Ugly is only the beginning.
It is what teachers have always warned: Pick your friends and your words carefully because you will be judged by your choices.

These make these user look uneducated and frankly ignorant.
Sorry.

I too feel it is too, too much to do to our already abused written word.

Sorry, but I am guilty of these kinds of texting abbreviations. I am so slow, I need all the help I can get when sending off messages!

I continue to resist using "DH" for dear husband and other such text speak when I post on any forums. It also annoys me that in postings, not here, beloved literate people, people don't proofread. Any spelling that comes from their fingertips will do, and their is little thought about subject-verb agreement.

One radio personality, a garden show host, would welcome emails from listeners, but cautioned he would only read those that were written literately, with correct spelling and normal vocabulary.

Annpan,
Texting is the acceptable place for this kind of thing.
I was speaking about writing this way with pen and paper...and I have seen it.
Abysmal.

Ah, I did not realise this 'shorthand' had spread to formal writing. I do try to write and spell correctly and have often had to check my spelling before posting. I don't write much these days and it does me good to have to look things up. I feel my brain and tongue rusting up from disuse now I am not socialising much!

And speaking of errors !!
I needed to reread my posting as well....oooooops.
Change second "these" to "the" in second sentence.

When I am on my soapbox, I frequently shoot myself in the foot!

As I always say: God doesn't sleep.

I hate these new abbreviations more than most, I think, as a lover of the English language and the complexity of its history. Also, I have never been comfortable with numbers. Texting = Just another excuse for laziness???

I spend 15 minutes composing a text that my nephew replies to at length before I can close the phone. Textspeak works efficiently, it will prevail. I do feel your pain, however.

Woodnymph: I find texting helpful and am not being lazy using it. I can communicate with busy friends or relatives "Chat?" without perhaps disturbing them with a phone call. They ring me back immediately or at their convenience. Don't knock it!

Excuse me, Annpan and everyone but let me make it absolutely clear I was NOT knocking textwriting in its proper place ie in texting on mobile phones, when I started this thread! I text, myself, quite often (though I never use 2 and 4) and find it a very convenient means of sending short messages, easily picked up.

Let us return to our moutons.

BUT: it's when these particular textspeak abominations leak out into all areas and even become part of book titles that I object. It's just a bandwagon and a gimmick which is leading to obfuscation rather than clarificatio of meaning in communication.

Dido

If I seemed to get my feathers ruffled for no reason, I'm sorry! But I am quite pleased with my small toeholds on technology. It annoys me a bit when people I meet are surprised that I can do things like use a computer and text etc.
Oh, come on, we "Silver Surfers' were there from the beginning, after all. Our household got our first 'portable' Amstrad about 30 years ago. Weighed a ton, from memory!
I suppose this incorrect perception is because a lot of seniors shudder at the thought of being on line. They don't realise how useful it can be and what they are missing.
Perhaps this Textspeak may grow old like outdated slang or be with us like a new language, becoming part of the norm. In which case it will be a losing battle to remove it. Just ask the French about Anglicization of their language! They were complaining about it over 50 years ago when I first went there. To no purpose either, it suited the young people to use 'le weekend' and 'les blue jeans' etc.

Annpan, you've got a hidden agenda here, known mainly unto yourself - or perhaps others.

What I am talking about isn't just change or addition of slang; and it has nothing to do with being 'silver surfers' or whatever that means or implies. It is quite simply that we are losing language, precision and meaning here. Posterity will suffer or sort it out. I'll just have to leave it to them - as with everything else, of course. They'll enjoy that.

Dido

Dido: No hidden agenda! A silver surfer is simply a name for older people who are computer-savvy and surf (check out) internet websites. I thought this was a general term?

First time I have heard or seen it, annpan, but I like it.

So many of my over-45 nursing associates are completely computer paranoid. They are nearly impossible to orient to new computer uses put in place. They cry!

Well, I have to say that I don't love the idea that we over 50 need to be labeled...silver or any other way!

There are users and non users.

2 young @ heart 2 b branded !!!

