to think that people who complain about textspeak are

[milliemoosmum]

pompous, pedantic, dinosaurs who cannot accept that the English language constantly changes.

And as for people who pretend they don't know what it says when they clearly do....don't get me started.

Anyone who corrects anyone's spelling, punctuation or grammar or complains about textspeak (unless correcting someone who corrects others to point out that they are not perfect) just makes themselves look like a massive arse.

Discuss.

I agree about the spelling, punctuation and grammar. But I cannot abide txtspk.

LOL ia bb! Sry2say but ppl who piss and moan about it should be b& imo!

I

Are you Stephen Fry in disguise? He says EXACTLY the same thing...

Although, I have to confess to be a secret spelling Nazi... Sorry

Does he? I knew I liked him .
Like it or not the word text will be legitimately spelt txt in a few years - mark my words.

I think it should be already. I find it a bit weird to write the word 'text' down, too formal IYSWIM, and I just can't type 'text' as a verb. Sorry. (Hangs head in shame at inability to be hip and groovy).

p.s. If it helps, I do use 'text' as a verb when I am talking. I'm not a total weirdo.

I really couldn't care less that people choose to use text speak to each other, although the reason for it has long gone - limited numbers of characters allowed and high costs, difficulties typing with a phone keypad before predictive capabilities (and larger keyboards) came along.

However I don't wish to have to read it. It's totally unnecessary, clumsy and irritating. I haven't personally pointed it out to anyone here, I'd just skip over the post in question if it was riddled with txty stuff. I wouldn't frequent a board that used text speak because I like the subtleties of the English language, and this place is for discussion, not for short little messages, which is the only time text speak is justified IMO. If you can touch type, then it doesn't save any time using the little texting tricks in any case, and they are a very bad habit to get into if you also have a job that includes writing to people, as it's very unprofessional to use in a business context.

i heart nooka.

PS Translation: "Laughs out loud - I agree! Sorry to say, but people who piss and moan about it should be banned, in my opinion!"

I think it's not so much textspeak as internet acronyms that I love. I'm generally not that enamoured of people substituting "4" for "for" and "2" for "to/too," etc.

I always thought

oh... ok. if only i'd known before my 01.24.36 post!
i assumed it was something pictorial, but could only come up with boobs, which didn't make any sense in my addled brain.

but thank you for edumacating this particular dinosaur.

What Nooka said.

Text speak is, err, for texting.

In that context, it's fine. Otherwise it's cringey and makes the user sound like a total thicko.

My toes curl when some youth-related tragedy happens and they get those online FB obituaries from their friends... 'Bye babe. U were the gr8tst. Ms U ...' etc. I wonder if they put that kind of junk on the gravestone?

I use text speak but with my teens had to learn it or otherwise would never understand their messages

Chil1234 - Shudder. Totally agree. But it's not just kids who use textspeak on FB or other forums.

I am so glad that on the whole Mumsnetters reject textspeak.

It would have put me off MN and screamed 'bunch of dumb arses' to me.

I fucking loathe text speak, hate it when people use it in any context that doesn't involve a mobile phone, and apologise for nothing.

I hate text speak, to be perefctly honest. I hate that anything on a leaflet or whatever aimed at my age group (young adult) has some form of text shortening in it.

I won't read things that are written in text speak as, to be perfectly honest, I would spend double the time reading it trying to decipher it! I agree with everything Nooka said up above, I don't care if people use it to one another, but I choose not to read or write text speak myself.

But then I'm also not a grammar nazi who tells people this when they type like that, I just ignore the post

P.S. I love Stephen Fry and will usually agree with anything he says out of principle, but for the first time (and probably the last!) I disagree!

I quite like it. Its like an early warning system for people i am not going to get on with.
It takes longer to write now in the age of qwerty keyboards on phones and it takes me longer to read.
I also apologise for nothing.

Oh, and we need to be clear, there is a difference between textspeak and acronyms.

I loathe text speak as well and think this is disgusting

so wrong

I'm very much with the anti-txtspk side, and like McSnail, loathe it. I even dislike it when my sister and others (over 60s) use silly abbreviations like "4" and "2", and I'd even ignore Phones4U !

I'll skip a post which I consider to have such unintelligible content as to be worthless, or correct any errors I spot if I quote a portion of a post.

I have a thick skin, so if I ever do something which offends, feel free to reply however you want as it won't alter me one iota.

To answer the original gripe. Language changes and we adopt new words and new phrases all the time. Young people have always created slang to throw the oldsters off the scent. However 'text speak', like slang, has to be used in context. It may be appropriate used informally between friends but not in an important e-mail, for example. If it's used by people outside the core group it's as embarrassing an effort as Richard Madeley's attempt at Ali G. A few text speak standards will make their way into the lexicon, no doubt. That's to be expected.

So if text speak users can revert to formal/standard English (and Stephen Fry clearly can) then it is harmless. If they can't then they will simply come across as illiterate.