topic Re: Use of text speak in Community Site Feedback

Use of text speak

Oldjim — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:44:19 GMT

There is a developing habit among a few posters of using text speak.
This annoys me as I consider it just laziness or impoliteness to the other posters - take your pick.
Following the animated discussion on the last rule change I thought I would ask the opinion of the Community before raising it with the other Moderators

Re: Use of text speak

thisoldman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:07:29 GMT

This is ridiculous oldjim.

So long as a person makes themselves clear it doesnt bother me if its in arabic.
Also you forget that some members have a medical condition which hinders their communication styles.
Next you will be trying to ban inane posts. These also can be quite irritating.
where will you start next?

Re: Use of text speak

Strat — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:10:56 GMT

Quote from: thisoldman
So long as a person makes themselves clear

That's the whole point of the exercise.

Re: Use of text speak

HPsauce — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:22:44 GMT

You can't reasonably ban it, equally you can't make people read it. Personally I don't.
Some advice that it's "inappropriate" and difficult to understand might not go amiss.
I recall reading various documents overs the years labelled "netiquette" (or similar) giving advice on the accepted and effective ways of communicating in different situations, e.g. email, txt, forums and so on. That's where such advice belongs.

Re: Use of text speak

James — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:29:00 GMT

It annoys me too, but so do people that walk slowly and short people with umbrellas.
You can't ban them and equally, you can't ban people for using text speak.
Nice try though

Re: Use of text speak

jelv — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:32:53 GMT

We should definitely ban people who text and walk at the same time!

Re: Use of text speak

thisoldman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:58:37 GMT

Thank you thank you jameseh for introducing a modicum of commonsense. You as a plusnet member of staff need also in my view to reconsider the draconian attitutes of theese mods in here before someone takes legal action.

The suggested ban was a step too far

Re: Use of text speak

Strat — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:00:18 GMT

The poll is there to gauge community opinion.

Re: Use of text speak

fourfourdevon — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:05:57 GMT

I see no reason it cannot be banned, I know of no ailment or illness that makes people use text speak, indeed before the rise of SMS messages it was unknown.
Sorry people who use text speak do so out of laziness or choice, not because they were born with an affliction to text speak.

Re: Use of text speak

thisoldman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:12:11 GMT

midnight caller im sure would disagree

Re: Use of text speak

artmo — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:16:49 GMT

I agree with fourfourdevon.
Some people don't have mobile phones, others that do only use them for conversation. They will find text speak impossible to follow.
Thanks to Oldjim for raising the issue. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the poll.

Re: Use of text speak

fourfourdevon — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:21:22 GMT

Not being familiar with midnight caller, I cannot comment directly, but as, as I say, no one used text speak before the rise of SMS messages. Sure people had bad spelling, myself included (it only started to improve from the age of 24) but bad spelling I can put up with, text speak is choice, I have no problem with excluding people based on a choice they make, especially if a decision here has no effect on their ability or inability to continue with their choice elsewhere.
Libraries demand that people are quiet, many places demand that people don't run, some parks request you not go on the grass, many roads of parking restrictions, all public roads (in the UK) have speed restrictions, the list could go on for a very long time.
I see no reason why text speak should be treated as a special case.

Re: Use of text speak

jelv — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:23:34 GMT

Just what has got in to the moderators these days? This is just the sort of over-zealous rule making that winds me up. Next they'll be insisting that all posts are correctly spelt and punctuated with correct use of capitals; failure to do this can make posts much harder to read than when text speak is used. We're all used to Gary's posts but are tolerant as we are aware of the situation.
I'd have hoped that we'd have been far more welcoming to people in these forums in whatever style they wish to post. If you have trouble understanding it either ignore and move on, or post a request for a translation.
If it is really an issue and you've used the word censor to turn variations of 'Plusnet' in to the correct spelling, why not use it to turn things like gr8 in to [abbr=great]gr8[/abbr]? (hover the mouse over to see the effect)

Re: Use of text speak

dvorak — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:27:20 GMT

Quote from: jelv
I'd have hoped that we'd have been far more welcoming to people in these forums in whatever style they wish to post. If you have trouble understanding it either ignore and move on, or post a request for a translation.

That really is quite rich coming from you.

Re: Use of text speak

thisoldman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:30:10 GMT

very well said jelv
perhaps 4 devon should acquaint himself with disability discrimination legislation

if oldjim introduces a ban then on behalf of disabled people i will take via the EHRC legal action

Re: Use of text speak

Chris — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:31:13 GMT

Guys as much as I love a good debate as much as the next person, we're getting close to personal insults. These, along with threats of legal action, have absolutely no place in these forums please keep this in mind.

Re: Use of text speak

thisoldman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:37:15 GMT

chris no offence but i am very very angry at the lack of consideration for people who have medical problems, speech problems etc and i assure you that what i have just posted is not a threat. I have already spoken to the ehrc and the quicker you kick this poll into touch the better for plusnet

Re: Use of text speak

Chris — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:39:25 GMT

As per my reply on the other thread you've posted on about this issue, at no point has anyone said that text speak is going to be banned, this post was to gauge the community reaction. Obviously the reaction is not to ban it and therefore it isn't going to be banned.

Re: Use of text speak

fourfourdevon — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:39:36 GMT

As I keep saying, text speak is a choice, not an affliction.
As a disabled person myself I am well aware of the affects of discrimination and fairly well up on disability discrimination legislation.
But use of text speak is not a disability, it's a choice.

Re: Use of text speak

fourfourdevon — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:40:57 GMT

Quote from: Chris
As per my reply on the other thread you've posted on about this issue, at no point has anyone said that text speak is going to be banned, this post was to gauge the community reaction. Obviously the reaction is not to ban it and therefore it isn't going to be banned.

Erm? The poll results (so far) indicate the opposite, it is only the people that care to comment as opposed to vote, that seem to marginally in the majority it comes to not banning.
Them's that shout loudest are not by that fact alone the majority.