Problems with I-speak and written communication

[daughter]

Granted criticizing someone's grammar and spelling can put one on the defensive, however is it possible to have a discussion about i-speak(internet jargon) and other forms of written communication? Can we talk about the current trends in our written skillsets and literacy?

Each time I've seen the topic of spelling come up, the same kind of remarks are made: folks purposely misspell words to mock the critics, others criticize the poster for bringing it up. Sometimes, folks explain why misspelling is a problem for them.

I realize this isn't a classroom or a work environment, but it is a form of communication. How you write does say something about you, and it can affect a reader's comprehension.

I happen to work with educators. I hear all day long how frustrating it is that our children are lacking basic written, oral, and critical thinking skills. Literacy is a problem in our nation.

I work in a corporate environment. I have seen people passed over because of a lack of the same skills, and many of these folks have degrees. Granted, everyone doesn't major in English, but we're talking necessary skills and how mastery of them allow us to effectively articulate our ideas.

Even in an environment like Lite, we are communicating, and we do want to be understood. Relaxing the rules and standards is one thing. It's something else when clearly a writer is either lacking a skillset or abandoning it. You're communicating more than what you are saying.

I want to discuss why we don't possess these skills. If we do, why do we completely abandon them here(please discuss more than you don't care), is anyone embarassed or inhibited in anyway because of others' perception of him because of his skillset.

I'm not going to correct someone's spelling or grammar in a public forum because it antagonizes and embarasses people. However, I would like to know why we are so lax in our writing. Everyone misspells occasionally. I need spellcheck.

I'd really like to hear folks views on written communication without this becoming a shouting match about anal grammarians and dumb spellers. I'd like to have an adult conversation about how we communicate with one another online.

Please reply as yourself or 'unregistered' if it will ensure speaking honestly. Could we please not bash folks who choose to remain anonymous in this discussion?

This is pretty involved and lengthy so it might die in the water, but I really would like to talk with others who have opinions on the matter.

Why am I so interested? Because I grew up very self-conscious of my speech. My mother drilled in me the importance of mastering standard English and writing effectively. She believed that being a minority was enough. I didn't need other barriers prohibiting me from being taken seriously. I was taught folks would judge me by how I spoke.

I didn't relax until I was in my 30s. That's another discussion. Thanks.

Peace,

daughter

 

[Camille]

It is daughter, the evolution of our society.
Art and refinement have never been hallmarks of our culture. We can build things bigger, faster, and better. We can market things. Our educational pursuits are so centered on consumption that we have pushed aside writing, even talking. My God we are the most advanced country on the planet and a large portion of us can't read well or write or do basic math.

I speak is like that, faster, it must be faster because often we are talking to more than one person. The milliseconds we save are valuable.

When was the last time you got a letter?

Cam

 

[girl]

I find the shorted versions of words (u = you, r = are, etc) really really annoying in a conversation. My own personal pet peeve; I realize not everyone's as anal about it as I am. But I do ask people who chat with me online to please use the full words. While it's their right to speak any way they want, it's my option to walk away and so, I will if they continue to use letters in place of words. Occasionally, it's no big deal. Every sentence is completely annoying.

I believe that the current young generation, and the upcoming ones, will have a hard time integrating into the workforce, because of the 'd00d' speak...but perhaps the rules of grammar and communication will have slackened even more by then?

girl

 

[morninggirl5]

I believe that our problems with written communication stem from the technology that was available during our educations. Before the telephone, handwritten communication was the only means of having one's opinions and beliefs heard. Writing and writing well were seen as basic to education and were given priority. During the 70's and 80's oral communication because the hallmark of our society. Letters and essays were no longer important or emphasized in our schools. Oral reports, oral debates, speeches became the focus of our communication. With the increases in technology and the vast numbers of people communicating daily via the internet, written language is becoming a focus once again.


As for the communication here and in other venues, as I said in the other thread, I have yet to read a post that I could not understand the posters message. Internet lingo and abbreviations really don't bother me. I do notice spelling, but it has not to this point influenced my opinion of anyone here. I do cringe and mutter under my breath when teachers on another board make spelling and grammatical errors. I expect much more from fellow teachers because we are setting the example for our students.

 

[Rubyfruit]

Interesting topic, daughter.

I absolutely believe that people do judge others by how they write and communicate verbally. I know I do. Maybe judge is too harsh a word. I find myself making assumptions about a person's education and intelligence by the way they write.

