why use txtspk?...

[boxtops]

Just looking at another post where they have written Ure instead of Your - I might put YR, but why use 3 letters when for only one more, you can type the whole word?

[shooty]

i like it i does

[sasskins]

And factor when you put the two together you get roflmao.
I never use spellcheck EB - I always forget it's there.

[ll_billym]

Your basic assumption is correct, over the short time-frame of that single word it makes no difference. However they don't just do it for that one word, and they do it multiple times during the same sentence to lots of words, over a lifetime this is a lot of time saved. What they then do with the time they have freed up is another discussion!

[missprim]

Play games.

[flip_flop]

I received a CV a couple of years ago which had some text speak - needless to say it went straight in the bin.

What the hell was going through the person's mind when they were preparing their CV that they thought it would be OK to include text speak?

[pdust]

I hate text speak, it drives me mad, ive given up trying to work it out, whether its an actual text or online comment. And whats with this adding extra letters eg... imma goiiiiing outtttt sooonnnnnn buttt willlll beeeeeeeee baccccccccccccckk lattttrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr im seeing that more and more recently.

[sunny-dave]

< smiles >

I think I can pass pdust the grumpy git's hat for the afternoooonnnnnn ;-)

[mccfluff]

lol @nahmeen i was wondering what that was all about

[Canary42]

Can't stand textspeak myself - after all who wants the Glasgow-Edinburgh motorway as a friend :)

[rowanwitch]

pdust...buttons sticking after one of those spilled coffee over keypad moments

[pdust]

yeah gimme it dave!!!! im in a right growly mood i am *Guffawsnort*

[sunny-dave]

What's the new avatar - can't quite make it out?

[pdust]

hi rowan haha thats what causes it with me but this is something the youngans seem to be doing a lot.... oh and doing capitals mid word.... doNt knOw wHY tHeY dO tHat..... mOst anNoyiNg....

dave it says Allah

[Graham-W]

Maybe it's just the next step. How many of us use 'phone instead of telephone, 'fridge instead of refrigerator, fax instead of facsimile machine? There are a host of abbreviations we all use every day without even thinking it rather strange.

[whiskeryron]

yeahr man innit.

[joko]

they are all nouns though...i suppose it's like it being acceptable to call an elizabeth, liz etc, they are not the 'building blocks' of the language if you get me.

I have had texts from people who in their efforts to save space, have actually ADDED letters, such as carnt instead of cant, or mostley instead of mostly etc

the only place text speak is acceptable is unsurprisingly in a text ...

anywhere else and it unfortunately just makes the user appear a bit lacking in intelligence, and if they do it in a formal letter or CV, they just look a downright idiot

i realise thats a bit judgmental and i am sure the level of their intelligence varies, but unfortunately its an instant 'picture' that is formed.

i am sure i am not the only one who instantly visualises some bratty little teenager...

i would just add the textspeak and bad spelling and typos are very different things - i am sure many teens are perfectly good spellers and many older people are terrible spellers...sometimes its pretty hard to know the difference though.

i also agree that its so common now that i think some would not even know they have spelt something wrong any more.

i also heard an 18 year old lad say it was cool to deliberately mispell, and only idiots cannot read text speak - even the most extreme types ... although this lad happens to be THE worst speller i have EVER known and i have to resist the urge to correct his statuses on facebook all the time...he once wrote "am tied" - I knew he meant "I'm tired", so i joked "tied to what ? bit of bondage eh?" and he was just confused, so i explained and he laughed... then a week later, he was 'tied after work' again...ah well i tried... haha

[joko]

i have also played them at their own game a bit haha..

biryte inglicth istoor eplito anith ingth aysai, ide idditferk wital ongt imanth eywag ettin guite irri taytid anconph yoosed....

non of them got it.

dyowcho

[tenrec]

I know an adult who has just returned to "collage". I just said good luck with that!

[MarkRae]

I once received a CV from a chap who reckoned he'd gone to a 'grammer' school... :-)