How important is the use of proper written English?
Jan 9th 2011, 9:04 am
#46
MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Dubai
Posts: 6,373
Re: How important is the use of proper written English?
The language preservation moan is a favourite whinge at most nursing homes. If a language can be bastardised with an SMS, it isn't worth much as a language. Change is inevitable, although this may come as an unwelcome surprise to those who still yearn for the return of the good old thou and thee...
Make ourselves look uneducated? Wow, I had no idea I was supposed to set an example to my friends 24/7. I let my hair down around them. Doesn't everybody?
And if you can't decipher something as simple as "C U later", perhaps the stupidity that upsets you is your own. Are you upset with text speak because you aren't smart enough to keep up?
NOBODY uses text speak to me inappropriately. I guess I just command too much respect from those around me. Some old friends still text me using textspeak, but that's different.
Which reminds me- how much inappropriate text speak is actually designed to get up the nose of some laughable Victor Meldrew figure? I have a feeling that many get a kick out of inciting the pompous over-reactions of such fools.
Make ourselves look uneducated? Wow, I had no idea I was supposed to set an example to my friends 24/7. I let my hair down around them. Doesn't everybody?
And if you can't decipher something as simple as "C U later", perhaps the stupidity that upsets you is your own. Are you upset with text speak because you aren't smart enough to keep up?
NOBODY uses text speak to me inappropriately. I guess I just command too much respect from those around me. Some old friends still text me using textspeak, but that's different.
Which reminds me- how much inappropriate text speak is actually designed to get up the nose of some laughable Victor Meldrew figure? I have a feeling that many get a kick out of inciting the pompous over-reactions of such fools.
Languages change naturally over time, especially with new technology and encounters with other cultures and languages. SMS however is more about laziness to adhere to current convention than any sort of normal change. It's not about being able to decipher an SMS but about holding the written word with more respect...the less standardisation is followed the less people will be able to understand and/express themselves clearly. It also makes it much harder to learn a language if everyone has their own way of writing.
Only one of my friend's sends me SMS using abbreviations and they are an educated person in their 50s. I make no comment about it unless I don't understand and am merely venturing my thoughts and opinions here in this forum on the subject.
That said, if you feel it's better to make veiled comments about my lack of intelligence feel free...
N.
Jan 9th 2011, 9:06 am
#47
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Jan 9th 2011, 2:11 pm
#49
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,869
Re: How important is the use of proper written English?
Having seen the number of posts on blogs, websites and social networking pages which follow sms speak convention I think there is an case for language bastardisation.
Languages change naturally over time, especially with new technology and encounters with other cultures and languages. SMS however is more about laziness to adhere to current convention than any sort of normal change. It's not about being able to decipher an SMS but about holding the written word with more respect...the less standardisation is followed the less people will be able to understand and/express themselves clearly. It also makes it much harder to learn a language if everyone has their own way of writing.
Only one of my friend's sends me SMS using abbreviations and they are an educated person in their 50s. I make no comment about it unless I don't understand and am merely venturing my thoughts and opinions here in this forum on the subject.
That said, if you feel it's better to make veiled comments about my lack of intelligence feel free...
N.
Languages change naturally over time, especially with new technology and encounters with other cultures and languages. SMS however is more about laziness to adhere to current convention than any sort of normal change. It's not about being able to decipher an SMS but about holding the written word with more respect...the less standardisation is followed the less people will be able to understand and/express themselves clearly. It also makes it much harder to learn a language if everyone has their own way of writing.
Only one of my friend's sends me SMS using abbreviations and they are an educated person in their 50s. I make no comment about it unless I don't understand and am merely venturing my thoughts and opinions here in this forum on the subject.
That said, if you feel it's better to make veiled comments about my lack of intelligence feel free...
N.
In June, Google indexed over a trillion webpages. And you've seen- a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Even a million is insignificant.
You concede that languages do evolve, yet you continue to use the fuddy-duddy term 'bastardisation'. What do you mean by that precisely? Is it just shorthand for laziness? I don't think we can ever stamp out laziness. The mystical awe of written language is a thing of the past. Since Martin Luther nailed his bit of paper to that door, people all over the world have started feeling a sense of ownership over the written word, which made a change from being told what god actually said by a bunch of bearded god botherers.
