrote my whole paper (when I say whole paper, I mean about a page long - it was really a short assignment) in IM-speak. I'm curious what my teacher will say... I know it'll either be a very good response - like laughing at it - or a very bad response - like, "You don't expect me to read this, do you?!" Well, if it's the latter, I may get a zero - but at least I'll have proved my point. (If an English teacher refuses to read it, it can't be considered healthy reading.) LoL!
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Post by Meluivan Indil on Feb 11, 2008 12:17:08 GMT -5
Shan, I'd love to see that essay, and I can't agree with you more. Alot of the time people don't like talking to me through chat because I write stuff out instead of using a whole bunch of chat speak. I use some like LOL and ROFLAO but that's about the extent of it. But it's sometimes hard to be a writer and not want to write correctly.
M.
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zezima
Forum Newbie
Balence is power
Posts: 48
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Post by zezima on Feb 11, 2008 12:38:55 GMT -5
i know what you mean, Everyone in RuneScape (onlin game i currently play) speaks in L33t, supposed to be english but purposfully abbriviated and implementing sy/\/\b0|z and 4wf|_|L spelling (4s are used as as occasionally). in addition, all prases when trading or merchanting items are abbreviated as far as possible...
ex:
gt: good trade brb- be right back (im sure we all know that one) gs: good sale, also godsword, so dont confuse em wp: wrong person pl0x means please tyvm: thank you very much
and then a whole slew of stuff for items...
[r] rune square shield mlb:magic longbow bs: bowstings mcb: magic comp bow rbx: rune battle axe
anyway my REAL point is that this is beginning to come upon the point where its a new language~ instead of "do you speak english", we would say "U spk L33t?"
-zezima
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paintedmusic
Full Member
I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't I would die. -- Isaac Asimov
Posts: 124
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Post by paintedmusic on Feb 11, 2008 18:48:12 GMT -5
konban wa Completely agreed! And, M, if you want to read the essay - email me; I'll email it back. I have a little parenthesis at the bottom, which is also part of the essay. I'm an odd one: I don't care if my teacher approves. I'll write something even if it's not something that should be written in a normal essay. (I don't mean "inappropriate;" I mean informal.)
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Post by alanna on May 21, 2008 16:59:21 GMT -5
i'd also love to read your essay it sounds interesting i'll email you though lol al
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Post by Ark on May 21, 2008 23:37:40 GMT -5
There's really a time and place for everything. Outside of the internet, using chat-speak makes you look like an enormous idiotic human being. Online, you have a variety of reactions.
1. Tight-*ss super-duper want-to-be English scholars: Their heads are jammed so far up their *ss that they see it necessary to spread their brilliance by ranting on and on at the slightest appearance of chat-speak. Fortunately, most people of this variety are incredibly stupid anyways, so the joke ends up being on them; if they're not idiotic themselves, their normally just narcissistic. Berate them as failures as much as possible.
2. "1337" Speakers: Normally denizens of MMORPG games (leaning heavily towards games designed for people under the age of ten, such as runescape, etc). Many will argue that it is 'cool' and 'hip' to speak in such a blatantly retarded manner. Common sense dictates that when someone creates something to over-complicate and lengthen a process like speaking, for example, they're normally too stupid/lazy to fully grasp the ridiculousness of their actions. Note: "1337" speakers are fiercely defensive of their pointless babble. They will often cite such meccas of hilariousness as 4chan and its affiliates as evidence of its popularity, only to overlook the fact that these sites berate and heartily laugh at this pathetic excuse for a language. Feel free to ignore people like this as much as possible, since their thick skulls normally prevent intelligence conversation. Be warned, however, that this language is normally used in jest because of its ridiculousness, so don't be too hasty to berate its users; it is also often confused with abbreviations and acronyms, though the latter two are entirely acceptable.
3. The Middle-Grounders: These are they type who understand the ridiculousness of "1337" and are well versed in formal grammar, yet choose to indulge in chat-speak anyways. These are the greatest foes of the "Tight-*ss Super-Duper Want-To-Be English Scholars", since they are able to competently argue their preference, and match the latter's linguistic prowess. Their use of chat-speak such as "lol" and its counterparts is almost always simply to expedite the tedious chatting process. Show these types some love, for they are the saviors of the internet.
As to the point of the essay, I respect the argument, but I have to disagree. The level of language skills you can obtain from a chat is akin to the sentence structure lessons you receive in the lower half of grade-school. Television isn't as helpful as reading books of actual literary merit, but it does do a plenty more than reading a chat does. Unless, of course, you're watching anime and such. Bad dubs can raise children to talk very, very strangely. Could you imagine your child growing up to talk like they were a character out of Speed Racer?
As an unrelated side note, I can one up the humor and level of interest your essay your essay conjures with another:
One of my good friends wrote a term paper for college entirely related to the definite superiority of waffles when compared with pancakes. He received an "A".
Now that's an essay I want to read.
(As a disclaimer I really should put on all of my posts, people who take the content of this post as vindictive are incorrect. They can believe whatever they wish, but they're wrong.)
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Post by LadyRiona on May 22, 2008 10:59:00 GMT -5
Hey Ark, can I say: "I love you"? haha You're awesome. Love the explanations, my fellow "Middle-Grounder". (Also love your disclaimer...)
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