SMS Languages

[SomEThinG]

Hello CoD players and all =F|A= members

For anyone who doesn't quite know me, I'm a college student from Taiwan who love playing pc/video games. Recently, I'm working on a paper about SMS languages. I've seem some of them very often, such as lol, afk, etc. People in Taiwan use SMS languages too, and we call it the "Martian Languages." 

 

I don't simply want the information from Wikipedia and need some opinions or ideas from the native speakers, so

 

1. Can you guys help me with my paper by posting your opinions or any ideas about SMS languages(both texts and images)? Do you like it or dislike it?

2. Do you use SMS languages?

3. If I have to copy your posting and put it into my paper, would you allow me to do it?

 

p.s.

It doesn't matter if you speak other languages, I also want to know about SMS language in other languages. Please correct my grammar and spelling if possible, be strict at me because I'm majoring  in English

 

thx 4 ur helping m8 & have a good day. u guyz r 1drfl

[rolf]

[Dutch]

 

I usually avoid SMS language, since it is not always shorter or clearer. The most of the few things I actually shorten are almost always in the Dutch dictionary, since I expect my friends to understand those as well, the exceptions to those are "inderdaad"->idd, Dutch for "indeed" and "waarschijnlijk"->wss, Dutch for probably.

 

I must add that in the academic world, a lot of other things are default abbreviated. The three I found most common are "For example" is in Latin "exempli gratia" and abbreviated as "e.g.", "That is" to "id est" and hence "i.e." and third "and others" to "et alii" to "et al." (and no, that's not really shorter ). However those three are rather common in the academic world, also for papers, and since many of my friends have at least some understanding of those, those can be abbreviated as well in SMS. Note that this can occur for many in SMS languages as well, although most people only with an Latin background-ish, i.e. working with academics. And of course, then without the dots in real SMS.

 

SMS is in my opinion very nice, but I don't (need to) use it anymore. I usually work on skype for instant chatting (and is thereby also on my desktop), or Whatsapp. In the latter I never feel the urge to have complete conversations, on skype I usually have a normal keyboard in front of me which basically implies that I rather type the words full than abbreviate it and may confuse the other.

 

 

Shorten things with letters is a waste of time, I rather type for than finding the 4 on my keyboard. In the old days that you only wanted at most 160 characters used in an SMS it might have been useful, but thankfully those days are over.

 

 

 

Since you gave me the right to allow bitching on your spelling; actually it is very good But, of course, "p.s." should be "P.S." or "PS". And the whitespace is not always correct, before opening brackets should be a space in (normal) text, although personally I think that such examples at the end could be more clear with correct punctuation. It's very good readable, for the paper it should be better

[Kat0n]

1) + 2) In french I don't really like it and (almost) never use it, I consider french as a beautiful and varied language and SMS language kinda ruins that, yet I still use smileys. In english, I only use it for lol, u, ur or tbh but I usually avoid it for the rest. I personally have difficulties to understand english SMS so I don't write/type in english SMS (still understood your last sentence )

 

3) No problem

 

Good luck!

[A_Snake]

Okay from someone that only know English and whose degree is in English Language and Ligature I’ll tell you right now I can’t spell correctly nor have any further desire this late in life to try and learn.  I rely on the auto correct most times and with SMS it makes it easy for me to not even consider correct spelling any longer. 

 

A lot of times I am not sure what the SMS meaning is. For instance it took me a little bit to understand what ROFLMFAO meant.  Of course ROF is “Rolling on the floor†and LMFAO is “laughing my f***ing a$$ offâ€.  You don’t see this one too much anymore, but you do see OMG for “oh my god†or LOL for “laughing out loud†and then there is the good old BFF for “best friends foreverâ€.  The one that really gets me tickled and that I use from time to time is K for Okay, which was already pre-shortened to ok. Unlike an acronym that actually is used as word like laser – light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, SMS doesn’t really create words, but more of a code representing a phrase or thought.

 

I found the best use for SMS is when texting on a cell phone.  Before keyboards were on cell phones you used the number pad where each key has about three letters per number.  SMS made it easier to send messages without having to struggle with typing the entire word or phrase.  Then when keyboards came about, like with the Blackberry, people could type quickly with their thumbs and actually use full words, but for the generation that grew up only using SMS it was engrained in them to continue to type in code.

 

I find now with the Droid and a touch screen the typing is not as easy as with a phone that has an actual keyboard so I continue to use SMS especially in informal situations such as text messages.  However, with email the audience determines the style.  For instance if the email includes management or an outside customer there will be no cryptic SMS used and I’ll take my time to compose the email and my thoughts clearly. 

 

I’ve never liked being a critic of other people’s spelling (for obvious reasons) or their grammar, but since you asked I’ll give you some pointers concerning your post script listed below:

 

It doesn't matter if you speak other languages, I also want to know about SMS language in other languages. Please correct my grammar and spelling if possible, be strict at (with) me because I'm (I am) majoring in English.

