Proper English

The disability/inability to write proper English seems to be an escalating problem for most people these days, especially on the Internet. I get the impression that people who write like this are either too lazy, too dumb or they just want to bug the hell out of other people. Personally, I hate it when people write shit-English and then expect me to be able to read it.

So here's a short conversation I had with a fellow on Soulseek. Apparently he was looking for a movie called Blow. Here's what happened;

Quote:

(0:41) [LuPo_StOnEr06] u got blow m8
[mr.cr4zy] i got blow?
(0:42) [LuPo_StOnEr06] u gunna send me it
[mr.cr4zy] what's blow?
(0:43) [LuPo_StOnEr06] itz a film wid jonny depp in
[mr.cr4zy] hmm, well i don't have blow
[mr.cr4zy] but i have fear and loathing in las vegas
[mr.cr4zy] and jonny depp's in that movie too
(0:44) [LuPo_StOnEr06] w
[mr.cr4zy] w? w what, at least write the full sentence so i know what you mean
(0:45) [LuPo_StOnEr06] in wot film
[mr.cr4zy] what do you mean in what film? the name of the movie is fear and loathing in las vegas
[mr.cr4zy] if you want it, i can let you download it
(0:46) [LuPo_StOnEr06] ive got it m8
(0:46) [LuPo_StOnEr06] im watchin dat now
[mr.cr4zy] oh ok
[mr.cr4zy] well i don't have Blow
[mr.cr4zy] or whatever it's called
(0:46) [LuPo_StOnEr06] ok m8
[mr.cr4zy] sorry
[mr.cr4zy] you tried torrentsites?
(0:46) [LuPo_StOnEr06] itz ok
[mr.cr4zy] by the way, i don't think jonny depp is in that movie. i just checked Blow and jonny depp is nowhere in the cast
[mr.cr4zy] no wait
[mr.cr4zy] my bad
[mr.cr4zy] he is in the movie
[mr.cr4zy] but you should check torrent sites
[mr.cr4zy] if you go around asking people at random like this the chance of getting the movie is _REALLY_ small
[mr.cr4zy] take my word for it
[mr.cr4zy] look for it on torrent sites
(0:48) [LuPo_StOnEr06] wotz dat m8
[mr.cr4zy] wait, one question first
[mr.cr4zy] how old are you`?
(0:48) [LuPo_StOnEr06] y u ask
[mr.cr4zy] i need to know before i can help you
(0:49) [LuPo_StOnEr06] 16
(0:49) [LuPo_StOnEr06] y
[mr.cr4zy] you write like you're 4. get a grip of yourself
(0:49) [LuPo_StOnEr06] u wot u fukin fag
(0:49) [LuPo_StOnEr06] u need 2 get a grip
[mr.cr4zy] ok that makes no sense, but seriously, let's stay sharp here
[mr.cr4zy] i'm trying to help you out
[mr.cr4zy] the least you could do is write proper english
(0:50) [LuPo_StOnEr06] your fuked in ya ed m8
[mr.cr4zy] yes, yes i am
[mr.cr4zy] but i'm still willing to help you
[mr.cr4zy] you want that or not?
(0:50) [LuPo_StOnEr06] it teckz 2 long prop english
[mr.cr4zy] teckz?
[mr.cr4zy] takes?
[mr.cr4zy] see that's 5 letters in both words
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] 4 fuk sake
[mr.cr4zy] writing teckz takes just as long as takes
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] so fukin wot
[mr.cr4zy] oi mate, just listen here alright
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] im listenin
[mr.cr4zy] i'm trying to help you, but you're 16 so try acting your age... cussing won't help neither of us
(0:52) [LuPo_StOnEr06] W T F m8
[mr.cr4zy] so here's the deal.. torrents are like small files you download and when you start them, you connect to a tracker. that tracker has lotsa other people connected to it and that's how you download from multiple computers at the same time
[mr.cr4zy] like small chunks of the file
[mr.cr4zy] SHIT seriously lay off with that fucking crap
[mr.cr4zy] don't act all surprised, i can't fucking make out a single sentence you write
[mr.cr4zy] i should be the one who's surprised not you
[mr.cr4zy] anyway, you need a torrent client to launch the files
[mr.cr4zy] and after that, you just sit back and wait for the file to finish
(0:53) [LuPo_StOnEr06] let me fink fuk off u pedo nonce twat
[mr.cr4zy] fink? you mean think?
[mr.cr4zy] all i ask of you is to put some effort into writing properly so i can FUCKING UNDERSTAND YOU
(0:54) [LuPo_StOnEr06] lesson 1
[mr.cr4zy] if i do not understand you i CANNOT HELP YOU
(0:55) [LuPo_StOnEr06] fuk = fuck
[mr.cr4zy] ahh i see, took me some time to figure that one out
(0:55) [LuPo_StOnEr06] lesson 2= fink =think
[mr.cr4zy] i bet your finger got really tired writing that extra 'c'
[mr.cr4zy] but wait, shouldn't it be lesson 1; fink = think and lesson 2; fuk = fuck, since you wrote fink before you wrote fuk
[mr.cr4zy] ?=
[mr.cr4zy] right?
(0:55) [LuPo_StOnEr06] yep me u got that thing i have sent you
[mr.cr4zy] you didn't send me anything.
(0:56) [LuPo_StOnEr06] fink fuk
[mr.cr4zy] where you from anyway?
(0:56) [LuPo_StOnEr06] shit wrong person soz cheef
[mr.cr4zy] no that's ok
(0:56) [LuPo_StOnEr06] never never land u
[mr.cr4zy] scotland?
[mr.cr4zy] or maybe england
(0:57) [LuPo_StOnEr06] thatz y your so fick den iz it
(0:57) [LuPo_StOnEr06] fukin crack ed
[mr.cr4zy] what's your point?
(0:58) [LuPo_StOnEr06] u iz a crack ed
[mr.cr4zy] u iz?
[mr.cr4zy] what the hell is that?

