Please Avoid Using TXT Shorthand On ATS (UPDATED)

Please Avoid TXT Shorthand

I've been seeing an increase in the amount of TXT shorthand commonly used in instant messaging and SMS text messages via cell phones in threads on ATS. At the risk of being seen as "stuffy" or "elitist", we need to ask our members to refrain from shorthand in posts.

ATS and other discussion boards are written mediums where the only means readers can gauge your earnestness is through the manner in which you express yourself in writing.

If you care enough about the ideas want to to communicate, then it's reasonable to expect a minimal effort in formatting readable ideas.

If you respect your fellow members and our guest readers, then please make the effort to avoid the shorthand. In a long-form environment such as this, it makes for difficult-to-read posts, at best. And at worst, raises doubts about the credibility and/or sincerity of the author.


I'd rather not have to make this an official policy, but if we don't see an improvement, we will create a warning category similar to the large-quote and one-liner warnings.


Thank you.


UPDATE


Since there was some confusion, let me make this clear...

I'm referring to "TST shorthand" abbreviations of words, not "Internet Slang" acronyms of word combinations.

For example... we would rather not see:
u -for- you
ur -for- you're, your
ppl -for- people
m8 -for- mate
r -for- are
any1 -for- anyone
and so on...

And for example...
LOL -for- laughing out loud
ROFLMAO -for- rolling on the floor laughing my arse off
These are "Internet Slang" and generally not considered TXT shorthand, but get mixed in. These emotive acronyms have been popular in discussion communities since there were discussion communities, and are part of the unique culture.


[edit on 30-4-2007 by SkepticOverlord]

Great! As a person very new to computer use, I am sometimes having a hard time puzzling out some of the shorthand. I'm sure I cannot be alone in this.

I doubt, knowing human nature, but I would like too add that this site has went to the trouble of having spell check available. I wish more people used it.

[edit on 30-4-2007 by NGC2736]

Personally In my opinion only of course,

I have found that members (especially newer members) are not as concerned with "quality" and have little desire to read well written out post as much as short, frankly unintelligent, often rambling post.

not saying of course that all member or any kind of over generalization to the main supporting active membership, but simply increasing.

We all know the threads that sometimes shouldn't get more then 5 replies goes on 10 pages, and many threads that deserve 10 pages die within 5 replies.

With that, I am with you, anything to preserve and increase the quality of the site and its material!

i can't see what the point is in making use of text language, in fact, I hardly use it in texts for that matter.

It doesn't do anything good for someones credibility if they use text language or bad spelling.

not that i use txt typying (maybe a couple words)

not to sound rude
no offence intended

what else do you expect? millions of people use text daily which has ment they are use to it (doing short cuts when they type messages)
you cant really expect everyone to all the sudden change a habit



i dont see how it effects the credibility of the auther on how they type

Poor little Lysergic!

Peace

wat do u mean? shrt txt?

HAHA I'm kidding guys please don't kill me.

The strength of an argument will be enhanced by the quality of its presentation. You may feel that is a potentially superficial judgement but the best orators and writers have known this for hundreds of years.

In addition, if your audience is busy trying to decipher what you have written the impact of your point is going to be lost.

Finally, we are not all below the age of 17 and there are one or two of us wrinklies on here who have not the faintest idea what is being written about when it's in text speak.

Thankyou!

..or should I say "thnx"? It's become my new pet peeve. It's lazy, hard to read and it lets other people know that the texter probably has RSI in their thumbs from telling others about the latest dialtones. The english language is doomed. Imagine Shakespeare in text?

..oh god I sound old.

[edit on 30-4-2007 by riley]

Originally posted by bodrul
you cant really expect everyone to all the sudden change a habit

Why not?

I consider ATS to be the best of the best, as do plenty of others. Our stats alone back that claim up at a mere glance, and the level of discussion one can find here is absolutely remarkable.

I don't think it is too much to ask, to have members type with more than vowels. SO has said nothing about spelling, punctuation, or grammar, he just wants to avoid these ridiculous posts that half of us can't read anyways.

ATS is a board of intellectual discussion, I see no n0 ne3d t0 tawk lik dis.

Ppl who tawk lik dis paint m'selves ina clear pic. Naw' Mean?

I just wanted to say I have actually improved my grammar and shorthand since joining this site. I no longer type "you" as "U" - a horrible habit I picked up from my chatting days lol

I just feel that if you want what you have to say to be taken seriously proper spelling of the words you use should be used at all times.

It doesn't really bother me unless it's overly exaggerated though.

I actually find thread hijacking to be a much worse and more frequent problem then TXT speek is atm. If this becomes an official policy, then I say that's going too far. It's one thing to ask people to be polite and not attack other members, and to not break copyright rules of other sites, it's quite another thing for a site administration to ask that members express idea's in a certain "authorized" way. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Originally posted by chissler
Why not?

