Typos an age indicator?

[treanir]

H4 H4! j00 s41d "me" 1n5743d 0f "m3!111"

j00 l053 47 73h 1n73rn37!!!!111

Wow, that took a while to decrypt...

 

[slobone]

Scheveningen

I took a trolley there from The Hague. Thank God I didn't have to pronounce it -- the name was written on the front of the bus.

 

[treanir]

I think the best way to pronounce Scheveningen without involving the characteristic 'g' sound is by making is a 'k' sound. That way, it's still understandable.

 

[blackbeltninja]

I am proud to say I never use LOL or BRB or roflmao (or whatever it is).

And I very rarely use the smiley/pukey things either.

Perhaps, for shits and giggles, we should start a thread featuring your favourite bit of slang in your local dialect, with an explanation of what it means in English and even a pronunciation guide if necessary.

That way, we can all learn something. Like when you were at school and the first thing you asked the Latvian exchange student is how to tell someone to fuck off in Latvian under the guise of improving relations between your two cultures.

-d-

 

[jj102087]

I use the shortcut words (brb, ttyl, etc) on things like AIM. In emails and on forums I try to type things the best way I can.

 

[man_crazy]

No. I dont think typos are an age indicator. Anyone can make a typing error. Nobody's perfect.

 

[wentworth]

I'm wondering if people out there think that a poster's way of posting is necessarily an age giveaway.

It seems tradtional in cyberculture to assume that people in their teens or younger wl strt typng lk ths LOL bcs thy thk its cute r hip r dnt knw hw t typ r thyr trying to gt the msssg out as fast as they can, and that older posters (like maybe over 21) find this to be annoying, unreadable and pretentious. On the other hand, I've seen posters (including ones on this forum) who have indicated that they're under 21 yet manage to convey their message in a clear and readable manner -- and of crs u cld b n older postr whse trinng to fool evry 1 tht there ynger bi typing this way.

Personally, I try to write the same way I speak, and I think speech patterns are a better age giveaway than all ths elegible hrd t rd typo crp IMHO LOL. But then again, I love books and love to read, so that's why I prefer to write in the more traditional manner.

BTW I wanted to make this thread a poll but don't know how to do that!

Dude!!!
I have always wondered what kind of mental contortions you must have to go through in order to deliberately misspell every single word you have been taught (presumably) since elementary school.

I think it has something to do with text-messaging and instant messaging. There, kids who have computers but no typing skills (or social skills for that matter), spend hours and hours chatting (why not use the phone?) in poor English over the net.

 

[Andreus]

I dont think misspelling is an age indicator, but i have noticed that bitching about misspelling is Definitely an age indicator

 

[sweet_taboo]

Typos are mistakes...we all make them. I don't consider them indicators of age. However, the number of typos can be reduced simply by reading/rereading posts before clicking the 'submit reply' button. On the other hand, I do believe that deliberately ignoring/misusing the conventions of grammar is an indicator of one's age.

 

[theatreboi]

I couldn't agree with you more, especially about how speech patterns give away a person's maturity more than their age. for example, i'm only 19, but i really like to type like i speak. when my friends on IM try and type in weird "netspeak" i tell them to stop and speak like normal human beings. I actually read a friend's paper in high school and he had written as if he was having an internet conversation with someon; he didn't heed any rules of spelling or grammar. it was disgusting.

 

[kornpone]

No. I dont think typos are an age indicator. Anyone can make a typing error. Nobody's perfect.

Again, I used the wrong term when I said typos. I wasn't talking about honest mistakes, but the way some people chat over the net (chat talk, web talk, chat speak, ect.) -- I suppose because it's faster and easier to type that way, and also it has a more graphic viscereal impact.

I agree, it can be a style unto itself -- hell, it's probably the start of a new language, but I think it's more appropriate on chat pages where there's a lot of quick back and forth, rather than on message boards (such as this one) where you may have to wade through lines of text. Yes?

 

[blackbeltninja]

Dude!!!
I have always wondered what kind of mental contortions you must have to go through in order to deliberately misspell every single word you have been taught (presumably) since elementary school.

I think it has something to do with text-messaging and instant messaging. There, kids who have computers but no typing skills (or social skills for that matter), spend hours and hours chatting (why not use the phone?) in poor English over the net.

I agree. I'm not sure that I could keep my everyday regular routine run-of-the-mill correct English and the shortened text-speak abbreviated stuff in my brain at the same time.

 

[cbtfan]

I do not post here too often ... because I am worried that the spelling police will attack me (I have seen severe maulings over the years)

I think that if you can get your message across, that is all that is needed.

If you use cyberspeak then only those people that understand it will be able to reply.

The same would happen if I typed in Greek, Russian or whatever.

If I were applying for a job or writing for a journal, I would be careful how I typed, BUT this place, as many forums on the web, is supposed to be a friendly place for people who have something in common to communicate.

just my humble opinion (IMHO)