 

Nothing much here other than to use the preposition “with†rather than “at†because it’s a function word to indicate participation in an action.  For instance you would throw a ball at someone or take a swing at the ball, but when asking for help with something you would want to use an inclusive word such as “withâ€.  As far as the contraction “I’m†this is my personal preference and to me doesn’t seem to flow as well as actually saying, “I amâ€.  Either will work, but contractions themselves are an earlier form of what we call SMS today and I try to avoid them most of the time.

 

Good luck with your endeveors, I bet Midnight could give you some good points on this subject.

[Cyen]

So I've been using the internet for many years now and this is the first time I've heard of it being it's own "language"!

I'm curious, because I've always thought that these abbreviations originated on the internet (via instant messages) and not on cell phones. 

Personally, I like SMS but only for the most common ones; LOL, AFK, BRB, BB, PWND, etc... beyond that, it defeats the purpose of a quick response if you then have to explain a more complicated one (like A_Snake's example above).

Good luck on your paper.

[Heretic121]

Hello CoD players and all =F|A= members

For anyone who doesn't quite know me, I'm a college student from Taiwan who love playing pc/video games. Recently, I'm working on a paper about SMS languages. I've seem some of them very often, such as lol, afk, etc. People in Taiwan use SMS languages too, and we call it the "Martian Languages." 

 

I don't simply want the information from Wikipedia and need some opinions or ideas from the native speakers, so

 

1. Can you guys help me with my paper by posting your opinions or any ideas about SMS languages(both texts and images)? Do you like it or dislike it?

2. Do you use SMS languages?

3. If I have to copy your posting and put it into my paper, would you allow me to do it?

 

p.s.

It doesn't matter if you speak other languages, I also want to know about SMS language in other languages. Please correct my grammar and spelling if possible, be strict at me because I'm majoring  in English 

 

thx 4 ur helping m8 & have a good day. u guyz r 1drfl

 

As a born and bred Briton I don't mind helping out. First correction for your post:

 

I've seen some of them very often

native speakers, so:

be strict with me because

 

Those were the only 'mistakes' I could find, which I found very impressive.

 

On the topic of SMS language:

I personally abhor the use of abbreviations and 'short text'. I don't see the need to shorten words, that are already short enough, at the risk of being misunderstood. However, my partner talks using abbreviations and it drives me nuts lol.

 

 

P.S. I have no problem with 'lol', 'brb', 'afk', 'etc.', etc. As these abbreviations seem to have the ability to mean much more than what they're an abbreviation of.

[Midnight]

I am typing this from a mobile device so I apologize in advance for any ridiculous mistakes, especially regarding a topic of English.

 

I don't know why Snake referred me. (Honestly)

 

I see no issue with the use of SMS language. In retrospect I would not call it a language but a cling. We are not really forming new words here but instead abbreviations.

 

I think the use of SMS language needs to consider the audience one is engaging with. SMS developed as a shorthand when there were no keypads on mobile devices and now is so mainstream that it is found in every day text and speech. This provides a greater connection with youth, but a larger disconnect with the elderly. (Not that I am calling anyone old). You don't want to use the language in a work setting whereas you might use it in a friendly environment, like say in game. I commonly see the language used more and more in work and school settings. It's fustrating, because to me it shows a lack of care or professionalism.

 

I could go on, but frankly don't care to type on this device much longer.

 

As for grammar, besides what was already pointed out, it should be "loves" not love. In fact it should be likes, because of the connotation of loves is personal whereas like is more vague.

 

And you would use currently, not recently. I assume from this thread you are still writing the paper. Recently is a past tense adverb.

[Groxicus]

I use it quite a lot as it is a lot faster, but it definitely has an impact on you in the long run, after three years of sms language I couldn't write three sentences without monumental spelling mistakes, but after a few years it got better. So I believe in the beginning  it affects your spelling, but after a few more years it stops as you cant write any worse. I allow you to copy this.

[SomEThinG]

Thanks for all the replying and the corrections, although I have to look some words up in the dictionary lol. The information you guys gave me is very helpful. 

I'm going to hand in  this paper today. Wish me luck

[Groxicus]

good luck, somEThinG!

[SomEThinG]

The professor seems to like my paper and I've got a pretty high semester score on that. 

Thanks again.

[Heretic121]

The professor seems to like my paper and I've got a pretty high semester score on that. 

Thanks again.

 

Congrats dude

[rolf]

Very nice

 

 

Also, nice of you to report that

[DontShootUK]

lol, I find them fascinating. 

 

Being an old fart at 40, recently turned so still getting used to the 4 then the 0, I prefer full English grammar but language is always evolving and we have been shortening and combining words for centuries, I imagine a Latin teacher would be shocked at our use of grammar.

 

Doesn't stop me using vast amounts of sarcasm every time my son uses SMS text to dissuade him from using it though.

 

Well done Something! Hope to see you in Killhouse soon when your home next.