So, how do you handle yourself in these situations? Are you bothered by the lack of grammar, punctuation, etc., or do you tag along and do your best to write even worse than your peer?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Thankfully, none of my friends type like that. It IS becoming more prevalent though and I just don't understand what the point of it is. Honesty, typing out "you" and "u" will save a person an insignificant amount of time even in the long run. Some of the words aren't even shortened versions of other words, like "wonna" as opposed to "wanna." It's a big turn off when girls do it too. My biggest pet peeve though is when people type "would of," "could of," or "should of." It's "would HAVE," "could HAVE," or "should HAVE." Using OF instead of HAVE makes NO SENSE at all.

I don't see this trend of typing like idiots stopping anytime soon and it's unfortunate. While it doesn't apply to everyone, it really is a testament to someone's intelligence so the good thing to come out of this is that you'll know who not to talk to. "Hey u wonna talk 2 m3?" Uh... no thanks.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Happens all the time on a message board I moderate. I usually shoot them down, and emphasize that you'll never get any position on a message board unless you type correctly. I've done it once already, I could do it again.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

And they say that Americans have butchered the English language. Looks like this Brit is holding his own in that department.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I honestly don't humor conversations with people who type like that. If I HAVE to, I usually ask them why they can't type out the actual words.

If they act stupid, I block them. I don't want to deal with people who can't handle typing out a few extra letters to make their message more concise.

I've actually seen some English papers written in this kind of language. Granted, not ALL of the papers were like this, but "ppl" was used and things of that nature.

Really IRKS me.

How ya doing, buddy?

I hate when people actually SAY "lol" when they hear something funny

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Quote:

Using OF instead of HAVE makes NO SENSE at all.

It does make sense. For stupid people. But I agree with you, this is by far some of the most annoying tendencies I've seen in the English language.

Quote:

If they act stupid, I block them. I don't want to deal with people who can't handle typing out a few extra letters to make their message more concise.

Well, I would have blocked him too, but I just had to see how far I could carry this. Also, I wouldn't mind helping him out, if only he were a little more susceptible to help.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by scotty

I hate when people actually SAY "lol" when they hear something funny

"Say" as in really, actually, truly SAYING it? Like in the real world?

I've seen it done before in those PurePwnage episodes and it bothered the hell out of me, but if I heard it in person...I don't know what I'd do. That's just plain annoying.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Quote:

[mr.cr4zy] the least you could do is write proper english
(0:50) [LuPo_StOnEr06] your fuked in ya ed m8
[mr.cr4zy] yes, yes i am
[mr.cr4zy] but i'm still willing to help you
[mr.cr4zy] you want that or not?
(0:50) [LuPo_StOnEr06] it teckz 2 long prop english
[mr.cr4zy] teckz?
[mr.cr4zy] takes?
[mr.cr4zy] see that's 5 letters in both words
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] 4 fuk sake
[mr.cr4zy] writing teckz takes just as long as takes
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] so fukin wot

That was damn funny.

I probably wouldn't have the patience to put up with that.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I would've used the word "inability" rather than "disability" in your initial post, which is most commonly used to describe people who are physically rather than mentally impaired. I'm just quibbling though as it's mostly a contextual thing.

I don't talk to people who can't be bothered to speak in clear English. I'm fortunate enough not to know many people who are that dumb though. I actually think it's a common issue because people want to sound cool or "with it" when it comes to texting and chatting using technology. It can't be that people are REALLY so stupid that they would spell so terribly; at least, I hope not.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I've actually seen some English papers written in this kind of language. Granted, not ALL of the papers were like this, but "ppl" was used and things of that nature.

