Most powerful Country in Europe in History

[Tyler]

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:36 pm

Last edited by Tyler on May 8th, 2011, 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Only if most sites you visit don't have 'butchered english'. Since many do, it's not really. You find it all over the place, not just on YouTube (forums in particular).

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:39 pm

Only if most sites you visit don't have 'butchered english'. Since many do, it's not questionable.

The only website I can think of which contains heavy txt spk is Youtube, and considering the flamewars and foul language which accompanies it, I don't think this is a representative sample of society. I have hundreds of bookmarks for sites I visit regularly. Almost all of them demonstrate clear, standardised American or British english, and none of this required much blood, sweat and tears from the writer.

[Tyler]

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:42 pm

Last edited by Tyler on May 8th, 2011, 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sites you visit out of how many on the web? 'Judging by a minority' would be an understatement.

YouTube isn't alone, and forums in particular tend to have it.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:44 pm

its not just on youtube, its on nearly every forum, or site with comments that works as a forum.

its over any instant messaging service. its everywhere, its normal.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:45 pm

Sites you visit out of how many on the web? 'Judging by a minority' would be an overstatement.

Well yes, but this argument also applies to you. You were the one that claimed that text speak was used "everywhere".

I am simply claiming that correct English is used everywhere. Since you are the only making the unusual statement, the responsibility is yours to prove it. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". The ball is in your court.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:46 pm

Yes, scousers are a specific breed of Englishman with an almost indecipherable accent 

Part of what influences my strong view of English usage is that I have many German friends who are excellent at English, and not only do they manage this as their second language, they also do it as practising theoretical physicists, which requires the additional learning of much technical terminology. Humans are capable of learning so much. If these German people can accomplish so much, I have little tolerance for native English people who think that "tlking to u lyk dis in txt spk" is a natural evolution of the English language.

It depends on the person though. Before i moved towards the routine diagnostic medical laboratory i spend several years in research and interacted with people from around the globe (including our Eastern neighbors the Germans). One of the Germans whom i worked with had excellent (almost Thatcher like) pronunciation while the accent of the other German (while his written language was flawless as well) made my ears curl. Anyone remember the Germans from 'Allo 'Allo"? It was THAT bad.

For myself i have a tendency to adapt to the accent used in that particular part of the world. When i traveled across Great Britain i got multiple comments that villagers didn't hear i came from abroad.

It was hilarious in a strange sort of way. They knew i was not from the village (in villages with 50 residents people know each other) but they heard me speak with them in their own local accent (half of the time i consciously barely understood  what was being said).

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:50 pm

Well yes, but this argument also applies to you. You were the one that claimed that text speak was used "everywhere".

Big difference is I'm not the one saying something only happens on a single site when it actually happens on multiple sites.

I am simply claiming that correct English is used everywhere. Since you are the only making the unusual statement, the responsibility is yours to prove it. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". The ball is in your court.

Nothing for me to prove, you're the one making extraordinary claims. Read a forum, read a comments section of a page, read anything that isn't formal.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 4:57 pm

Nothing for me to prove, you're the one making extraordinary claims. Read a forum, read a comments section of a page, read anything that isn't formal.

You accused me of not understanding that browsing a few sites is not a good way to form statistical conclusions, and yet now you are promoting the very same flawed idea. If I seek out forums full of immature teens, what do you expect I will find?

And it's hardly an extraordinary claim that normal English is used most of the time in most places, the same English which has been used for a century or longer. This is just the business as usual claim, and I obviously believe it is the right viewpoint otherwise I wouldn't be saying it.

[Tyler]

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:04 pm

Last edited by Tyler on May 8th, 2011, 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

You accused me of not understanding that browsing a few sites is not a good way to form statistical conclusions, and yet now you are promoting the very same flawed idea. If I seek out forums full of immature teens, what do you expect I will find?

Not really; you say 1 site does it, I say more than 1 site does it. My last post said that.

Go on a site full of immature teens and you'll find dick jokes and people laughing at farts. Shorthand and immaturity isn't the same.

