"Text speak" or what?
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I understand the reason for using short cuts when "texting", even though I refuse to participate. We are stupid enough, and the continual slide down the slippery slope makes me wonder if our communication will just devolve into grunting to one another.
When I am reading Spanish, I don't know if people are just misspelling words or if they are using 'text speak' which makes crappy writing 'legal'. For example, from a discussion on Facebook, this little sample: era komo k mui extraña su actitud ii pz kuando enseñaban al hombre k iba a visiitar a Elisa se miraba k estaba alto.
Why do people use the letter 'k' instead of 'c'? There's no shortcut here, just plain misspelling, and this example is something I see all the time. Is this a regional thing where 'k' is accepted for words like como, que and cuando? Is mui an alternative spelling for muy?
Here's a bit of another example that shows this 'trend'. kiero saber si esta historia fue real, aunke esto pasa a diario.
Suffice it to say, I am a bit perplexed at the 'acceptance' of misspellings, or the general inability of so many people to express themselves without looking or sounding completely ignorant.
I went into a Chik Fil A the other day, and on the door was painted this sign: Smoke Free Envrionment.
/*End of rant
7 Answers
Jack - emotionally I am 100% with you. However, I have a small corner of curiosity which wonders what these good people actually wrote on their teeny tiny keyboards and just how the texting software came up with these results.
Does anyone know? I wonder. I don't expect miracles like exactly what buttons were pressed but info on the texting algorithms must be available somewhere.
PS Can I tell the difference between someone using only a phone number keypad and someone using a full qwerty?
My edit - stop press "K" is the second option of "JKL" on a numbers keyboard while "C" is the third of "ABC", a possible small gain in keying time.
Marianne wrote:
Call me old! Call me cranky! I loath chat speak.
P.s. I am 100% tolerant of tattoos, piercings, bagging clothes, etc. as an individual's >way of expressing himself/herself.
This reminded me of an experience I had in McDonalds 25 years ago somewhere near Orlando Florida. This place was huge and was very crowded and busy. I was standing at the counter about to give my order when this little old cranky lady came up to the counter, elbowing her way through people with her huge pocketbook, and slammed her McDonalds coffee cup on the counter and shouted I want my free coffee, now!
I purposed in my heart to not grow up old and cranky 
hmmmm. As an English speaker I would never deliberately misspell a Spanish word (although my Spanish teacher may think otherwise 
). In English, I abbreviate but don't misspell (unless "U" for you and "R" for are are considered misspelling.....). I would only do that in an email or text, never something like this.
Mountaingirl said:
we do have to watch ....that we don't turn into cranky old people.
Call me old! Call me cranky! I loath chat speak.
P.s. I am 100% tolerant of tattoos, piercings, bagging clothes, etc. as an individual's way of expressing himself/herself.
I agree completely. If you must text, use proper English. If I receive "text speak" nonsense, I don't reply to it.
You're talking my language, Jack...
I totally agree with you. I will say, however, that we do have to watch as we become >the "older generation" and the "younger generation" becomes middle aged, that we >don't turn into cranky old people.
I have found that the best way to combat this natural tendency is to find a role model. >My role model is approaching 90 years old and has somehow retained the >graciousness of manners but is able to see beyond the piercings, tattoos, and text >spelling of those younger than she.
Anyway, I leave you with a little text spelling that I recently saw in Spanish: "to2 para >Mexico"
I fear that we are fighting a losing battle with the text spelling...
PS. Was the word "environment" really spelled like that? Please...let it be a typing >error on your part!!
Well, I'm on a quest not to become a cranky old person. I hang around a lot of young people. I'm "only" 55, but I'm the oldest male in my church, I enjoy being around life. Every young person isn't loaded with tats and metal, but if that's their thing, so be it. I have no idea if the people I'm talking about are heavy metal skin heads or crew cut anglos, I'm just looking at what they are writing and scratching my head. As an employer, if you're trying to find someone that can read and write. at what point do you drop your standards and say, "well, they're just young, it doesn't matter if they can't spell". It just seems to me that the bar is really being lowered, and for what? I guess if this is the 'new' norm I'll just have to accept it.
You're talking my language, Jack...
I totally agree with you. I will say, however, that we do have to watch as we become the "older generation" and the "younger generation" becomes middle aged, that we don't turn into cranky old people.
I have found that the best way to combat this natural tendency is to find a role model. My role model is approaching 90 years old and has somehow retained the graciousness of manners but is able to see beyond the piercings, tattoos, and text spelling of those younger than she.
Anyway, I leave you with a little text spelling that I recently saw in Spanish: "to2 para Mexico"
I fear that we are fighting a losing battle with the text spelling...
PS. Was the word "environment" really spelled like that? Please...let it be a typing error on your part!! 