That's just stupid. Writing stuff like that in English papers! I can understand people using words like that on the internet messaging to their friends or writing litttle notes, but that should be as far as it goes.

I always try to write correctly. Just writing this, I looked up the word "messaging" to see if I had spelled it correctly.

And with shortened versions of words, it doesn't make sense. I'll pass on typing shortened versions of words. Except for "lol" because that's not a word.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Matt

"Say" as in really, actually, truly SAYING it? Like in the real world?

I've seen it done before in those PurePwnage episodes and it bothered the hell out of me, but if I heard it in person...I don't know what I'd do. That's just plain annoying.

ya i actually hear people say "lol" and "rotfl" and all the other crazy acronyms involving laughing at something

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

[mr.cr4zy] the least you could do is write proper english
(0:50) [LuPo_StOnEr06] your fuked in ya ed m8
[mr.cr4zy] yes, yes i am
[mr.cr4zy] but i'm still willing to help you
[mr.cr4zy] you want that or not?
(0:50) [LuPo_StOnEr06] it teckz 2 long prop english
[mr.cr4zy] teckz?
[mr.cr4zy] takes?
[mr.cr4zy] see that's 5 letters in both words
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] 4 fuk sake
[mr.cr4zy] writing teckz takes just as long as takes
(0:51) [LuPo_StOnEr06] so fukin wot

I mean if they have the mentality to type like that, they must have equal mentality to spell correctly offline and everywhere else. So what makes it any different online?

I was speaking idiomatically.

When I was in middle school, I had a few friends who used to type like that. They also wrote in both upper and lower case letters for every other letter of a word. It was a struggle to read through it all.

These days, I might use "lol," but not so much.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I caught an interesting article today addressing the question on 'How Deaf People Think'. Its not something that we all stop and consider on a daily basis, but language serves a very important role in the thought process: complex though can be formed with complex language. Its the basis behind 'new speak' as a means of control in the book 1984. A dumbed down simplistic language results in a dumbed down simplistic thought process that is easier to manipulate.

So as the article reveals, deaf people think in terms of sign language. It makes me wonder if these people who use a horribly crippled english on a daily basis also think this way. Is it like a self-inflicted form of mental retardation, or do they really not know any better?

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Rydia

When I was in middle school, I had a few friends who used to type like that. They also wrote in both upper and lower case letters for every other letter of a word. It was a struggle to read through it all.

These days, I might use "lol," but not so much.

Oh... The whole "LeT's tYpE LiKe tHiS" style... I hated that also...

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

So do books that use broken english to emphasize accents bother you too? Sometimes it makes reading the book harder, but then you really get to dive into that character.
I know it doesn't have a whole lot to do with this topic, but I wonder if that bothered you too.
Personally, I can deal with most typos, but having to decipher lazy typing is really annoying. I think it comes from too much cell phone texting where you pay for the letter. That really sped the butchering process up.
In a sense, it wasn't being lazy, but trying to be creative in saving a buck that spawned the fad. Just sad really.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Chaotic

Oh... The whole "LeT's tYpE LiKe tHiS" style... I hated that also...

It just seemed like it required more effort than simply typing normally. I never understood it myself.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

People have the effort to type LiKe tHiS, but they don't put enough effort into making a full word... God, people are weird.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Rydia

It just seemed like it required more effort than simply typing normally. I never understood it myself.

I think it came out of trying to grab attention in Ebay auction titles. ANYTHING to get noticed. All caps, no caps, lots of spaces, and the misplaced caps type.
Technology has certainly allowed many new ways of botching language!

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

You should have got an autograph. I think you were speaking with Ali G!

Most amazing jew boots

I'm really starting to hate the frequent "your/you're" thing. Also, using an apostrophe for plurals. What?

"your gonna get some chip's for me?"

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

If it's on AIM, or something of that sort, I'm fine. I mean, I understand that much. If it's on a blog, or somewhere with a community, grammer/proper english is a much. I understand if English isn't your first language, but hell, it isn't mine either, so the person should at least TRY to type as..well, good as possible. I know my english isn't outstanding, but hell, I try, don't I?

Most amazing jew boots

I have no choice but to go along with it, my job is to accept orders for a cable company over the internet in chat rooms, and trust me Killy, some of the customers I get are just as bad as the dude you where talking to.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by shadowlink56

I think it came out of trying to grab attention in Ebay auction titles. ANYTHING to get noticed. All caps, no caps, lots of spaces, and the misplaced caps type.
Technology has certainly allowed many new ways of botching language!

I always figured it started in Quake III. Something akin to KiLleR4HyRe

How ya doing, buddy?