And it's hardly an extraordinary claim that normal English is used most of the time in most places, the same English which has been used for a century or longer. This is just the business as usual claim, and I obviously believe it is the right viewpoint otherwise I wouldn't be saying it.

Saying all the net uses it and only 1 site uses shorthand is quite an extraordinary claim. Quite an unrealistic one, at that.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Strangest off-topic discussion I've seen so far...

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:07 pm

Shorthand isn't necessary, the time saved in producing text speak is negligible, and it's only result is to make you look silly. If text speak is so great, why don't you use it yourself? I think the reason why is obvious really. You have no intention of looking like an idiot.

The only reason I can think of that you're defending it here is some sort of populism or tribalism.

[Tyler]

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:13 pm

Last edited by Tyler on May 8th, 2011, 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I have do it in the past, mainly I'm in a hurry or don't feel like typing correctly. I put legibility first, some other people just feel more comfortable typing like that.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:14 pm

I do use it sometimes, if I'm in a hurry.

Like I said, hardly any time is saved. Seriously, that's a bad excuse.

Some other people just prefer typing like that.

They must be very strange people. Perhaps some form of self-flaggellation or ritual humiliation where the person prefers to be the subject of ridicule.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:22 pm

Shorthand isn't necessary, the time saved in producing text speak is negligible, and it's only result is to make you look silly. If text speak is so great, why don't you use it yourself? I think the reason why is obvious really. You have no intention of looking like an idiot.

The only reason I can think of that you're defending it here is some sort of populism or tribalism.

it doesnt make people look silly, it makes them look silly TO YOU. and to be honest, you arent judge judy, so nobody will really care.

how can we defend both populism and tribalism at the same time, thats barmy. they are mutually exclusive by definition.

Like I said, hardly any time is saved. Seriously, that's a bad excuse.

They must be very strange people. Perhaps some form of self-flaggellation or ritual humiliation where the person prefers to be the subject of ridicule.

its not only about saving time, and the time saved over time is quite significant anyway.

so you're calling most people strange? dont be silly, its you, the grammar nazi, that's strange.

[Dr. Lazarus]

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:27 pm

Last edited by Dr. Lazarus on May 8th, 2011, 5:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

how can we defend both populism and tribalism at the same time, thats barmy. they are mutually exclusive by definition.

I said that because I'm uncertain how many people share this weak view that poor English is something to be defended. If it's lots - populism. If it's not - tribalism. I didn't say it was both. Read more carefully.

so you're calling most people strange? dont be silly, its you, the grammar nazi, that's strange.

I'm not calling "most" people strange because I don't  believe that most people use txt spk and poor English. I've never said that I believe that most people are like that. In fact I explicitly stated the opposite. Please read more carefully.

By the way, comparing someone to a nazi is appalling. I'm not to be compared to someone who enacted a holocaust just because I uphold high standards of literacy among people who have instant access to huge amounts of information and learning. Take it back.

If I'm strange because I'm not lazy and because I have high standards and look down on low standards, so be it.

posted on May 8th, 2011, 5:46 pm

I said that because I'm uncertain how many people share this weak view that poor English is something to be defended. If it's lots - populism. If it's not - tribalism. I didn't say it was both. Read more carefully.

lol you wanna make it either black or white? how about we're in the middle, you cant just go around stamping labels on us like you know everything.

I'm not calling "most" people strange because I don't  believe that most people use txt spk and poor English. I've never said that I believe that most people are like that. In fact I explicitly stated the opposite. Please read more carefully.

most people are like this though. if u wont accept this you must be in denial. look around this forum and you'll see it, look around any forum and you'll see it.

By the way, comparing someone to a nazi is appalling. I'm not to be compared to someone who enacted a holocaust just because I uphold high standards of literacy among people who have instant access to huge amounts of information and learning. Take it back.

lol dont resort to arguing about semantics, calling someone a grammar nazi isnt comparing them to the actual nazis and you know it. it's about you correcting people about something that doesnt matter.

If I'm strange because I'm not lazy and because I have high standards and look down on low standards, so be it.

these standards you call "high" are YOUR standards, most others dont share them. and you do look down on other people, which is wrong. we speak different to you, accept it, dont try get us to speak like you.