I also find abbreviations such as girl talked about above very annoying. Lack of punctuation is probably my worst pet peeve, though. I won't even bother trying to read a mass of words strung together without any paragraph breaks, commas or periods. It's simply too hard to decipher what the writer is trying to communicate.

Slightly misspelled words don't bother me that much. We all make mistakes. I have to use spell check sometimes and occasionally I'm in too much of a hurry to do it.

 

[erosman]

Everyday I interact with a variety of people. I tend to categorize them into people who care and people who don't care. As a whole, I think that people who care - regardless of whether it is spelling, using turn signals, or waiting patiently in line at the grocery store - have something in common. I'm betting that it is partly genetic, but I also believe that much of it could be due to learned behavior.
Maybe all neurotic spellers and grammarians have a parent that instilled them with a desire to do it right. Maybe it was their 2nd grade teacher. I'm not sure, but I think that this cognizance of detailed, written communication and a penchant for propriety are sub-classes of a larger genus.

 

[JaymesBlond007]

I find the shorted versions of words (u = you, r = are, etc) really really annoying in a conversation. My own personal pet peeve; I realize not everyone's as anal about it as I am. But I do ask people who chat with me online to please use the full words. While it's their right to speak any way they want, it's my option to walk away and so, I will if they continue to use letters in place of words. Occasionally, it's no big deal. Every sentence is completely annoying.

This kind of makes me laugh to myself. I had constantly listened to my Lit. teachers in school tell me how wrong this was to do. And in school, obviously, it is a very different story. I am there to follow a certian set of rules and guidelines, set by an individual, who's comments will directly affect my life. If I do not follow the standards set by my professors, I will not pass that class!

Now, on the other hand, when I am here communicating with my peers on a board, I use the words wouldn't and we'll and weren't and so on because that's the way that I speak. It is not that I do not know any better, I just niether feel the need to impress anyone here, nor come off being more sophisticated than I really am. I do not think it would be fair to everyone else for me to come across as a different person, just because nobody here actually knows who I am.

I am a simple person, not a stupid person. I sure hope y'all are not confusing the two...

 

[daughter]

Thanks everyone

You all have touched on aspects I have contemplated especially, morninggirl. Ruby, I think I fall in that group of spellers who makes minor, consistent errors.I admit I am a bit relieved to learn that I'm not the only one who prefers basic grammar and syntax usage. Sorry, but it makes reading and comprehension easier.

moringgirl, tests and standards are requiring more of our students. I'm afraid the dependence and preference for abbreviated words and symbols is going to be a disservice to our kids when they're required to apply standard written skills.

Eros, I hated how my mother insisted on correct usage as a child. Today, I am grateful. My written and oral skills have significantly contributed to my success today. Without them, I wouldn't be in my profession.

Appreciate all your replies.

Peace,

daughter

 

[LadyDarkFire]

I believe that the current young generation, and the upcoming ones, will have a hard time integrating into the workforce, because of the 'd00d' speak...but perhaps the rules of grammar and communication will have slackened even more by then?

girl

Speaking as a member of a "younger generation," (I'm currently 20) I'd like to comment on this. Yes, there is a new form of slang appearing that is made of different symbols for letters, such as the word "escape" being written as "3SC4P3," or "dude" appearing as "d00d," but most of us of the "younger generation" are quite capable of conversing, and writing in a fairly comprehendable way. I personally do not shorten "you're" to "ur" or use other substitutions, but I have been known to use the "d00d" alphabet to converse with friends when we wanted to keep our messages somewhat private. Different generations have different forms of adjusted language that suits the age the people are growing up in. Today's high school and college students are far more reliant on computers than someone who went to college just 10 years ago would have been. As a country, we work still to get rid of sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination, so could we please lay off with the age discrimination as well? "Those damn youngsters" might have some things to say that you could find interesting, given a chance.

 

[daughter]

"Those damn youngsters" might have some things to say that you could find interesting, given a chance.

LDF--

Hold up. Who dissed you? You took a small section of what morninggirl said and shifted the focus here. This discussion is about communication in a broader sense. My problems with I-speak isn't a snide against your generation, and your generation incidently isn't the only group communicating with a form of I-speak, but an issue of understanding one another.

I take the same exception with I-speak as I do with any other form of slang. I'm not refuting its usage, my concern is that we, Americans are less literate than we were a few generations ago. Our common language skills are eroding at the written level.

morninggirl is speaking to the same thing my parents impressed upon me. My father said if you're going to play the game, you have to learn the rules of the game and then apply them.

