Spelling!!!

[spunkypumpkn]

Doesn't it drive you BONKERS when people use 'text' english in questions? Is 'English' not taught in our schools anymore? Whats going on?? Its bizarre.

Its all about the grammar, people!! The grammar!

[smudge]

littleoldme - thanks for reminding me - of course I do use: LOL, IMHO & BTW!

Slight contradiction, but wouldn't want to appear a hypocrite now!

[flaming]

I like using textspeak when texting a certain friend.  She and I usually have a lot to say, so I'm glad of the 'see if I can do'  opportunity  to write the message in the allowed characters for that one message.  She and I have a 'shorthand understanding'  of the other's words/meanings.  It is a novelty see what ways round one can use.   So long as anyone texting knows the rules that they are breaking, and enjoying doing that for its own sake, all well and good.  It's when they don't know,  that is the worry.  I, too, hate seeing it used outside the mobile phone window.  I use correct grammar and spelling for  other people when texting but I know this slows it down when I am trying to put a point to, say. a TVshow which asks for opinions.

[Barbarafb]

Thanks guys and gals for highlighting this subject so well.  I am delighted there are like-minded people still using proper English with correct spelling and punctuation no matter how it is communicated.  How supposedly well-educated people cannot write or speak properly never ceases to amaze me.  Even if school teachers have a part to play, surely it starts in the home where we all learn first of all.  Why don't parents correct their children when they make mistakes in the use of their language?  This assumes, of course, that the parents know in the first place.  I must search the web to find out if the apostrophe protection society really exists.  I would love to know how they protect the little tadpole!  Now having said all that, I received the following from a friend only the other day.  Werid ro waht??

"Typoglycemia.  Don't delete this because it looks weird.  Believe it or not you can read it: 

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.  The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia :)- Amzanig huh? Yaeh, and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt."

Well, quite!!

[flaming]

That's a very interesting piece.  It must be what it is like being dyslexic, as I found I was slower to read that, having to 'say' it in my head more consciously than when reading 'normal' prose.  However one has to have the idea of the word to start with...

In the 70s a relation was being taught to read and write by the 'new' phonetic method.  I was horrified.  I don't think that age group (don't know how long it lasted as a method) could ever recover from it as, of course, any help at home was useless because it was so confusing for the children and their parents. That person is in his mid-forties now.  There'll be a lot about like him . 

[Emily Ball]

At last! A subject close to my heart. I will confine myself to just two pet hates  however; the mispronunciation of 'Aitch' as 'Haitch' and the misspelling of barbecue as barbeque.

[gazzawazza]

I too can't stand the use of this txtspk.  AAAGGHHH it grinds on me just to do that tiny little bit!  My text messages are also written out in full with every letter and punctuation mark, I see it as my own little stand against a tide of utter gibberish.  My daughters use textspeak and it really does take me longer to decode what they're saying when they text me!

As far as I know, the only abbreviation I have ever used in any form of printed word is "coz."  Strangely enough, I don't know why I allow myself to use that when I abhor all others! 

I am also in agreement with just about everyone else replying here when they bemoan the lack of "proper" english, although I'm sure most of it is actually down to ignorance.  I myself was guilty of a certain common mistake until just a couple of years ago, (If I was you...)  However, my own personal pet hate is  "I done that/the boy done good/have you did that" i.e. using "done" and "did" incorrectly

[mslovely]

yes i agree totaly with everyone as its easier that way!!!!

[jno]

is btw actually any worse than ie, etc, eg, BBC? They're just to save time, space, keystrokes, trees, whatever... imho