I consider ATS to be the best of the best, as do plenty of others. Our stats alone back that claim up at a mere glance, and the level of discussion one can find here is absolutely remarkable.

I don't think it is too much to ask, to have members type with more than vowels. SO has said nothing about spelling, punctuation, or grammar, he just wants to avoid these ridiculous posts that half of us can't read anyways.

i am not saying its a bad thing and its not much to ask
i am just saying there are people out there that use text alot (there was a news report on it aswell about text typing and the next generation) i will look for that. it shows far more people have the habit of using short text when typing.

and i agree its hard to read sometimes (hence why it takes me 15 min to send texts)

i was just trying to point out its a habbit which most people will find hard to lose

Originally posted by chissler

ATS is a board of intellectual discussion, I see no n0 ne3d t0 tawk lik dis.

Ppl who tawk lik dis paint m'selves ina clear pic. Naw' Mean?

guess i wont be using my street launguge again

Originally posted by sardion2000
I actually find thread hijacking to be a much worse and more frequent problem then TXT speek is atm.

And if any member falls victim of this behavior, or witnesses it in any thread, the staff hopes that you would submit a formal Complaint so the staff can appropriately deal with it.

To effectively handle these "hijackings" members and staff need to work together.

Originally posted by sardion2000
it's quite another thing for a site administration to ask that members express idea's in a certain "authorized" way.

Personally, asking someone to speak English is not that big of a deal.

Originally posted by bodrul
it shows far more people have the habit of using short text when typing.

But, that doesn't make it right, appropriate, or even legible. Saying "other people do it" is hardly a justification. (In my opinion)

Originally posted by bodrul
i was just trying to point out its a habbit which most people will find hard to lose

Understandable. Which is probably why SO has not implemented any formal warns for this behaviour. It seems that it is the Administrators ambitions to curb this behaviour out over time, while allowing this window for members to "flub" the odd time.

With anything in life, I'm sure there is a latency period here.

Bravo.

My family members get upset with me when I return their emails corrected for grammar and spelling errors. 'Course, that just makes them watch for my own mistakes that much closer.

I think we all benefit.

Originally posted by bodrul

i am not saying its a bad thing and its not much to ask

i am just saying there are people out there that use text alot (there was a news report on it aswell about text typing and the next generation) i will look for that. it shows far more people have the habit of using short text when typing.

and i agree its hard to read sometimes (hence why it takes me 15 min to send texts)

i was just trying to point out its a habbit which most people will find hard to lose

guess i wont be using my street launguge again

I just wish they'd remove the limit on people you can put on Ignore. Then I'd add everyone who can't spell and can't figure out how to use the caps key.

I'm sure the number of juvenile posts would drastically decrease.

However, it's probably not practical to have 2,000 users in your ignore file.

Ignore - EVERYBODY!

Yeah, that might work. Although at that point, you don't even need an Internet connection, just a typewriter.

Originally posted by bodrul
what else do you expect? millions of people use text daily which has ment they are use to it (doing short cuts when they type messages)
you cant really expect everyone to all the sudden change a habit

One of the reasons most of us came (and stayed) at ATS was and is the higher level of discource that occurs here. This higher standard makes ATS what it is. The discussion here are not IM or text messages going back and forth

As far as habbit breaking would you apply for a job or submit a resume that was mostly IM shorthand (At least if it was not with a company making cellphones or something ). Even peopel that text alot, do not spend thier non text time writting and speaking that way do they?

Overlord's skeptic of diction,
fearing, LOL, FYI, friction.
With standards so low,
We bray as we go -
until spanking is needed for discipline.

At the risk of offending some people here on ATS I have to be quite honest. ATS may look great, have top of the line features (SO is a genius when it comes to his site) with a heck of a lot of eye candy but most of the core information and posts ATS gets are just rehashed topics posted first on other, just as popular (albeit not as good looking) boards.

I can see warnings and complaints getting out of hand on this subject which is just going to drive people away causing even less original information. As someone else said in this thread this short hand internet lingo is the way of the Internet. Yes there are some absolutely ridiculous situations where you can barely read the post, and I do agree a mod should take care of those posts but setting up warnings and complaints is going too far IMO. Soon we are going to get warned and get complaints for very minute instances. I can see people whom have nothing better to do sending in complaints in spite of other users, taking advantage of these new semi-rules simply because they may not agree with the poster.

This is an Internet message board, this is not a Harvard classroom. I think this can lead to things getting a bit to anal.

My 2 cents.

[edit on 30-4-2007 by d1k]

[edit on 30-4-2007 by d1k]