Adults using ebonics.

*singing*
I got a serif...
And I put it on a letter T

LOLOLOLOL

IDDQD? I don't know where you learned to type from that, but I tend to agree that much of my teachings have come from the older gnerations of gaming.

Well, if the OP.... Ooops!! Lets make that "Original Poster".... were to try to type that entire post in-world to any one of us, would you want to stand there & wait? Add to it that anyone nearby is going to have their conversation scrolling along with yours. I spend enough time in-world talking to people & they really dont type out the longest, most lengthy sentences. While the original complaint of people preferring "Hay Whut U Want" IS rather bleh, I doubt any of us really want to spend our time IN-world (not IN-Forums where speed of typing is not required) typing out one giant frickin' long paragraph. Like I said before, I touch type.... between 60-70 WPM. Increase that to about 90 or more if I start using Internet Shorthand. Keep up with me people

I'm not dyslectic so can't speak for them, but being English isn't my first language... i don't think this kind of typing it's something you'll see from non-native speakers very often for very simple reason -- it's based on phonetics, or more precisely, on US/British version of it. And because non-native speakers don't get as much experience in this area *and* phonetics of their own language is often very different, this sort of typing is much harder for them to both carry out *and* understand. E.g the "u" thing doesn't translate in my mind into sound resembling "you", but into something like "oo" instead, which makes no sense whatsoever. It's the extra layer to filter the text through, on top of already alien language.

People may say they're typing such way for extra speed, but while it may work between native speakers, from non-english person's point of view this is a dreadful experience that really slows down communication. I can read and understand the regular English pretty well, but when phonetics start flying, it's a deer in the spotlight moment every second word, and --unless it's some popular shortcuts that i have simply memorized by now and recognize by the looks-- i spend more time trying to figure out what that cute shortcuts are supposed to mean rather than what the person typing them is actually trying to say overall :<

So in a nutshell no, i don't think being a non-native speaker is a good explanation for this kind of behaviour, simply because it requires *more* in-depth knowledge of the language than typing the regular version of it that one gets taught in schools etc... does o.o;;

There is... or rather there was, it's now several distinct dialects. You've probably heard of Welsh and Cornish?

"Hay wats up?" is more comprehensible to a non-native english speaker than "Hey, what's up?"? My experience has been that communication problems often arise with slang and a lack of familiarity with the term being used for someone learning a language. I would think that "hay" and "wat" might cause more confusion than "hey" and "what" would.

That's cause they're folks that should be on the teen grid, used to IM'ing off cell phones and all those additional keys on a computer keyboard confuse them.

I have little use for the AOL refugees and their 'shorthand'. I have european friends that are just learning english that type more understandably in english than the AOHeller's and their IM shorthand. I don't care if your grammar is bad, I do not care if you misspell words, but for christ sakes, try typing the whole damn word!

don't mind Ebonics if it's done as part of the character of the Avatar in question. I actually think of it as an enhancement. Heck, I tend to say "Null sweat chummer" instead of no problem, "ya" instead of you, and " 'ello" instead of hello. It's sort of become part of my character, I even say it IRL occasionally. I've also borrowed other things I've picked up from other RPGs I've played (especially Planescape's version of Cockney rhyming verse, and the Xaositects' scramblespeak, especially when I don't want to talk to you I might even toss in some drow if I think of it at the time and feel like it). I'll also drop an occasional common acronym in casual conversation.

Cockney rhyming verse actually reminds me quite a bit of Ebonics, and I think when they look back on this period in the future, it'll hold a similar place in history. There is no reason to use ebonics in written form in SL unless you're doing it to enhance your persona (or fursona, as the case may be). same goes with any faux accent.

As for hunt and peckers vs. touch typists, I've seen numerous of the former out type the latter, and have fewer typos. Familiarity and practice wins out over style any day.

That said, the crud that spills out of some Avatars is neither Ebonics, Cockney rhyming verse, or understandable in most cases. it's a garbage Internet shorthand that is worthless when used in a conversational manner. I'm a somewhat slow typer, if you want to talk with me, I'm happy to wait for you to spell out everything if you willing to wait for me.

Oh, and I started my "Internet life" on AOL (back when AOL was NEW). Don't blame us for this shorthand garbage! I only started seeing it when I started traveling farther afield than AOL message boards & chatrooms. AOL (and its users) get enough grief just by being the idiots they are, it's not fair to heap this on them too.

I agree.
In french, the same probleme exists too.

Some people write like on cell-phone or forget punctuation.
Sometime it's not even phonetic anymore ...

eg :
* putain - original word (mean something like "bitch"
-> p'tain - when *said* quickly, we sometime drop the "u"
-> 'tain - same as above with "pu"
-> pt1 - here they replace the "ain" by "1", but "1" is said "un" not "ain" (which is different). pt1 should be spelled "pé-té-un".
-> t1 - even shorter, same as above for "'tain"

Spelling putain -> pt1 could be natural. (O rly ?)
But reading "pt1 -> putain" is really not natural and require a lot more mind effort.
"pt1" is said "pétéhun" and not "putain" at all.

For the english shortcut... it's a lot harder for a non-enlgish to understand all thoses shortcut. I learned a lot of them, but not all, and it's hard work. This kind of shortcut can't come from non-native.

I'd say that a lot of ppl just can't spell correctly, so they hide their ignorance behind some kind of "shortcut"... The more you write like this, the more you forget the exact spelling.
For years on my computer i avoided all the "éèêîï" letters... now i have some difficulties to know if i should write "très" or "trés" (i know this one, it's "très" )

Anyway... there is also some very welcome shortcut, like : "wtf", "O rly?", "afk", "ffs", "brb", "bbl", "lol", ... But they are not mispelling, they are just ... shortcut.

Ok for "wtf !?" not for "how r u ?"

I get real sick of people like the OP. I don't get ragged on for my language or the way I type or talk, but it does'nt matter.

So long as the meaning of what someone is saying is clear, thats all that should matter. Language evolves constantly.

Stupidity lies in the hands of the one who cant' figr out wot sumones sayin'.

ruieuri q fvojfaqi afguejgaj oaTRg gkgo sg A.

Je ne suis pas vraiment d'accord avec votre vision du probleme.
Non, vraiment pas.

Spoken like a truly self-centered and uneducated person. My hat's off to you for accomplishing both in the same posting! We need far more people like the OP and far less undeucated, do your own thing types.

Look in the mirror, speak the last line to the person you see. I would rather lack spelling and grammar than compasssion and tolerance.

Translates as: I do not agree really with your vision of the problem. Not, really not ( or not really)

Took me a while since I havent had French class since 1988

Or did you just use Babelfish like everybody else? Just kidding. ^.^

Well atleast the guy isn't typing like this VVV

LyKe OmG

nevermind. i was going to type a whole sentence but my IQ started to drop.

I was waiting for this. I knew someone would say that "hay wuts up yo. how r u. lolol" is actually advancement and evolution of language. That's just hilarious.

yo biatch if i strt takin like ths yo, i bet it maks me s0und WAI ahed of my time yo.

Hold up! (Wait a moment, please.) Why you hatin'? (For what reason have you directed your contempt at me?) Step up, you got a problem! You don't know me! (If our differences cannot be resolved peacefully, then I must challenge you to a duel. I assure you, you do not realize what I am capable of.)

So I was bored.