Are capitals on their way out?

[gogoblender 3,071]

I just started texting a lot lately (yeah yeah I know I'm sloooooooooo ) and I find caps a hassle, if not a waste of time. I mean... we have those periods right ... caps just seem redundant, and kind of a waste of time... no?

 

 

gogo

[Knuckles 904]

well at least you're still crossing your t's and dotting your I's

[gogoblender 3,071]

hehe, yeah...but only cuz the software does it. You know..things like correct punctuation can really get to me...but lately...I keep saying...MAN I could type SO much faster if I didn't have to capitalize...I mean... would peeps think it was rude or boorish?

 

 

gogo

[Knuckles 904]

I think texting is meant for shorthand and abbreviations so not capitalizing seems apropo. heck this generation didn't even invent it. Waaay way back when morse code and telegrams ruled the day, you were charged per word sent. So people found pretty inventive ways to reduce the cost per word sent that way.

[gogoblender 3,071]

And that's what I'm seeing as well. Not by me taking a snobby approach to language and "proper" use...I mean just as pragmatic approach... not using capitals just makes sense I think now, because the period can separate the thought properly and it adds to the speed of the writing.

 

I think a lot of use of texting also has relevance to disabled people who's functionality is different from others... for them, all the "rules" get in the way... and especially for deaf people, who I did a lot of work with... old school grammatical conventions are nothing short of road traps that seem to sabotage fair communicative speed values.

 

And lately...I've also been reading a bit of 1984 ...where Wells talks about shrinking language as much as possible ...while getting rid of caps wouldn't be shrinking... it would help with contemporary needs for producing writing.

 

 

gogo

[Barristan 14]

Heya!

 

Problem with this is, that it will have affect on written text. Start missing caps, or even dotting the I as Knuckles said. Using abbreviations that are not native to a language... even slang..

 

In time, things like this might be incorperated, but for now it is wrong, failing grammar. I don't think it is much of a problem when in the proper setting. Chatting with friends should never be about such things.

 

I do not pay much attention to this when writing on forum, but this is what I teach kids.... so it is a problem for me there.

 

Anyways, my two cents.

 

Greetz

[Knuckles 904]

I don't even text lol. I understand the attraction of texting, but for me if I need to contact someone I always call. I can just see someone texting me about a project or design issue. We use so many abbreviations just describing the equipment that adding more abbreviations to chat would be soooooooooooooo confusing.

 

p.s. all our equipment abbreviations are capitalized

[gogoblender 3,071]

I used to get so piqued when I'd see the language changing... then I guess I began to get some idea on what was happening...the peeps who I was hanging out with mostly, net peeps, were beginning to abbreviate. Lately, it's like so many peep lately have been just doing I instead of I... I'm still having to get used to that.

 

 

gogo

[Spunky 16]

Or you could use "eye" instead of "I", looks cool eh?

[gogoblender 3,071]

*shudder*

 

 

gogo

[Spunky 16]

Haha, you can never guess where I picked that one up, or can you...

[locolagarto 15]

With this being my first forum experience, one of the hardest parts was understanding the "chat" language.

 

My typing isn't great and my grammar, punctuation, and spelling are always a little sketchy. In the instant message text world with only a ten key keyboard I think abbreviation and short hand go with the territory. That text is only between 2 people and is gone in a flash and no one the wiser.

 

In a forum environment where every letter we type goes into permanent record, and can be searched an viewed by 7 billion people across the world, some discipline is required I think.

[Dragon Brother 619]

With this being my first forum experience, one of the hardest parts was understanding the "chat" language.

 

My typing isn't great and my grammar, punctuation, and spelling are always a little sketchy. In the instant message text world with only a ten key keyboard I think abbreviation and short hand go with the territory. That text is only between 2 people and is gone in a flash and no one the wiser.

 

In a forum environment where every letter we type goes into permanent record, and can be searched an viewed by 7 billion people across the world, some discipline is required I think.

I'm kinda with loco in that I try to be fairly accurate on the web, but I also try to be accurate anywhere I can, except for texting. But then, in our day and age of technology, even the cheapest phones have a predictive dictionary and others have a system that suggest what it thinks you meant if you use a word not in their dictionary...ala iphone's onboard keyboard leading to mistakes...it fixes them for you with correct grammar so ive actually started texting with more correct grammar since getting an iPhone than I used...lol $900 grammar teacher ><

 

Edit: Plus, my mum is english and is a stickler for correct grammar and useage of words, even though here in Australia we've managed to corrupt the english tongue pretty darn well with our own slang

Edited February 24, 2010 by Dragon Brother

[dreeft 9]

I can't even remember not having a phone that would do auto correction of some sort. The iPhone is a godsend, not so much for my typing, but because it means I can finally understand what other people are writing