Will people be less able to understand each other? Are you honestly worried about the future job opportunities of chavs? Because that's who can't tell when to use normal writing. Are you really worried about them? Because that's not the only problem they've got, you know. There's the criminal record, the ASBO, the illegitimate children and the fecklessness. A propensity for SMS speak isn't going to make you an unsuitable candidate for a chav's usual occupations (ie till-skimming at JD Sports, or spitting into burgers at McD's)
By the way, calling it lazy writing is not a good way to motivate them anyway.
( Is it not similarly lazy to say 'you're' instead of 'you are'? How about fighting back against the lazy pronunciation of eviscerated place names like Buckingham, Marylebone, etc? Hastings sounds more like a plural noun since the lazy sods stopped giving it its full name of Hastingas.. how far do you want to go back?)
See- no comments about your intelligence. A lot of prejudice, and contempt for chavs, but I haven't done that in a while.
Jan 9th 2011, 2:17 pm
#50
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: How important is the use of proper written English?
Are you aware that the amount of SMS speak you've seen is an insignificant drop in the ocean compared to how much is actually written?
In June, Google indexed over a trillion webpages. And you've seen- a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Even a million is insignificant.
You concede that languages do evolve, yet you continue to use the fuddy-duddy term 'bastardisation'. What do you mean by that precisely? Is it just shorthand for laziness? I don't think we can ever stamp out laziness. The mystical awe of written language is a thing of the past. Since Martin Luther nailed his bit of paper to that door, people all over the world have started feeling a sense of ownership over the written word, which made a change from being told what god actually said by a bunch of bearded god botherers.
Will people be less able to understand each other? Are you honestly worried about the future job opportunities of chavs? Because that's who can't tell when to use normal writing. Are you really worried about them? Because that's not the only problem they've got, you know. There's the criminal record, the ASBO, the illegitimate children and the fecklessness. A propensity for SMS speak isn't going to make you an unsuitable candidate for a chav's usual occupations (ie till-skimming at JD Sports, or spitting into burgers at McD's)
By the way, calling it lazy writing is not a good way to motivate them anyway.
( Is it not similarly lazy to say 'you're' instead of 'you are'? How about fighting back against the lazy pronunciation of eviscerated place names like Buckingham, Marylebone, etc? Hastings sounds more like a plural noun since the lazy sods stopped giving it its full name of Hastingas.. how far do you want to go back?)
See- no comments about your intelligence. A lot of prejudice, and contempt for chavs, but I haven't done that in a while.
In June, Google indexed over a trillion webpages. And you've seen- a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Even a million is insignificant.
You concede that languages do evolve, yet you continue to use the fuddy-duddy term 'bastardisation'. What do you mean by that precisely? Is it just shorthand for laziness? I don't think we can ever stamp out laziness. The mystical awe of written language is a thing of the past. Since Martin Luther nailed his bit of paper to that door, people all over the world have started feeling a sense of ownership over the written word, which made a change from being told what god actually said by a bunch of bearded god botherers.
Will people be less able to understand each other? Are you honestly worried about the future job opportunities of chavs? Because that's who can't tell when to use normal writing. Are you really worried about them? Because that's not the only problem they've got, you know. There's the criminal record, the ASBO, the illegitimate children and the fecklessness. A propensity for SMS speak isn't going to make you an unsuitable candidate for a chav's usual occupations (ie till-skimming at JD Sports, or spitting into burgers at McD's)
By the way, calling it lazy writing is not a good way to motivate them anyway.
( Is it not similarly lazy to say 'you're' instead of 'you are'? How about fighting back against the lazy pronunciation of eviscerated place names like Buckingham, Marylebone, etc? Hastings sounds more like a plural noun since the lazy sods stopped giving it its full name of Hastingas.. how far do you want to go back?)
See- no comments about your intelligence. A lot of prejudice, and contempt for chavs, but I haven't done that in a while.
"Haesta Ingas" actually......... try texting that.................
Jan 9th 2011, 2:23 pm
#51
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Disneyland, Dubai
Posts: 15,887
Re: How important is the use of proper written English?
I think forum posts should be limited to 3 lines.
Jan 10th 2011, 6:45 am
#54
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
