# r u mad?



## Hakro

I believe that most of the members are seriously trying to learn better a foreign language. Why do you use those stupid abbreviations, especially in English? I can understand them in SMS messages with cell phones where the amount of characters is limited, but not in Internet with computers and real keyboards.

Please use as correct language as possible!

 What do you think about chat language on these pages?


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## Fernando

Amen. I second the motion.


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## judkinsc

It's mostly teenagers on AIM and MSN and such that use that, and it carried over to cell phones.  I find it obnoxious.


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## Jana337

Moderators aim at weeding out that obnoxious practice. Cooperation of other forum members will be appreciated. 

I am moving this thread to Comments and suggestions.

Jana


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## cuchuflete

Thank you Hakro,

I fully agree.  Whenever I see such nonsense in a post, I PM the writer, not to request, but to firmly insist that standard language be used in these forums.  At times, when the forero is unavailable, I edit the posts to convert chat abbreviations into standard language.

When you see such atrocities, please ask the offender not to do it, to correct their prior posts, and to be sensitive to the needs of the many students and others who appreciate language.  If you need help, just PM any mod, or use the report-a-post triangle to alert all the mods for the forum in question.

Again, many thanks,
Cuchuflete


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## BasedowLives

i don't really care about it.  if i see it in spanish, i ask what it means.  i do this because i'm interested in the meaning behind it.

i opened a thread specifically on spanish internet lingo so i could learn about it.  i'm not a big fan of ignorance.


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## JediMaster

Especially on a forum like this, I think it's good to mostly use correct grammar and spelling...

b/c whn ppl start talking like this, it's v. annoying.  lol.

I think it's fine to learn the Internet abbreviations of other languages, but I don't think regular usage is proper; it can get really confusing while trying to learn another language.


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## cuchuflete

BasedowLives said:
			
		

> i don't really care about it. if i see it in spanish, i ask what it means. i do this because i'm interested in the meaning behind it.
> 
> i opened a thread specifically on spanish internet lingo so i could learn about it.  i'm not a big fan of ignorance.



I welcome threads *about* internet slang or academic slang or any other kind of slang.  We can all benefit from learning.  Don't confuse that with the use of such slang in forum discussions.


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## GenJen54

BasedowLives said:
			
		

> i don't really care about it. if i see it in spanish, i ask what it means. i do this because i'm interested in the meaning behind it.
> 
> i opened a thread specifically on spanish internet lingo so i could learn about it.  i'm not a big fan of ignorance.



It's important to remember, however, that most people come to these forums to learn another language.  While more advanced learners may benefit from an understanding of chat slang, average learners, especially those who wish to learn for academic or business purposes,  benefit most from seeing proper grammar and punctualization used in an "everyday" context.


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## timpeac

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> I welcome threads *about* internet slang or academic slang or any other kind of slang. We can all benefit from learning. Don't confuse that with the use of such slang in forum discussions.


 
Absolutely. There are many things it is appropriate to discuss that it is inappropriate to _do_. In purely linguistic terms swear-words spring to mind. Yes, talk about what they may mean or how offensive they may be - but use them to insult others? No.


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## annettehola

I don't know about that, honestly. I think that words are usage. We can, of course, tear them out of their context but then the meaning disappears in my opinion. All we would then have would be a nice little isolated object to study. Swear words were invented to insult others. That's simply how it is, and that's simply why they are here in our language. I obviously am not saying that we should start insulting one another more. I am saying that we have means to insult others verbally because we sometimes are in situations were this is necessary. The word = the situation. Take them apart and you have neither.
Annette


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## elroy

annettehola said:
			
		

> I don't know about that, honestly. I think that words are usage. We can, of course, tear them out of their context but then the meaning disappears in my opinion. All we would then have would be a nice little isolated object to study. Swear words were invented to insult others. That's simply how it is, and that's simply why they are here in our language. I obviously am not saying that we should start insulting one another more. I am saying that we have means to insult others verbally because we sometimes are in situations were this is necessary. The word = the situation. Take them apart and you have neither.
> Annette


 
Annette,

Tim was providing an analogy. He was just saying that just as discussing swear words is different from using them (which should be exercised with extreme caution and prudence), so it is acceptable to discuss Internet abbreviations but not to rite like dis. Lest we veer too far off-topic in this thread by waxing philosophical about the subtleties of taboo language, please feel free to begin a legitimate new thread in Cultural Discussions if you would like to discuss the appropriateness of using swear words and/or the effects of divorcing words from context. 

As for the topic of this thread - I, too, am wholeheartedly against abominations such as "how r u? sry 4 not calling last nite. pls 4give me. u r a gr8 and kewl friend." Even when I'm using an instant messenger service, I take the time to spell out the words I use, with the very rare exception of acronyms such as "lol" (laughing out loud) and "btw" (by the way). Even those I don't use on the forums, though.


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## annettehola

Mr. Al-mudírator,
  I was merely saying what I thought and think on this issue. I maintain every single word. I also hate this new trend of not wanting to spell out words because..uhm..ya know..it's just so cool, kinda..It's downright terrible and lacks all respect for language. What I was reacting to was your colleague writing:"Yes, talk about what they may mean or how offensive they may be - but use them to insult others? No." The guy is speaking about swear words, and I thought and think he is mistaken when wanting to speak about them but not use them. I cannot see how we can speak about them and thereby try to understand them, if we first strip them of their meaningfulness which, to my mind, is the situation in which they originated.
I hope I have made myself a bit clearer now.
Annette


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## elroy

annettehola said:
			
		

> Mr. Al-mudírator,
> I was merely saying what I thought and think on this issue. I maintain every single word. I also hate this new trend of not wanting to spell out words because..uhm..ya know..it's just so cool, kinda..It's downright terrible and lacks all respect for language. What I was reacting to was your colleague writing:"Yes, talk about what they may mean or how offensive they may be - but use them to insult others? No." The guy is speaking about swear words, and I thought and think he is mistaken when wanting to speak about them but not use them. I cannot see how we can speak about them and thereby try to understand them, if we first strip them of their meaningfulness which, to my mind, is the situation in which they originated.
> I hope I have made myself a bit clearer now.
> Annette


 
What you said was crystal clear the first time.  Your comments were just not relevant to _this particular thread_.  You are by all means welcome to maintain and uphold your opinions, and fight them to the death - but let's try to avoid hijacking threads and to stick to the topic.  I see that you've expressed your opinion on Internet abbreviations here; I'm glad to see we're in agreement.


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## annettehola

I have one more addition to make on the subject and it's an important one: To me these abbreviations resemble code. It's a code based on pronunciation. And here is my point: Code can be 1) ridiculous 2) necessary. What determines that is and remains context. During war time code is absolutely justified if you ask me. It can save lives and convey messages otherwise not to be conveyed. It can serve, and so, save life.
When code is ridiculous is when it does nothing but display its own form. When the message is the least important. 
Annette


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## GenJen54

annettehola said:
			
		

> When code is ridiculous is when it does nothing but display its own form. When the message is the least important.


 
Which is in the case of these forums, which is what Hakro's complaint was about.


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## nycphotography

I fully agree.

Yet, as a long time user of IM (more so than SMS) I find that certain forms have crept into my usage and they slip out subliminally and w/o my intending them to.

u and losing contractions and caps seem to be the most common offences.

I'm always having to go back and add ' into everything I type.

So please be patient, some people don't do it purely from ignorance or coolness.


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