Are txt msgs impeding language growing?...

[-DaRK-RaiDeR-]

Guys,

I found this issue interesting to discuss. The question to make ourselves is if txt / chat / and abbreviations that are starting to be used since some few years ago are impeding the natural progression of languaje (english above all). This "problem" applies more to kids that are getting themselves used to write always abbreviated instead of the real word or phrase for example instead of:

By the way, are you happy?

they / we write:

BTW, r u ?

The "problem" is ever worst when kids take this form of writting to "normal" life and not when using a computer, i mean when they write a letter to their grandpas or grannies this they use this way of abbreviations in this letter too and so they complicate other persons that read it and aren't familiarized with this "new language".

Well, it could be a long issue to discuss and could be all a matter of opinions, but what are your opinions about it?

Here you have an article of another example about this issue in cellphone messages.

Thanks,

DKRR

[invader]

I agree, i think it is.
Leave alone other people, it's happened to me.
While writing texts, i have sometimes written ASAP etcetra.
With my colleagues at my institution, it is a problem also.

Wonder what's gonna happen to the next generation with that.


-inv

[shtychkn]

I saw something on the news where it is actually bleeding over into homework now.

[tampabay420]

l00k, i don't know anyone who writes/speaks like that. and if i did- they'd be stupid... it's just like using slang in front of someone who is not your peer (they wouldn't understand it)... i don't exactly see comp. slang being used by the common person anytime soon! just my opinion

-take it easy!

[dspeidel]

I partially agree. I think the lesson to be taught is when it is inapporporiate to use the abbrevated language (letter to grandparents, colleague application. etc). This phenmumom is part of the mankinds laziness (or American laziness -can't judge the rest of the world). I see things like Burger King becoming BK, the Warner Brothers Network becoming the WB. We are in too much of a hurry to say/type the whole expression. I think part of what you have noted is that rush and the youth of the world finding there own workarounds.

I think the "youth" will be ok as long as they can switch between the 2 forms of English as needed.

Cheers,
-D

[jxrry59]

I think that spell and grammar checks don't promote growth-though they have their place-the only way to learn to write well is to put pen to paper and THEN move on to other formats

[the_JinX]

I dunno wt ur talkin bout

My thoughts on this are, that it is the way language grows..
Language changes in time, that's the whole organic language, now that our time is becomming more mechanic, so will our language become less organic.
Else you would propably still be talking in "Shakespeare English" ??

This is dear mercy, and thou see'st it not.

[invader]

lol, jinx has a f****** point.

[tampabay420]

Sorry about clogging up the thread but i love making parallels to 1984!
i also believe in Old/Tradition... don't want too much to get lost in popular grammer!

Newspeak and Doublethink
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Newspeak is the official language of Oceania, and had been devised to meet the ideological needs of Ingsoc, or English Socialism. In the year 1984, there was nobody, who has really used Newspeak in speech nor in writing. Only the leading articles were written in this "language". But it was generally assumed that in the year 2050 Newspeak would superset Oldspeak, or common English. The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to devotees of Ingsoc, but to make all other methods of thought impossible. Another reason for developing Newspeak was, to make old books, or books which were written before the era of the Party, unreadable. With Newspeak, Doublethink would be even easier. Its vocabulary was so constructed as to give exact and often very subtle expression to every meaning that a Party member could properly wish to express, while excluding all other meanings and also the possibility of arriving at them by indirect methods. This was done partly by the invention of new words, but chiefly by eliminating undesirable words by stripping such words as remained of unorthodox meanings whatever. Generally Newspeak words were divided into three groups: the A, B(also called compound words) and the C Vocabulary.
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Doublethink is a kind of manipulation of the mind. Generally one could say that Doublethink makes people accept contradictions, and it makes them also believe, that, the party is the only institution that distinguishes between right and wrong. This manipulation is mainly done by the Minitrue (Ministry of Truth), where also Winston Smith works. When a person that is well grounded in Doublethink recognises a contradiction or a lie of the Party, then the person thinks that he is remembering a false fact. The use of the word Doublethink involves doublethink. With the help of the Minitrue it is not only possible to change the written facts, but also the facts that are remembered by the people. So complete control of the country and its citizens is provided. The fact of faking the history had already been used by the Nazis, who told the people that already German Knights believed in the principles of National Socialism.

taken from http://mural.uv.es/mabela/news+double.htm

[Spyrus]

As much as we all may or may not be using abbrv for talking. I dont think that it will completely take over. When you go to write a paper in a school (elementary, middle, high, university) the teacher is going to deduct point for noncomplete words. I caught my self almost putting ppl instead of people on a thesis for a class. So as long as the teachers continue to keep it proper I think we will be ok