Pet peeve about abbreviations, grammar, etc.

Grammar and abbreviations etc are important for formal writing and examinations but please remember there are some people who have not been well educated, not priviliged and some people may infact be dyslexic, have a brain injury or some other illness that prevents them understanding how to convey themselves online. (Sorry for the long sentence!)

In my opinion, all communication is good!

Pegasus, you said it so much better than me.

You rock Pegs

I wasn't picking on anyone in particular. In fact, I was thinking about the teenagers I know. Roseleigh, I am sorry.

It kinda bugs me, too, PS. But I make plenty of mistakes myself. I was wondering......this is your first post of this thread. Is there a mistake here or would it be proper to say "that child's writings is"? This is the kind of thing that would perplex me.

I think the OP was focusing on those 'abbreviations' young people use when they're texting and how it's seems formal writing isn't used as much. Since I'm older I only know the basic short forms and prefer to write formally out of habit. When I send an email I still start out by asking how the person is, like the old days when we sent letters lol. I don't think we're focusing on spelling, punctuation etc. Since this is a worldwide website I imagine some would find short forms confusing if English is their 2nd language.

I get to thinking I am more illiterate each year that goes by.

Oh and the littles, the most vulnerable ones spell as well as they can for that alter's age. We do not want them to not reach out because they have to spell anyway they know how.

It's ok. I should not have posted. I think I've realized that for some reason this is a trigger for me too. I have OCD and as a child I would do my homework over and over and over until I thought it was good enough and I always worried so much about this type of thing.

I am really sorry for posting and especially if I hurt you or anyone else. Please forgive me.

LOL - you illerate - I don't think sooo. I have to look up some of the words you use Byz.

Vickie, you are right, the "s" shouldn't be there.

I wasn't even talking about simple mistakes when you are typing; everyone makes mistakes. I was talking about the intentional misuse of spelling and all of that. I wasn't talking about anyone on PC, I wasn't talking about alters, I wasn't trying to be mean to anyone. I was saying that I find it frustrating to see written language as an art form to be lost. Believe me, had I any clue that this would rankle so many people, I would have just left this all in my head and never said a thing. I said I knew it was going to sound pedantic in the first part of my original post. I feel intensely frustrated now and wish I could just delete the whole thread. And yes, I'm probably being bratty about this, so if I am I'll just go ahead and apologize for that too.

I think that in a text based medium, including Psych Central, adequate grammar and spelling are essential. If one's posts are indecipherable , well, they cease to be forms of communication. I am not one to call out someone's misplaced semi-colon or improper pronoun use; however, I do believe that a post should at least retain its meaning.

On the topic of alters-
How does an alter log on to an account? Usernames and passwords seem as though they would be "tricky business" for one who spells phonetically. I bet a lot of people wonder about this.

I hope that I wasn't misunderstood. My problem isn't with spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes. I make plenty of them myself, I know that I am not good at writing so that isn't my complaint.

I just get annoyed when someone who clearly has the ability to write complete words and chooses to use odd shortcuts that aren't any easier to understand, but sometimes does have the effect of confusing people.

I understand well the reality that many people are not good at writing the English language. English was a second language for my wife when she was a live and it is a third language for my girlfriend. While my girlfriend is completely fluent in English at this point she does still make error. My wife was not fluent and had a great deal of difficulty with writing sentences. However she did not see the need to use some odd form of abbreviation that required an even more in depth understanding of the language than what the words themselves require.

Anyway, I am not trying to ridicule others so much. I am just stating that I do tend to get annoyed when someone goes all out with some long line of "leet speak" or "text talk".

Hmmmm....

How about... if we all sit back, take a deep breather...and realize that it's ALL good......Yes?

No one was meaning to offend, or pass judgement. And no one should have to apologize for saying what's on their mind....as, I think, we all understand that this was merely a thread about how language is somewhat misused, anymore.

No one should be feeling badly for posting in this thread....I honestly don't see the error in any response.....

It's a happy Sunday!!

Shangrala

Happy Sunday!

I guess I am more tolerant because despite my son being bright he has a written language disability.

He didn't choose it anymore than any of us chose our mental illness. We all have our shortcomings.

wuz tha prob wif it?

Just kidding, I didn't even read the whole seven pages. I do enjoy when things are spelled in an original way or even when new words are formed and even the incorperation of numbers at times. I admit it. Sometimes it is just more effective that way.

I think the OP was just making a general statement about formal language being lost when it comes to the internet and texting. I don't believe she was talking about people with learning disabilities(Dsylexia etc) or those with MI such as DD etc or those those simply can't write well (english not their primary language etc). It saddens me a little that we can't speak about a simple topic without getting our feathers rufflled.

(Lets remember the OP was talking not about grammar mistakes, learning disablitles etc, but the usage of text/Im language in today's society, and how we are deliberatly shorting things, and changing words, and using shortcuts. )

I have mixed feelings on the texting language, and Im lanugage

On one hand, it bothers me, because I'm an English major myself, I"m trained to walk around with a red pen editing my little literature nerd heart out. On the other hand, it's a reflection on today's society, and as someone that is a creative writer, there is so much potential to play with that, it's intriguing to see what affects techonology has had on our usuage of language,

There is of course a time and place for text/Im language and formal language, I hope people don't use text language when writing out formal letters or filling out applications and forms, but in a way I'm okay with it (doesn't mean I understand text/Im language, I'm a bit illiterate in that arena) as long as it stays in that enviroment, texting and Im'ing

No language stays the same, Language is fluid and changing, along with our world and society. Our English language today is not the same as it was a 100 years ago, and a 100 years from now it probably won't be the same, and I think that's really special.

I am only concerned about it when I see it. And, generally, when I see it I decide not to be concerned about it. Since I have enough to deal with already, I choose to ignore new age literacy and try to communicate with those who understand the language as I was taught it. Those who may think I am being elitist are right, but then, their brand is elitist too.

Have a great day.

I agree there's a time and place for abbreviations and I understand why it came to be in the 1st place. It's a little difficult for a teenager to type out a huge huge word with those tiny little keys and a screen so small, it wouldn't even fit a big word on it. I do find it funny when someone writes out the word 'pleez' instead of 'please' since it's only one less letter. I do hope when the teens who are used to doing these short forms, will indeed be able to write creatively when the time comes.

Personally I love to write/type well. I won a creative writing contest in high school so I pride myself on wording things nicely.

I've always wondered how they've gotten "plox" out of "please"...lmao. Just where DID that "x" come from?...funny.

Maybe they should come out with a short form dictionary. I heard on Good Morning America, the average parent should become familiar with basic abbrev. to monitor their kids on the internet.

Amazing thread!!! I just finished reading it all.
I, for one, was taught to diagram sentences; you know, the old school?
I really dislike seeing the English language distorted; but it is part of the way of the future. I'll get over myself--lol.(I used to think that meant "lots of love")

How anyone is ever going to learn a foriegn language using these strange terms,
and without knowledge of proper sentence structure, is completely beyond me.

I guess I'll just have to keep guessing what people mean when they use these terms.

I like the occasional dangling participle. just old fashioned-theo

It's ok, PS. Try being married to an English gentleman who attended Cambridge University in England back in 1959 when no one would even give a second thought to speaking or writing in any way other than the King/Queen's perfect English. I live with it day in and day out. And I'm from Oklahoma. Calgon, take me away..................