I know there are several posts this could be in reply to, so I'm not sure if mine is included with them or not. Since it was late and I didn't put a summary paragraph in, I can see how my post could have been misinterpreted though. Allow me to clarify (if necessary).

I believe national, cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, etc. backgrounds greatly influence speaking styles and the type of slang one uses. I also believe abbreviations and lax grammar online are a part of internet slang and thus the 'net subculture. This is why I was drawing those comparisons. I see many people are okay with certain types of subcultures, yet are unhappy with speaking styles used in the internet subculture.

Personally, I use a lot of abbreviations, as well as lax grammar in chat. I also use these amongst my like minded friends offline. I don't see it as being any different from the drawl my southern friend speaks in, or the lingo of a Rastafarian. It has to do with my interests and background, and I know several people to whom it adds character.

As for the rest of my counterpoints: most were to specific arguments made earlier on in the thread; such as net lingo leading to lack of communication and being responsible for poor performance in schools.