nit picking

[jayclark]

Ok, I have a pet peeve about they way people type on the internet. Why, o why can't they form coherent sentences. Here is a post from another forum from a user asking for help. No one was helping him. So I thought I'd help.

"Tis thing no work not sure what ta do u be think u can helps me i need rely help wit this me be thinks it be broke i push tha button but nothin is not can't workin plz plz plz plz helps me????????"

Me: "I'll be gladly to help with your problem, but I have no clue what isn't working for you. Post back with specifics and I'll try my best. And if possible could you use better grammar so its easier for me to understand you. If you don't speak English well, than I apologize.

"Lolz grammarz went out with tha cordless fones, catch up with da times old mans"

Right. I'm only 19 so I doubt I'm "out of the times". And more shocking, I went and looked at the users profile and he was 23. And the worse part at least his post was some what readable. I've read others where I couldn't make head or tails of them. I know I don't use grammar correctly or spell the best. But I try to make things readable. English wasn't my best subject Ok I'm done nit picking now.

[SpywareDr]

If he's too lazy (or stupid) to even try to learn how to communicate, why in the world does he need/want a computer, or a phone?

Sounds to me like he'd be much happier out in the wilderness rooting around for grubs, insects and berries while hooting, hollering, jumping up and down and beating on trees with a stick.

[lgbpop]

Just tell him you don't speak his language, but that someone who does should be around to help him in a few months.

[jmtjet]

I've seen this also and hate it. With all of the spell checkers out there, there's no excuse for it. There are some people who shouldn't be allowed to use computers. I've heard talk of a national computer users licencing program. The congressman that purposed it stated that if licences were required it would cut down on a lot of the internet garbage and wasted bandwidth-I have to agree.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1224343,00.asp

[Tuttle]

I normally ignore questions like that completely. The difference between someone for whom English is a second language and someone who is being lazy/lame/whatever is pretty obvious -- I'll deal with the former if I'm in the right mood, but I've got no patience for the latter.

[JPnyc]

Well one thing to remember is that the internet isn't limited to anglophonic countries. I get emails sometimes from users that are purely indecipherable attempts at English.

[Steve R Jones]

Wal one thin' t'remember is thet th' internet ain't limited t'anglophonic countries. ah git emails sometimes fum users thet is purely indecipherable attempps at English.

Say What?

[Teknophobia]

If he types (or talks) like that, perhaps you should suggest he go steal *another* computer.

+ tell em to talk propa english like what i does.

TEk

[stevejr]

jmtjet...A government computer licensing program?? !! NOT!!

Yea, that's just what we need...more governmental intrusion into our private lives. Next thing we know, we will be relying upon the government to tell us what kinds of socks and underwear to buy...

I do agree, though, with the awful spelling and general butchering of the written word that seems to be more and more pervasive in our country. Pick up just about any newspaper and you can find many examples of poorly written articles...and these are supposedly written by professional journalists...

And if our college educated communications majors cannot construct a proper sentence, much less a paragraph, then Lord help the common computer user!!

[bistro]

I'm with Tuttle....I just ignore the ones where the person is either obviously lazy or just a poor attempt at appearing "l33t" or whatever other reason they have to sound like they are communicating through a bowl of Jello.
I have to deal with typed communications from non-English speaking persons on a daily basis...I've become used to dealing with broken English and have no beef with it....but I have little patience with the juvenile idiots who type in abbreviations that they make up on the sly. I usually answer them and ask them to first replace their broken keyboards, THEN ask the question again.

I'z sorry...nocann unnerstan u. Plz tri agin.

[Crimson Blonde]

more government intrusion ... I don't like the sounds of that no matter how many stupid people use the internet.

[SuperSparks]

Maybe a licence is going too far, although nobody disagrees with having licences to drive a car, to prove that you've acheived a minimum level of competence, for the safety of all. The fact is that until a minimum standard of competence for computer security is reached then it is as dangerous on the Internet for the rest of us as having everyone driving around having never passed a test would be on the roads Something needs to be done to get people to take computer security seriously. I just don't know that a computer licence is the way to go.

[smurfy]

It's sms/txt speak.
You just have to point out that there is no 70 character txt mssg limit on a forum. They've got 2000 (or whatever the limit is).

But I like Bistro's approach.
"Sorry, it appears the vowel keys on your keyboard are faulty. You should replace your computer immediately as it is at risk of consonant burnout."

[jmtjet]

As for computer users licensing, I doubt if we will ever see that, how are they going to enforce it? Will computer police come to your door and ask to see your computer license? Not! But, one would think that people would seek computer education before they buy a computer, few do. As a senior citizen who dabbles in computers I get calls all the time from other seniors wanting me to fix their computers. It's amazing what I find when I get there. People who should know better are doing some really dumb things and it's not always the seniors themselves that do it. Clearly, some sort of education should be required before people can buy a new computer.

My two cents.

[jayclark]

Ok anyone care to try and decipher this cryptic message?

"know theres been tons of people monaing about open beta on the wyd boards... bt srsly u gaiz... how long does it take to fix all the bugs?"

Got that in a pm today. Have no clue what it means lol. I put it in bold just in case you couldn't figure out what part is english and which isn't

I guess gaiz means guys.