I can believe this.

[Jenny_Jackson]

I knew there was another reason I've never owned a cell phone other than I could never figured out how modern man survived 10,000 years without them.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070425/od_nm/ireland_texts_odd_dc;_ylt=AiEEJLJmyMzlm9o7iJniNZjMWM0F

Mobile texts harm written language?

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The rising popularity of text messaging on mobile phones poses a threat to writing standards among Irish schoolchildren, an education commission says.

The frequency of errors in grammar and punctuation has become a serious concern, the State Examination Commission said in a report after reviewing last year's exam performance by 15-year-olds.

"The emergence of the mobile phone and the rise of text messaging as a popular means of communication would appear to have impacted on standards of writing as evidenced in the responses of candidates," the report said, according to Wednesday's Irish Times.

"Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing."

The report laments that, in many cases, candidates seemed "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary."

In 2003, Irish 15-year-olds were among the top 10 performers in an international league table of literacy standards compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

 

[Pen_Dragon]

I knew there was another reason I've never owned a cell phone other than I could never figured out how modern man survived 10,000 years without them.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070425/od_nm/ireland_texts_odd_dc;_ylt=AiEEJLJmyMzlm9o7iJniNZjMWM0F

Mobile texts harm written language?

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The rising popularity of text messaging on mobile phones poses a threat to writing standards among Irish schoolchildren, an education commission says.

The frequency of errors in grammar and punctuation has become a serious concern, the State Examination Commission said in a report after reviewing last year's exam performance by 15-year-olds.

"The emergence of the mobile phone and the rise of text messaging as a popular means of communication would appear to have impacted on standards of writing as evidenced in the responses of candidates," the report said, according to Wednesday's Irish Times.

"Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing."

The report laments that, in many cases, candidates seemed "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary."

In 2003, Irish 15-year-olds were among the top 10 performers in an international league table of literacy standards compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Case in point: http://youmakemetouchyourhandsforstupidreasons.*****.com/

(I hope this isn't considered advertising, it's just a really bad letter! you'll need to enter y t m n d for the *'s)

 

[Darklove666]

Sadly, I can believe this too. Even worse, what if this study was performed in America? I've heard in the past that email has lowered our skills here as well.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Is it lowering of skills or a shift in language and communication? Although I'm old and my form of communication and language is the written and spoken word, would it or could it be conceivable that for future generation the IM, TX and email language will be theirs?

 

[Liar]

Text messaging shorthand (or "txt mssng shrthnd") is a result of people trying to write stuff on a crappy interface of 10 number keys. It's a pain in the rear end to punch in characters, and the Short Messaging Service technology has a limited length, so abbrevation and simplification was nessecary. That's where the whole thing started, and has spread to other means of communication.

But it's nothing to get yer panties in a bunch about. With better interfaces in the future, the need for it will get less and less on mobile devices, and eventually dissapear. It might leave a trace in the language in form of a handful of changed spelling on words (which probably was in dire need of reform anyway). But since it IS a limited version of the language, it's not good enough to express all the things that the full language do. So with a little patience, it will go away, eventually.

I know for instance that I've stopped writing shortened words in text messages now when I have a phone with a full qwerty keyboard.

 

[jomar]

Yeah. I think spell-check programs probably serve to worsen spelling skills, but improve recognition skills.

 

[rgraham666]

I thinks it's kind of a moot point. The level of literacy here in North America isn't that good to begin with. I've repeatedly heard figures that halt the population is functionally illiterate.

Also, the tendency to use text speak is something that people will have to break out of once they get out of high school. Text speak, it seems to me, is inherently limiting. So you won't be able to write a term paper in it, a resume in it, an employee report in it.

Well, I suppose 'Ths gy scks' is an employee report but few people are that bad at work.

Liar's point about better interfaces lifting the limits of text speak is well taken as well.

 

[Goldie Munro]

I thk it dpns on ur prspectiv - I dnt txt in shrt spk - but if u can undrstnd the com its ok - no?

Kids have always found it difficult to write formally - they naturally want to write colloquially - text and email 'speak' is just another aspect of this. I love the fluidity of language; understanding and enjoying the written word demands progress. Language has a life of its own.

 

[starrkers]

Text messaging shorthand (or "txt mssng shrthnd") is a result of people trying to write stuff on a crappy interface of 10 number keys. It's a pain in the rear end to punch in characters, and the Short Messaging Service technology has a limited length, so abbrevation and simplification was nessecary. That's where the whole thing started, and has spread to other means of communication.

But it's nothing to get yer panties in a bunch about. With better interfaces in the future, the need for it will get less and less on mobile devices, and eventually dissapear. It might leave a trace in the language in form of a handful of changed spelling on words (which probably was in dire need of reform anyway). But since it IS a limited version of the language, it's not good enough to express all the things that the full language do. So with a little patience, it will go away, eventually.

I know for instance that I've stopped writing shortened words in text messages now when I have a phone with a full qwerty keyboard.

That's not the only problem - there's the limited space on the viewing screen and (where I am anyway) a limit to the number of characters you can send in a message.
I tend to abbreviate when texting, because it takes me ages to write a message, and my daughter gets to laugh when I get the wrong character.

 

[Liar]

That's not the only problem - there's the limited space on the viewing screen and (where I am anyway) a limit to the number of characters you can send in a message.
I tend to abbreviate when texting, because it takes me ages to write a message, and my daughter gets to laugh when I get the wrong character.

Well that's just wjhat I said. SMS (the technology used for text messaging) has a character limit. And it takes you longer to type, because you are used to the full keyboard for typing, and now you're stuck with a small screen and fewer keys, right?

This is my new phone:
http://www.mobiles-actus.com/photos/telephone/205x268/htc-s620-1.jpg

I can see a message the length of this post (pic exxkluded) in one screen, I can type the same way I do on my pc, and I have no length limit on my messages (the phone sends it as several messages in a row if it's too long). With my old phone, I did what you did. With my mew phone, I dont. And this thing was even, as cell phones go, pretty cheap. That's why I say that better interfaces and new technology will eliminate the need for shortening in the future. It has for me already.