The end of last week was difficult, but everyone got through it. I thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Obviously, it all put a kink in my writing schedule. I'll be back on track later today. I'm really getting excited about talking with you about Art and War. I so badly want your input on the topic. We'll get to it in the next day or so.
As for last week's poll, it was pretty close all around. "4eva" won as the most annoying computer slang. I can live with that, though personally I find ROFL and IMHO slightly worse. Did I miss any good ones? Other annoying computer slang? Obviously I'm violently opposed to substituting "u" for "you" and such. What else?
The new poll is just for fun's sake. You'll get a chance to tell actual stories that pertain to the topic next week. I must say, I am very much looking forward to that and will award a prize to the best Mother-in-Law-meeting story.
Also, the Cachinnator Football League is set and the trash talking is already in full force. I'll keep you posted throughout the fall on how badly I beat the rest of them.
Have a good day!
4 Cachinnations
Cach - Like you, I'm an advocate for good grammar and, more to the point, clear communication. I've really had to learn to let go of that in order to take part in online communications.
Frankly, most people using this medium just don't seem to care much. It's considered good netiquette to use good grammar and a spell-checker when available, but it's also considered to be in poor taste to spend all your time correcting everyone and complaining about all the bad grammar. So what's a fellow to do?
I can understand the idea of reducing the number of keystrokes necessary to convey a thought (e.g. text messaging on a phone), as there is a limited screen size and a lot of incentive to use "shorthand". But I think many of the people doing this stuff are doing it as a form of stylized language, or perhaps because they never learned to write very well in the first place.
To me, there's also a difference between acronyms like IMHO and ROFL, which convey real words in a standard abbreviated form, versus whatever they call that vulgar bastardized stuff like L8R and 4eva.
But I don't want to rant too much about this stuff, because someone will probably come along and argue that at least people are engaging in written dialogue at all.
(Sho'nuff, tru dat)
Posted on 8/21/2006
I have to agree with Hammer. All these acronyms are going to lead to a generation of bad spellers. However, my newer students have a habit of talking, yes, talking in their instant message language. If you visit the green room anytime soon, you'll hear them saying "jk" and "lol". I so kindly remind them not to use acronyms as everyday speech unless they are in the military.
Posted on 8/21/2006
Just so you know, it's bad luck to say you're going to beat everyone before the game has even started.
Posted on 8/21/2006
"Good grammar knows no boundries."
I was famously quoted as saying that on a teenager's MySpace. I was held up to a bit of ridicule, but I made my point.
And Sarah, I have to talk trash now. If I wait until the season, I may be losing. Then my trash talk would seem foolish. At least right now people might say to themselves, "Wow! He seems confident. I bet he's spectacular."
It could happen.
Posted on 8/21/2006