Getting back to the original topic for a moment...
Generally speaking, I see the issue of textspeak as having little or nothing to do with individuality or expression.
The first rule of writing is to keep one's audience in mind. Make the effort to communicate thoughts that they are easy and enjoyable to read -- such that a total stranger doesn't feel like he or she is wasting time by reading it.
Sure, you can write all you want for yourself, and use whatever script or shorthand you wish. You can email your own writing to yourself and read it later. No problem. But if you want
other people to
read your writing, at least show them the common courtesy of communicating thoughts in ways that are easily readable, even it is more effort to write.
I understand that English is not the first language of many PF posters. And even then, it's easy to make spelling and grammar mistakes even if English is one's first language. I totally understand that. But I'm addressing something else.
And maybe, just maybe, there is some context where textspeak just might communicate an idea in the most concise and most readable way, such that if it were to be re-written in standard English some meaning would be lost. But that's a special case, and I'm not talking about that either.
As an example of what I am talking about, sometimes a given poster on the homework help sub-forums will leave out all punctuation and capitalization (tough to tell where one sentence ends and another begins); make a few textspeak-like abbreviations (more than just a lol here or there); and write numbers like 8.99 109 (instead of 8.99 x 10
9). Sometimes I just mutter to myself, "Really? You want me to help you with your homework, but you're not even going to make it easy for me to help you? ... Next."
(I'm limiting this to situations where one has the luxury of a full keyboard, and no harsh character limits [not to be confused with the PF member, Char. Limit] -- actual SMS texting and chat are different stories).
[Edit: 0 & 73375p33k is @ ∂iFf $t0ry 2, o' ¢0Я53.
]
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