[Mehndi Masala]

Originally Posted by karuna

Comprehensibility aside, the problem with SMS speak on a forum is that it makes the poster look like an idiot.

I have to admit, if I get an email asking about my services in an email with that stuff, I immediately assume they are between the ages of 12 - 22 and/or are not the sharpest knife in the butcher block! I really don't take them seriously.

My friend is a physics professor and he will get formal emails from some of the dumber students riddled with that stuff. WHAT kind of message do they think they are sending?? My other friend has students who can barely spell in high school. BUT...it seems to be the wave of the future...like it or not...(personally, I'm a great big NOT! ) it's here to stay.

I'm just thankful it's not permitted to stay on IM!!

Thanks IM mods!!

[Haylo]

The advantage of using plain English is that it can be successfully translated into many languages using free online tools. As an example, I translated a phrase from English, into French, then back into English.

Firstly in plain English: I will see you on Friday for drinks and laughs
Into French: Je vous verrai vendredi pour des boissons et des rires
Translated back into English: I will see you Friday for drinks and laughter

As you can see, the final phrase is still perfectly understandable, demonstrating that it has been successfully translated through two iterations...


Now lets try some text speak: cu fri 4 drx + lolz
Into in French: drx + lolz de fri 4 de Cu
Translated back into English: drx + lolz of fri 4 of Cu

I think everyone will agree that the phrase in French does not make sense, and its reversion to "English" would completely fail the comprehensibility test, even if tested on captive teenagers.

[dhans]

Yeah right

Enlish: I will see you on Friday for drinks and laughs
Dutch: Ik zal u op Vrijdag voor dranken en lach zien
English: I you will laugh on Friday for spirits and to see

Hans

[chAos]

I don't think it's here to stay anywhere except on phones. And ok, maybe in some informal emails and forums.
And Youtube, good god, youtube.

I've known of people submitting this kind of language in resumes! But oh, they don't get the job. I've heard of instruction in universities to this effect, actually having to tell prospective employees to use proper english.

Still, I also know plenty of people below 23 who refuse SMS speak as a point of principle, even for an SMS.

Originally Posted by dhans

English: I you will laugh on Friday for spirits and to see

I love really this and think I'm will speak that to start this way. Who knows it, perhaps will stick it.

[Cardamom]

Originally Posted by Haylo

Now lets try some text speak: cu fri 4 drx + lolz
Into in French: drx + lolz de fri 4 de Cu
Translated back into English: drx + lolz of fri 4 of Cu

depending on how many drinks I've had, I may actually be able to understand that!!!!!
-C

[Hal]

Originally Posted by dhans

I you will laugh on Friday for spirits and to see

Who gave Yoda an IM account?

[dhans]

Originally Posted by hal2004

Who gave Yoda an IM account?

What's wrong with MASTER Yoda?

Hans

[Dilliwala]

Originally Posted by Nick-H

IPredictive text is great: a lot of SMS-lingo users are just against modern technology!

It is - my reason being that I only have to find (yes, find) the correct key, not figure out how often to press it thereafter.

Btw, most phones allow you to store ANY word you like! Including b4, drx, lolz.
The only such word I've found pre-stored is, wait for it.............sms.

[Nick-H]

Predictive texting... yes... sometimes I think it should be called have-a-go texting! The most infuriating thing about it to me, is that is stores my mistakes, and then thinks I want that 'word' again, and there's no way (Nokia... N82...) to edit the words in the list.

So people use it for storing their txt lingo? Yes, that makes sense of course!

[machadinha]

Originally Posted by Mehndi Masala

I have to admit, if I get an email asking about my services in an email with that stuff, I immediately assume they are between the ages of 12 - 22 and/or are not the sharpest knife in the butcher block! I really don't take them seriously.

Indeed. SMS or not, esteemed clients I'd never heard of before would sometimes send these messages "Yo Mach [no last name of course], can you have this assignment [no fee specified] finished before last week? Thx." (Or of course: Hi M. whom we've never spoken to before, we'd like to have this back before last week. Ciao.)

Then if you'd respond a little crankily they'd act a little churlishly. "Oh, but I thought email didn't call for any formalities..." Whatever, folks.

(Interestingly, meeting such folks in their offices they'd mostly be gaming or web surfing anyway, even proudly pointing you to this new thing they found. Shouldn't you be looking at my work rather or something? One really wonders what goes around in the world sometimes.)

[OceanTragic]

So, these drinks on Friday, did I miss them? Where were they?

Predictive texting: now that is really 'book' (check your phone to find the correct word)

[mridula]

Hey it is 'cool' there was an article on the BBC about this but try as I might I am unable to search it now! And I thought I was good at searching.

[machadinha]

You may be thinking of this one, posted by Chaos before (and courtesy of TOI in this case)?: SMS study

[mridula]

Mach I found it , it was on the BBC, as I said. Enjoy

And the very act of text messaging can throw up new terms: predictive text tends to choose "book" when users type the letters for "cool". Solution? Book now means cool.

[Nick-H]

My wife says she sometimes has to look at keys I would have pressed to work out the word I wanted to say. This happens quite a lot if I try texting without my glasses on.