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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1146 Joined: 27 Aug 2008     | |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1515 Joined: 1 Nov 2008    | Overall, I think the standard of grammar on the Escapist isn't too bad; I've seen much worse on other forums. But yes, shorthand is becoming more common - due mainly to the rise of texting, sites like Myspace and Facebook and just general laziness... |
Paperboy  Posts: 38 Joined: 5 Jul 2008    | Until I read this thread I assumed FTW referred to the short-lived title belt that Taz invented/pioneered/wore in the old ECW. The strange thing is that posts ending in FTW with my interpretation still make sense. Its just less arrogant than I thought. |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 532 Joined: 15 Sep 2008    |
it means you are cheering t is not an acronym for anything lol |
Anonymous Source Posts: 0 Joined: 31 Dec 1969 | This thread is rather still. All it says is "Everyone should use proper English. There is no reason not to unless your lazy". You need a reason to use acronyms? This thread is the perfect example of a time where they need to be used for many interesting effects you may not be aware of; omg wtf! stfu & gtfo noobs. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2599 Joined: 6 Jun 2008     |
I notice that this is your first post, did you make that name just to be sarcastic or ironic? |
Anonymous Source  Posts: 3 Joined: 5 Nov 2008   | Personally i think that the use of some abbreviation's or acronyms are acceptable, when people start to use words like "yhoo" - you or use words like "luffals", that's when there's a cause for concern. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2940 Joined: 22 Jun 2008   | There seems to be a weekly influx of troll every Wednesday. I believe it has something to do with a certain video posting that goes on. I'm looking at you, Unforgotten Realms. |
Paperboy  Posts: 45 Joined: 21 Aug 2008    | This place is surprisingly literate. However, site stupidity is proportional to its popularity. I don't want to sound offensive, but I noticed forums with more adult members are generally more interesting, well thought or just plain old well written. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3617 Joined: 7 Aug 2008  | This seams like a good place to post this, as its been bugging me for some time, is "dunno" a word?, or is it an abbreviation of don't know? |
Time Lord  Posts: 9978 Joined: 13 Feb 2008    |
I disagree. It's a question of your own image and the people you're talking to. Talking entirely in txt spk is intolerable, but the odd usage of it to underline a point is acceptable, as is TLA's or gamer jargon. You wouldn't say "I've got three gigabytes of Random Access Memory", would you? 1337 speak does have it's place, but only usually as an expression of emotion that two-dimensional text can't routinely display. I'd hate to think that we're ignoring someone purely for their misuse of English. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 2599 Joined: 6 Jun 2008 |
It's a contraction that has become mainstream. |
Anonymous Source Posts: 0 Joined: 31 Dec 1969 | After throwing out my opinion that seems totally opposite from everyone else's I expect much ridicule and so the name just came with the job. {i hoped the name generated lulz} I suck at reading & spelling in English but am lazy too. I have enough time to make an account to reply to this thread though. I hope to stop any hate for acronyms or l33t speak. Maybe they don't have their use on these forums but I assume you they have their - sometimes making people 'lol'. Nice to see a forum that concentrates on good English with posts that contribute to the forum. Keep it up! {moar zero punt plx, it be really good now - i really lol'd, almost roflmao too x} |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 4269 Joined: 13 Aug 2008  |
Damn Rob (whatever his last name is) and his weekly videos!
It's just a colloquialism. It takes it's roots from the words "Do not know" but I don't think it's a recognised word in any official dictionaries. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 867 Joined: 20 Dec 2007   | Well, I think it just shows that no place in the internet is safe. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2975 Joined: 7 Oct 2008  |
I dunno. Sorry, couldn't resist. Wait, are contractions allowed? Anyway, my opinion is that it depends on why the person signed up in the first place. I think most of us would admit that "that guy" drew us to The Escapist, but what made me personally sign up was the forums. And no, not HIS forum topics, the intelligent ones. Proper English usage is a rare thing on Internet forums, and it's a nice thing when I can find it, which is never. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 2599 Joined: 6 Jun 2008 | Admittedly, I draw flack from my friends who text me because when I type a text message, I spell everything out in full. Of course I hate texting and everyone of my responses begin with "If you text me again I will rip your thumbs off with a pair of rusty pliers", so maybe I'm a bit biased. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3320 Joined: 23 Oct 2007    |
Don't be so arrogant as to suggest that this generation invented these acronyms. This generation is hopeless at invention. These acronyms first arose in the 1970s; look up "talk mode" in the Jargon File. Also, as my new Nokia E71 has a QWERTY keyboard, I have no excuse not to use full words in text messages - not that I shortened them anyway. |
Red Guard  Posts: 2661 Joined: 16 Dec 2007    |
'woot' or actually w00t (with zeros) is old as Moses. I think dating back to usenet. It is an acronym for "We own the other team!" Woot indeed. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 406 Joined: 12 Aug 2008   | I kind of have a question, that sort of fits this thread. What the crap does Tl-l3 PRll\/l4RY (()l\l$()L3l-l4$l333l\l (()RRl_lPT3[) mean? I ask because I have just come across it in a game I am playing. Its the mission description, go figure. I figured out the first two words are The Primary but the rest of it I have no clue. |
BANNED  Posts: 4378 Joined: 21 Aug 2008    | the primary console has been corrupted User was banned for: Microsoft and the World Domination of Gaming&Communication. (Permanent) |
Vault Legend  Posts: 2202 Joined: 30 Jul 2008 |
The thing that boggles me is you do so well with some parts of grammar, and completely ignore the others. It's like 50% absolute effort. It's very odd.