Internet speak and other forms of communication are appropriate in their respective environments. However, in the workforce, standard English is still the standard. I'll tell you like I told kids I tutored. How you speak with your friends when you're in the hood is cool, but when you step into other arenas such as the workforce, be on top of your game there, too. In that world, don't sell yourself short by failing to master English. In order to communicate effectively we have to have a common ground.


I'm sure you have plenty of interesting things to say, but if you use encrytic language, you aren't trying to communicate so I understand it. I'm more than happy to listen.

Peace,

daughter

 

[girl]

Now, on the other hand, when I am here communicating with my peers on a board, I use the words wouldn't and we'll and weren't and so on because that's the way that I speak. It is not that I do not know any better, I just niether feel the need to impress anyone here, nor come off being more sophisticated than I really am. I do not think it would be fair to everyone else for me to come across as a different person, just because nobody here actually knows who I am.[/B]

I wasn't referring to contractions. I use contractions as well, as do most people. I'm talking about:

How r u 2day? I saw ur post on the 4um n u said .....whatever.

That is what drives me nuts. That has nothing to do with english contractions and everything to do with laziness, in my opinion. <-- Yes, that's a judgment on why it's done, made after asking many people why they type like that. "Because it's faster, it's easier." <--- invariably the response I get.

As a country, we work still to get rid of sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination, so could we please lay off with the age discrimination as well? "Those damn youngsters" might have some things to say that you could find interesting, given a chance.

I'm sorry...at what point was I discriminating? At what point did I say that the younger generation (meaning those people still in school) didn't have anything worthwhile to say? I said neither. I used the term 'young generation' to specify a certain age group. How would you prefer I do it? Instead say, those people aged under 20. How is that different than using the less verbose term of 'young generation?' They're both labels for the same thing.

d00d-speak, in my experience is limited to those under the age of about 24. You will rarely find folks over that age who use it. Hell, most of us can't even read it (which goes to your point about using it for privacy). Therefore, it isn't discriminatory to refer to that age bracket when talking about that particular sort of slang, since it hardly occurs outside of it.

I have nothing against those younger than I; I don't think they're stupid, I don't think they have nothing worthwhile to say and I don't think they're less valueable than any other segment of the population. And nothing I said even hinted that I thought those things.

girl, just clearing a couple things up.

 

[cellis]

I think the problem is that people tend to use things like the BB as a form of the spoken word written... I know when I get excited about a topic, I don't take as much time to watch my spelling (I'm a lousy speller) or my grammar as much as I should... I think very fast and sometimes I leave out words when I am writing because my brain is faster than my fingers...

I don't use contractions or I-speak for the most part because I personally find it irritating... I do, however, tend not to use caps at all when I am on IM with another person... It just takes too much time... Those who know me, know this about me....

I think I am passion about things I like and I happen to like the written word... I like writing... I like delving into my brain or the dictionary for words...

In the end... it is all about communication... some of us are better at putting words together than others... for some it is a seemingly Herculean task and for others it is very simple...



www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=34382

 

[talk2024]

it is laziness

Girl, I agree with you... it is laziness. Not only that, compressed words used in a sentence like the one you quoted is only effective communication when expressing the most basic of ideas. Limiting one's vocabulary to i-speak limits the topics of discussion. English is such a grand language for its ability to absorb words from other cultures and allows one to almost never being at a loss for finding le mot juste; it's sad to see it degraded as many do.

btw, contractions are cool if you wish to express yourself in a more conversational manner and certainly some i-speak contractions will become standard but let's not pretend you can have a serious discussion that way.

 

[JaymesBlond007]

Originally posted by Girl
I wasn't referring to contractions. I use contractions as well, as do most people. I'm talking about :

How r u 2day? I saw ur post on the 4um n u said .....whatever.

That is what drives me nuts. That has nothing to do with english contractions and everything to do with laziness, in my opinion. <-- Yes, that's a judgment on why it's done, made after asking many people why they type like that. "Because it's faster, it's easier." <--- invariably the response I get.

I did not use your name in my previous quote because I did not mean to single you out as an individual for my comment. That is my fault and I apollogize. I probably should not have quoted anyone at all.

My comment was in general, toward the entire board because I do communicate differently. I use words such as "y'all", "gonna'', "wanna'', and so on, and so forth. Words that I don't see anyone else on the boards use, unless they intend to portray some kind of hick or hillbillie.

I try not to do this habitually, because I see how this can portray a person as being "ignorant" or "uneducated", and I don't blieve I am such a peson. Who knows, perhaps I am. But that does not mean I'm going to everyone else the opportunity to call me such!

Once again I wasn't singling you out. Just a frame of mind.