Struggling Writers discussion

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Is the use of textspeak the next step in language or is it akin to the devil's work? Check out my blog post with links and discussion from both sides of the issue.

Very useful article. I am of the mind that it is okay in moderation. However, if I am typing on the computer or writing something with my hand and find myself writing, "ur" or "bc" or "btw" or "wbu", etc. then I know that I've been texting too much and it is seeping into my brain, so I need to erase it and just write with my pencil and paper to get used to regular English grammar.

As a student who is utterly obsessed with correct usage of English grammar but also does not like to waste time when texting, I have created shortcuts in my phone so that "wbu" comes out as "What about you?", "idk" as "I don't know.", etc. Way to go, Apple Company. Your iPhones have enabled us to type correctly without thinking. Which is almost worse than the abbreviations that are commonly found in texting...

Very useful article. :)

I only use a bit lol, rofl, wtf, brb, afk etc. I used to do online gaming and we used it there. I spent a lot of time not having a clue what people were on about, to tell the truth.

4 instead of for and 2 instead of to annoys me though. Abbreviations I can manage. I wouldn't know wbu was what about you. I tend to type out my texts, really it doesn't take much longer. It derives from the days of short text messages anyway.

I use lol because it sort of sounds stupid to type out, "Laugh out loud." And using numbers annoys me, too, because for me I have to press a button just to get to the numbers. It hardly seems worth the effort. Just let me type and keep my brain, please. :)

I write normally and everything, even in texts, but occasionally if I'm in a rush I'll slip in some text lingo.

I never use text lingo as I feel it will inevitably degrade the language and we should hold on to what we've got for as long as we can.

Jessica wrote: "I write normally and everything, even in texts, but occasionally if I'm in a rush I'll slip in some text lingo."

Me too! (and then I go over the character limit because I put an actual sentence)

I nearly always go over the text limit gives me an exercise in preciseing it, no punctuation or needless words. It really cramps my style :-)

Omg Irene, that's like on Twitter. Tweets can only have 140 characters and I always hit above that limit and then decide which grammatical error to commit...

((lLOL SEE I JUST SAID OMG UNINTENTIONALLY))

Whats an OMG it sounds like something from 'Lord of the Rings'

Haha it means "Oh my god!"

Jessica wrote: "Omg Irene, that's like on Twitter. Tweets can only have 140 characters and I always hit above that limit and then decide which grammatical error to commit..."

Well, then it would normally divide into as many messages as needed but my phone has an software issue that makes it so I have to manually divide the message. It's okay though because there are only a few people that I continually run over the limit with and they know just to wait for the second or even third one to come in.

Texting and writing shorthand can be problematical when you are writing by hand, {say a letter for instance or essay/ assignment etc.} as it is so easy to be lazy by failing to use correct grammar constantly. Being aware and taking the time to think before you write [proof read] is important -- hence why I still love hand writing letters to my close friends..

1. it is more personal and 2. it gives me a break from the computer [spellchecker! as my spelling is dire!!] and 3. from generally being lazy- social media messaging them or email.

Interesting article though!

Thanks.

A.L - Your welcome!

I'm a man of few words, which really surprises people who know me when I tell them I've written three novels and am working on a fourth. My texts are short and contain few abbreviations. We use IM software at work and I abbreviate there more than I do on texts.

I've not had any inclination to use textspeak (or IMspeak) while writing. My brain doesn't think in textspeak, I guess because I text so little.

Text Speak is an abomination that should be purged with Fire and Bolter shells.

I try to write normally in texts messages with the only exception of lol, omg and wtf. I'm 36 so I really should know the majority of text talk, however unfortunately I don't and new ones keep coming out. I remember the first time I saw LOL. It was 2006 and a guy I was dating put lol in a text to me. I thought it meant lots of love! Luckily I asked a friend before replying or that would have been OMG lol stuff. And he would of been thinking wtf ?

TextSpeak. What will people think of next, genome editing or organ transplants grown using person-specific genetics?

R.F.G. wrote: "TextSpeak. What will people think of next, genome editing or organ transplants grown using person-specific genetics?"

Or deadly genome specific viruses, commercial foetus harvesting, assassination of civilians via drone strike, and cradle to grave monitoring and control of every aspect of ones life by governments.

I use very little text speak, even when I'm texting. I refuse to let my brain turn to dribble.

V.W. wrote: "Or deadly genome specific viruses, commercial foetus harvesting, assassination of civilians via drone strike, and cradle to grave monitoring and control of every aspect of ones life by governments."

It's enough to drive one sane at the thought. Might be why I have a battle axe affectionately nicknamed Head-From-Shoulders. And no, the swords, short swords, and long knives haven't been named -- the axe is just special.

I think I'll stay where the majority of my daily worry is a chance encounter with a mountain lion, wild hogs, or the occasional turkey vulture too impatient to wait for my rancid carcass. City life is a bit too stressful.

TextSpeak is simply another way a person can set herself or himself up to be taken advantage of or ignored. I remember sitting in on a job interview where the applicant was using the verbal equivalent of TextSpeak -- needless to say the job went to someone else.

V.W. wrote: "R.F.G. wrote: "TextSpeak. What will people think of next, genome editing or organ transplants grown using person-specific genetics?"

Or deadly genome specific viruses, commercial foetus harvesting..."

We are all doomed.