I don't think the acronyms have become more problematic, if that's what you're referring to. I've never really had a problem with them, so long as they were used mostly correctly, or with some semblance of proper effort to put them in context or legible. Although, I have noticed an overall grammatical decline over the past couple of months I've been around. Certainly not to any bad degree, just more numerous smaller mistakes from a larger percentage of the community. Which, oddly, what I thought this thread was about when I saw the title. Then again, I'm somewhat prude-ish with my grammar, so maybe I'm just lashing out because I've been in a foul mood of late. Ah well. |
Press Junketeer Posts: 406 Joined: 12 Aug 2008 |
Ahh thanks, I still can't see it but that makes sense for the game I am currently playing. |
Infamous Scribbler Posts: 532 Joined: 15 Sep 2008 |
lol cool i guess it is an acronym |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 925 Joined: 13 May 2008  |
See I don't think this should be a valid argument any more - especially with firefox and the dictionary built in. (Short Note Completed) |
Beat Writer  Posts: 176 Joined: 8 May 2008   | It's like the Woody Allen story where a guy travels through time and everyone in the future is stupid. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3754 Joined: 18 Dec 2007  | The Escapist has changed quite a bit since I started off, and gods knows how I never got banned back then. Back in the old days there was not as much abbreviations being thrown around and generally bigger words with more complex meanings being used as well, but you need to look at these things in context. Back then, a thread would be lucky to go to two pages. If it went to three then there was something really important that stirred a lot of debate raging inside. The first RP (a StarCraft Roleplay by PurpleRain I think) went to four pages and that was impressive for it's time. The website moved much slower, a thread could not be posted in for a day, maybe more and still be on the first page. In my opinion, the Escapist was moving slowly because people would only type when absolutely necessary. A lot of the posters now seem to to post something, or make a topic when it really isn't needed. I mean look at the "Pictures Please" thread. How many of those where necessary posts... maybe 5 at most, while all the others were like something from a Chat room conversation. This seems like the outlook many newer people here have for the Escapist forums. They treat it like a messaging service that requires a little bit more effort. It's the outlook people have on the forum. The newer users see it as something similar to a messaging service, while the older users see it as a forum for intelligent discussion. This is why not as many older users use abbreviations like QFT and ROFL, because they try and make their posts as intelligent as possible and only post when they think it is necessary however a newer user makes a post to try and shows his feeling and opinions to others and do so in the easiest way possible (abbreviations). Many of the times these comments are not necessary and really serve no purpose. Look at it like this, the people who have been here for long are like the Ents from Lord of the Rings. They only talk when necessary and when it is necessary to talk they take a very long time to do so. The newer people are like the hobbits, they love to talk and party and grow potato's. This changed over time. It isn't as if suddenly all the new users became hobbits, it happened slowly. Every Ent on this forum has a bit of Hobbit in them (I think I'm about 50/50) but over time the average amount of Hobbit in someone has grown and the amount of QFT's and ROFL's has also started to grow. I suppose it's the Evolution of the forum. It has been quite interesting to observe and I could go into even more detail but I think I will stop now. |
Red Guard Posts: 3573 Joined: 27 Mar 2008  |
You're clearly not looking in the right places. -- Alex |
Vault Legend Posts: 2202 Joined: 30 Jul 2008 |
As usual, just when I feel like I'm beginning to get my sea-legs for the old school style of posting with intelligent insight and interesting input, someone like Fire Daemon comes up and knocks my legs out from under me. Dang, I feel like a newb sometimes, even though I've been here for as long as I have. Fear of turning this into an elitist club aside, you bring up several good points here, Daemon. The scary thing is I'm starting to catch myself leaning far more towards Hobbit than I used to. It feels alien, almost, as I tended to prefer my verbose tendencies, as they were. I'm not ashamed of the way I've changed, per say, just less happy with it overall. My verboseness is something I've always enjoyed, and I'm losing it with time. Even my essays are becoming smaller in length, which is just weird. I'd have liked to have seen the forum as it was some time ago, watching as members hammered out several paragraph posts in discussions. These days, it hasn't become uncommon for me to see single-sentence, or even sentence fragment, posts that say little more than "Yes," "No," or "Maybe" without the elaboration that comes with more detail. Hell, it's even creeping into our opening posts and discussion threads, which is heartily disappointing, as the discussions were my biggest drawing point to this forum. I really do miss the more English intensive nature of the forums that I found when I arrived, but I can't say I'm upset with the majority of the users here. It's still far better than many, many forums I frequent. Regardless, let me shed a solemn word of mourning for my lost forum of times ago. Even if they were on the way out as I was on the way in. Bah, enough sounding like a crotchety old man reminiscing over times long-past. I'm old and rambling, and you probably have somewhere else to be. Shoo, let this old man blather mindlessly in peace. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3664 Joined: 21 Jan 2008   |
That sums up my thoughts quite well. Kudos, Fire. Also, if you have a look at things, reaching 'Gone Gonzo' around early this year was considered a massive achievement (if I remember correctly, Purple was a local celebrity for being one of very few people to actually do that). Now, 'Gone Gonzo' isn't a very rare thing to see, nor is it significant. It shows that, back then, people were a lot more careful and reserved when they were posting, in the sense they most likely wouldn't contribute to discussion unless they had something new to say. When they did, posts were usually longer and more likely to get walls'o'test-like ( I know that it felt like forever becoming a 'Paper Boy'). Now, people are more likely to post 'QFT' (and variants of that), and more willing to discuss everything and anything. Notice how I said early this year? Shows how fast The Escapist is growing up... it seemed like only yesterday that it had no more that 100 regular users... **sigh** PS: These are only opinions. Rose-tinted glasses and poor hindsight might have resulted in incorrect information. Edit:
You know, back before we had a major influx of users, people weren't necessarily verbose... heh, I didn't type much, either in posts nor amount of text per post. Of course, people such as werepossum and Cheeze have always typed as much as they do now... damn them, making me look bad :). |
Time Lord Posts: 9978 Joined: 13 Feb 2008 | Eeeeeee...back in my day, this was all 1's and 0's. |
Infamous Scribbler Posts: 681 Joined: 3 Jul 2008 | Language changes, Old English and Latin attest to that as far as westerners are concerned. The elements which seem illogical or awkward probably are - give them time and they'll die out. If they truly are more efficient and understood, they'll evolve and take their rightful places in the lexicon. Notice a lot of people don't bother to capitalize LOL? It's origin as an acronym is being buried in a common usage which is slowly gaining acceptance. Old society folks would have said "How very droll!" Now a generation of computer users just say "lol." Sure if they said "L-O-L" as a proper acronym people might wonder... Well, why, since if they really wanted to laugh out loud, they could. But as it is, it's just a three letter word expressing amusement. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3754 Joined: 18 Dec 2007 |
You had your "sea legs" since we first really got to see you in the "Cockney" (it was something like that I think). From then I think you've been very famous. You seem more Ent than Hobbit to me. It took you about five months to get Gonzo, thats a lot slower than most people. You definitely famous around here. And why did you bold out my name? Daemon is Latin you know. Latin for Demon. |
Vault Legend Posts: 2202 Joined: 30 Jul 2008 |
Not famous enough, I suppose, if you didn't notice I do that to most usernames. I forget on occasion, but it's a habit I've held pretty consistently. Go look through my old posts, it's been around since Day 1. I've been doing it a while now. Glad to see I'm a familiar face, but it still feels wrong. I should be looking up to your folks with the rest of the little guys, not someone to be compared with. I suppose I've always been verbose and long-wined, but the allure of your guys' posts have something more to them than word-padding. The message, I think, and the elegance used to pull them off. People like yourself, Purple Rain, Gigantor, and the like. You guys are the ones who I've been looking up to since square one, and I guess it's a bit of a culture shock to see that I'm not feeling the same Dickens-style sense of separation that I used to. It feels wrong though, like I don't deserve the comradery. I can't put it into words... At least, not coherent ones. I appreciate the kind words, but I still feel like I should be the little fish in the pond, even though I'm wearing the name-tag of a big fish. "Hello, My Name Is: Gonzo NewClassic" |
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I'd rather have people using obscure acronyms than bungling grammar and spelling constantly. I don't care how many acronyms they use if they're consistent in using there/their/they're properly and know the difference between its and it's.
However, I don't hold forum posts up to the same standards as, say, blog posts . . . and I don't hold blog posts up to the standards of more formal publications.