There's only one reason why we have any rules for language at all, and it's so that we can understand each other.
When someone writes:
"i noe waht you meen, k thx"
Two things happen:
First, I make the assumption that the author is uneducated at the very best, or more likely, just plain stupid.
Second, I have to stop and interperet what the jackass means, since the phonetic word sounds are there, but it's certainly not English.
Yes, language mutates over time. Yes, there are many words in Websters' Dictionary now that weren't there 25 or 30 years ago.
But this doesn't mean you throw out all the rules anytime you feel like because you are too lazy, or uneducated.
A lot of people will make the arguement "Dude, it's just the Internet!". I find that flawed. Out here, you can't see me. You can't hear my voice. You likley don't know me from a hole in the wall. The
only communications medium out here is words. If you can't craft them properly, you'll look like a fool.
Here's something I had posted in the mod forum a while back that really applies to this thread:
Back in the 1990's and inot the early 2000's when when supras.com was the big site I used to be the guy who answered the
questions@supras.com email... I did it for several years and this one came within a month of my quitting. I don't believe they ever got anyone else to do it...
During my time on the job, I helped a LOT of people, had some of the best and worst questions asked that I have ever seen.
However, there is one email that I have kept over the years since the idiocy of it stood out above the rest.
Now please realize that you had to click past two messages to get to the email address. Those messages informed you that the address was for technical questions only, that we were not affiliated with Toyota, and that we had no idea when the next Supra was coming out.
With all that said, I post the message here in it's entirety, no names changed to protect the stupid.
I will however warn you that everyone who reads this mail will be dumber because of it.
-- Begin Criminal Stupidity --
The dumbest guy ever said:
From: "sweteyloco" <thuggi5hxla0xb0i@hotmail.com>
To: <questions@supras.com>
Subject: hello
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 08:56:36 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
i juz wanted to noe that whene are supars are coming out agian and why did you guys stop making theme? i heard that the supras are coming out in 2004 i just wanted yo noe if it's true?? and i wanted to noe if u guys built the supras already for 2004 if it's true. if uuys did i would like a pic of it if its ok well tahs all i have 2 say n 1 more thing i would like 2 noe how much yhe hores power is ok bye
-- End Criminal Stupidity --
And people wondered why I quit doing it....
However this is the kind of crap that I'm talking about. It makes your brain hurt to read it.
And while we are at it, what's with the bullshit gangsa(sp) crap?
If you say "aight" because you grew up in a shithole and don't know any better it's one thing.
If you say "aight" because you saw some guy in a movie do it and you thought he was cool it's something entirely different.
If you ever type it on the internet in a manner other that using it with a sense of irony, you are a dipshit.
Using "aight" on the Internet isn't cool, it ain't even chilly...
