why am I finding so many illiterate people on eBay these days?

[PinkRosedust]

What I can't stand is...

"0mG can i BuY ur auctin 4 lyk, $10 off wut U r selling it 4, i wuz rly looking 4 dis one?!"

I actually received a message like this on eBay. ._.

All this is ...is a new urban slang that was created due to texting and is used often as a form of language that is accepted as cool in many social groups and cultures.  It is not pure English,  but its important to note its widely accepted and meant to be less formal.  I think people get so use to using it, they forget not everyone talks this way. Its most often used in the younger crowds.  I like to use the letter " r" rather than spelling out "are" to save time as typing hurts my neck. It's also really hard to type on a tablet. I like to categorize this urban language right in there with wearing your pants bellow the knee and thinking it looks good.  I bet some of this slang will end up in our dictionary one day.

 


I'm aware that it's text slang, however it's not the innaproprate timing/use of the slang that bugs me, it's using lowercase i, lowercase at the beginning of sentences, numbers instead of letters(l33tspeak), and typing LyK DiS, which I get...,often. I mean, I'm typing on a tablet ATM, so I understand shorthand or text speak....but the other stuff really rustles my jimmies.

Agreed! There's really no need to NEVER use capitalization or punctuation, which I see a lot of on forums. :/ It makes things more difficult to read, and it actually does make the person look like they never went to school at all. I don't expect people to be 100% perfect with every bit of grammar (I'm certainly not!) but there are just some things that there is NO excuse for, like excessive text speak on a forum. I understand it in texting, but there's a difference when you're typing on a forum like this. Generally I view places like this as a little more formal than a quick text about how you'll be meeting your friend at 5 or whatever.

Just...why? Unless you have a legit excuse, like chronic pain, why do you want to type like that? And you usually can tell when someone doesn't speak English as a first language, vs. someone who is just lazy.

Can you tell this topic bugs me? =P I could go on and on with this rant...

[Prince Primbrose]

Honestly, it doesn't really bother me when people use improper grammar or text speak. Besides ESL there are plenty of reasons why people may not have perfect English. I have some brain damage from a bike accident and there's a lot that I can't comprehend or properly put into words anymore. There are incredibly simple words that I can't keep separate (I read and spell cough as couch and vice versa.)

Im honestly not saying that I see anyone here doing this, but I find it kind of petty to hold someone's comprehension of the English language against them. I see it in internet debates all the time; if someone makes a mistake or misuses an apostrophe, their argument is rendered 100% invalid and unimportant because they slipped up on they're/their/there or didn't use punctuation. I have a friend who can't spell to save his life and has overall bad grammar and text speaks, but I know what he's saying to me, and it's no less important than what anyone else has to say.

I can understand the frustration, though, like with the leet speak and stuff. I've roleplayed as characters who typed with alternating capital and lowercase letters or who use numbers in place of letters, and it takes forever to write out a simple sentence. It's definitely an off choice to make typing harder for yourself.

(Sorry, it's late, I think I rambled and nagged a bit.  )