Somebody mistakenly sent a text message to my Blackberry the other day. Here’s the text, word for word:
“Mornin Morning! Just wundad if u were stil on 4 2day? Es notbin sik sins Sat morn. Napysstil bit ify y’day. Wil undastand if u’d ratha avoid but if uthink ok wud lov 2 c u. Cudalways do park if u think leslikely to pik anythin up infresh air. Nice 1 in Twynin or Pitvil? E usually sleeps 4 hr or 2 around midday. Le meno wot u think so we can fitaround u too. Lov 2 al. Nicx On Gs as out creditx
Apparently this is English.
This kind of ridiculous text-speak has to be the worst thing to come out of the evolution of the mobile phone. It drives me absolutely potty.
Is it any wonder that half the time, a lot of people on the internet can’t seem to string a sentence together?
I like reading Yahoo sports news headlines, because they allow readers to comment on the articles. The other day I was reading comments in response to the news about Liverpool Football Club ending Chelsea’s four-year unbeaten run at home, and I couldn’t help but be appalled at the number of commenters who couldn’t spell or string a coherent sentence together. I’m not talking about typos here, either, I’m talking about plain old ignorance of the basic constructs of the written word.
Anyway, I’m off to delete the stupid text. Sheesh.
loonigrrl
October 29
9:50 am
Wow. I had to read this a couple times to understand. I particularly enjoy “Le Meno” instead of “let me know.” At least I think that’s what it’s means.
I’m still having trouble deciphering “Nicx On Gs as out creditx.”
GrowlyCub
October 29
12:17 pm
Ehm, translation, please?
I’m getting vague vibes about a meeting but the texting party is ill? Does he think being out in the open will protect textee from said disease? And why did I think immediately about an STD? π
Shiloh Walker
October 29
12:30 pm
I HATE text/chat speak. Hate. Abhor.
MB (Leah)
October 29
12:54 pm
I don’t text. I refuse. And I don’t open text on my phone. I’ve told friends repeatedly, don’t bother texting me because I just delete them without reading. If they have the time to text, they have the time to call and actually talk to me or leave a message. Period.
Does anyone know if the above message is standard text speak? Is there a universal standard?
Tuscan Capo
October 29
1:15 pm
“If they have the time to text, they have the time to call and actually talk to me or leave a message.”
I couldn’t agree more, MB!
Anon76
October 29
1:19 pm
Dang, took me forever to figure out Cudalways was “could always.” Sheesh
Kcfla
October 29
1:28 pm
Well, I really don’t like to text either. And if I absolutely have to – I use proper English.
But- in the case of my kids, sometimes it’s necessary. If they need to get a message to me from school in particular. They can’t use their phones normally ( ie: dial and talk) so they have to text me. It’s either that or detention.
But I can tell you that it really is a problem. I constantly have to coach my 14 yr. old son because of his spelling. And I can tell it’s because of “text-speak”. Frustrating to say the least!
Jody Wallace
October 29
2:33 pm
Sometimes a text is more convenient, like when I know the person at the other end can’t answer the phone or I’m sending hubby a grocery list. Text is easier to access than voicemail, for starters, and for seconders, there is my honey-do list in WRITING so no excuses, dude! But I don’t txt-spk any of it, not even 2 for two or u for you, despite the fact I was a huge Prince fan in the 80’s :).
theo
October 29
3:15 pm
I moderate a forum with a variety of age ranges from early teens to the ‘very mature’. We had to put a paragraph in our guidelines section stating specifically that there was to be no ‘netspeak’ used on our board at any time. All posters are expected to post in plain English. Any who don’t will be gently reminded to do so and if it continues, their posting privileges are suspended.
Granted, many of our members are from countries other than English speaking ones but even their English is usually much better than the kids!
I text as a last resort but even with my plain non-blackberry keyboard, I still manage to do so in complete words and sentences.
And no, I understood maybe ten words of the above abomination of a message and the rest was gibberish…
AztecLady
October 29
5:03 pm
From one of the boards I belong to, part of the rules and guidelines:
The coolest part for me? This board was originally owned by a (then) nineteen year old Malaysian, and his English was better than that of about half the teens posting.
Randi
October 29
5:13 pm
Ugh. That is some pretty thick netspeak. Like others, I only figured out a percentage of the meaning. I hate texting. I do it sparingly. Mostly, I think it’s a cop-out. Either talk to me or don’t; but don’t freaking send a text. Personally, the only time netspeak is appropriate, is on an LOLcat photo. But then, that has it’s own language. π
kirsten saell
October 29
5:17 pm
That’s frequently the case. It’s like when you go to someone’s house, and you’re very careful to watch your manners and help out and clean up after yourself because it’s not your house–while those who live there feel free to slob it up all over the place. I do believe it’s partly a sense of ownership of the language that gives these kids the feeling that they can mangle it as they like.
Bisides–i no im smrt. Y shud i haf 2 proov it 2 U?
Jody Wallace
October 29
8:05 pm
Is it net speak or text speak?
theo
October 29
8:46 pm
I’ve heard it both ways. I use ‘netspeak’ because it’s what I heard first and really started long before text messaging, when chat rooms and IM programs first came about on the net. The ‘shorthand’ started there and carried over to texting.
I just know that, either way, I can’t stand it, don’t want to have to decipher it and don’t use it. Like someone else said, the only time I like it is when I’m reading LOL cats π for some odd reason, it makes sense there…
AztecLady
October 29
8:52 pm
Theo, I think that LOL cats make sense because you have the image right there.
theo
October 29
8:54 pm
AztecLady, You’re probably right. π
Some of the netspeak I’ve seen though makes me really, really glad there is no accompanying pictures 8-0
kirsten saell
October 29
9:56 pm
Well, and because cats are dumber than humans…supposedly.
delta dupree
October 29
10:01 pm
I couldn’t get passed the first line. π And frankly, seeing “text” msg on my phone, I’d delete all and forget about it.
Kat
October 31
1:35 pm
To be fair, the texter might have had only enough credits to send that text (or I think the last line is saying she’s using someone else’s phone). It reads like something that was pared down to fit the words into one or two messages (notice the use of “too” and “2”). I never use SMS shortcuts, either, unless I’m being cheap (yay for predictive text). In general, this kind of thing used to bother me a lot, but now I only have a problem if it’s so bad that I can’t understand the message.
Assuming my theory is correct, I feel sorry for the sender, who sent it to the wrong number. Heh.
Donna M.
November 22
8:30 pm
Did you respond, “U sent ur msg 2 da rong fone. Pls chk yr fone # n try again”? π
I can’t stand txt speak. It makes the user look like a child or a fool. At least I understand the rationale behind it if the person’s actually sending a text, but when it occurs in other situtions, it looks ridiculous.
I once got a mistaken email from a kid, about 13 or 14 years of age, who mistkenly contacted an AOL address of mine when they meant to send the note to their friend, who had the same username on MSN.com. The kid wrote the message full of txt abbreviations. My response, since I’m from the Baby Boomer generation and am not a kid trying to look cool in front of peers, was composed in Standard English. The kid actually responded to me to say that she was sure I was telling the truth, and that I was not the friend she’d intended to write to. Why? Because I “talk funny”. She meant that I didn’t use any of the slang and shorthand conventions that kids her age were using.
I repeat: using Standard English got me the response of “You talk funny”. I fear for the future of the language. π
Kat
November 22
10:08 pm
Donna,it might reassure you to know that linguists aren’t quite as troubled by text speak as everyone else seems to be.