How about:

Seditious Surfers
Seedy Surfers
Sedated Surfers ( those who need medication , drink or cigs)
Smarmy Surfers
Snarky Surfers

And while I'm at it.....I don't love this new word "ginormous" either.
Can be choose either giant or enormous and leave it at that!?

Princess Crabby Pants

How about advertising "spelling" creeping into the mainstream? Someone on radio was talking about this. Was concerned that kids (children & teens) would actually think this was correct spelling, and use it.

Examples:

"Lite" for light - as in "lite yogurt"
"Xmas" for Christmas
"Nite" for night - as in "Nick at Nite" - USA TV show

I am dismayed that my mention of silver surfers seems to have been misunderstood. It is just a light-hearted nick-name adopted by older computer users with amused pride. Not a secret society or a put-down. Google it up and you will find it linked to courses helping out people who want to learn how to use this wonderful means of communication.

annpan, plenty of people use the term 'silver surfers' in the UK; it certainly doesn't bother me and better than 'blue rinse browser' or 'golden oldie glypher'.
Am I the only one here who doesn't own/use a mobile/cell phone? I never seem to have the urge to phone someone while I am walking down the street, shopping or visiting friends . . all of which seem to be accepted as quite normal, not only by the young, but by people of more mature years in the UK.
I find it quite rude while in conversation with someone, to be interrupted by their phone ringing and then be expected to wait while, without a word of apology, they answer the phone and carry on a loud and totally unimportant chat. Even less polite are the acquaintances who visit my home, take out their phone and either sit and stare at it (willing it to ring?) or fiddle with the various 'functions' and check their text messages etc.
I don't know how expensive phone charges are in the rest of the world but over here many many young people expect their parents to pay their way over-the-top phone bills . . . more fool them when they do!

Vee,

My mobile (Never 'cell') was got for emergencies only. Especially when I have to go and work in Manchester and take long and hazardous train journeys (where I get locked on trains, dumped on platforms after train breaks down, unable to cross the bridge to the next platform because of emphysema, left to wait at stations for a replacement train after yet another one has broken down!) and things like that. The text thing is very useful - means you can send a really short message without having to go all around the houses actually on the phone, asking after someone's health and wellbeing until you get to the point. LIke 'Are you quizzing tonight?" 'Yes.' Even Stan who used to sneer at mobiles now has one - emergencies only. He can only just use it. Otheriwise, I agree about the rudeness of people who live off, with and by them.

Dido

Vee, I no longer have a cell phone. (I had one I got in case of emergencies. When it died, I never replaced it). My friends are urging this Luddite to purchase a cell but it is not my top priority, nor is Cable TV, for that matter.

By the way "Xmas" is not incorrect. The "X" has an early Christian meaning, so it is more than a short-cut.

I find my moblie phone very useful, but I rarely have a 'real' conversation on it. I use the text function a lot and my sons are the main recipients of real phone calls with requests like 'please go to the shop and buy some milk'. In that case I would ring rather than text as we are all on the same network and ringing each other is free.

I don't use abbreviations when texting as it takes me longer to work that out than to use the intuitive text function. I am guilty of using abbreviations on line like DH, ppl, pls and cos, but would never write them in a formal document, and only do it as a time/space saver. One forum I go to has a character limit, and it helps a lot there. I also use abbreviations of book titles (TKAM, TGL&PPPS) and album titles on a particular singer's fan site.

At work we take several job applications every week, and I am tempted to throw out the ones with spelling and grammar mistakes - after all, it is a book shop and knowing how to spell is important when looking up titles. However, it is not up to me. I did read one where half way down the page was written:
"I would like to work at (insert business name here) because ......."
Lack of proof reading in this case did mean it was thrown out.

Without a cell phone how do you find friends you've promised to meet at a festival teeming with people?

Can you buy a pocketbook these days without a cell phone pouch?

We bought Mom a new cell we can track over the internet by GPS. She always has it with her - her purse never leaves her side, but her mind is wandering more.

I do use mine more now that I'm living near family who feel free to text me to pick up milk on the way over or to change plans at the last minute.

I know "X" stands for Christ -- just isn't right for all situations (like formal texts) -- OK for Xmas cards and the like.