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y r u texting here, r u posting from ur phone?

by Dennis Gaskill
27 replies
Had an interesting Skype conversation with some other marketers about using the "text messaging shortcuts" style of writing in blog posts and forums. If you're doing that, it's your right, of course, but I thought you might want to know that some people will skip your threads and posts when you write that way.

If you're looking for help from the forum, that messaging style may be turning away some of the most qualified people who could help you. Some think it's being lazy and won't bother to read messages written like that. Some say it's inappropriate for a forum.

What do you think about the practice?
#phone #posting #texting
  • Profile picture of the author Pursuit2Success
    Hahah, modern era. Why, I see adults cuss, Wassup with that tho? My teachers cuss, most people in this world don't care... What I'm saying is, just let it be. As long as you can understand it dude.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by Pursuit2Success View Post

      Hahah, modern era. Why, I see adults cuss, Wassup with that tho? My teachers cuss, most people in this world don't care... What I'm saying is, just let it be. As long as you can understand it dude.
      There's nothing for me to let be. I made the post to let people who do that know that if they are asking for help, asking in that style is going to cut down on the responses they get.
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      • Profile picture of the author DaveTaylor
        I have to admit I am totally lost with text talk. Even my mother uses it sometimes. And I don't get it.

        I read LOL so many times before finally giving up and asking what it meant. Then when I was told, I realised that at least one colleague had been using it out of context in every conversation we had. As in "Hi Dave, how's it going LOL"

        I am a bit of a geek in that I actually use punctuation in texts!

        Yes I agree, if you have a keyboard you should use it.

        Interesting point though, thanks for bringing it up.

        All the best,

        Dave
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        • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
          Originally Posted by DaveTaylor View Post

          I have to admit I am totally lost with text talk. Even my mother uses it sometimes. And I don't get it.

          I read LOL so many times before finally giving up and asking what it meant. Then when I was told, I realised that at least one colleague had been using it out of context in every conversation we had. As in "Hi Dave, how's it going LOL"

          I am a bit of a geek in that I actually use punctuation in texts!

          Yes I agree, if you have a keyboard you should use it.

          Interesting point though, thanks for bringing it up.

          All the best,

          Dave
          Dave, that reminds me of a time my sister emailed a co-worker with some information she'd asked for, and my sister included a humorous comment and typed LOL by it.

          A few minutes later that co-worker, an elderly woman, came storming into my sisters office mad as a wet hen. She thought LOL meant "little old lady" and that my sister was making fun of her.
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          • Profile picture of the author DaveTaylor
            Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

            Dave, that reminds me of a time my sister emailed a co-worker with some information she'd asked for, and my sister included a humorous comment and typed LOL by it.

            A few minutes later that co-worker, an elderly woman, came storming into my sisters office mad as a wet hen. She thought LOL meant "little old lady" and that my sister was making fun of her.

            Brilliant! I mean looking back of course! People can't assume others know the code.

            A comedian said something like, "Imagine you had to text someone some bad news and your name was Lol?" How bad would that look?

            David
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Pursuit2Success View Post

      Hahah, modern era. Why, I see adults cuss, Wassup with that tho? My teachers cuss, most people in this world don't care... What I'm saying is, just let it be. As long as you can understand it dude.
      That's a big part of his point. There are a lot of us that just don't care enough about you to put in the work deciphering the message. So we do "just let it be" and skip the post.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Dennis, i think u mite b on2 sumthing here i admit that ill sumtimes post on this forum frm my iphone n then realize it looks like a txt n prob shud retype it, otherwise peeps mite thk i'm lazy or sumthing.

    ttys

    RoD

    sent from my iPhone
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    • Profile picture of the author dtaylor
      Agreed.

      Who has time to sit and decipher a cryptic message?

      Texting type messages should be between you and your friends, not used in a public forum.

      Just my opinion, looking forward to your cryptic replies.

      DTaylor
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  • Profile picture of the author Kecia
    I sometimes do it in chat or on other non-business related forums, but never here. To me, it shows a lack of professionalism. If you're too lazy to spell out a word, just imagine what people will think about your products and services. I browse the Warrior Forum a lot from my phone, but I still take the time to spell everything out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
      Dennis,

      If it's just a quick text message or if you're working with a character restriction (as on Twitter), I can accept that practice.

      However, with any text over a sentence or two long, I find the classic "thnx 4 ur txt" style wearying to read, so I probably wouldn't bother.


      Frank

      PS gr8 post btw
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  • Profile picture of the author JR Consulting
    It's hard for me to take anyone seriously if they use that writing style in any manner other than a text, or on Twitter. There isn't really a need to do it anywhere else, so to me it comes across as either lazy, immature... or both.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    For the most part I agree with you, but I can envision exceptions to it; even here on the forum. For example, if someone is looking for help on texting issues, then using textspeak would likely draw in those who ARE most qualified. I'll admit that may not happen all that often.

    Generally speaking, complete sentences with proper capitalization and punctuation are best in a public forum. (Unless it's a forum for texters)

    People can communicate however they wish--and I know you're not saying otherwise--but they also run the risk of not getting a lot of response if they don't communicate in the standard way.

    So...I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn''t really bother me, but it may prevent me from responding in some cases.

    All the best,
    Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author BloggingPro
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    What do you think about the practice?
    In a business forum? It's absolutely inappropriate and damaging to your reputation in my opinion. Perception IS reality. If you don't act like a businessman or businesswoman how in the world do you expect someone else to treat you like one?
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    • Profile picture of the author WebPen
      Originally Posted by BloggingPro View Post

      In a business forum? It's absolutely inappropriate and damaging to your reputation in my opinion. Perception IS reality. If you don't act like a businessman or businesswoman how in the world do you expect someone else to treat you like one?
      What he said.
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    • Profile picture of the author bretski
      Personally, I don't care for it even in emails or text messages. In general, it just tells me that I'm not important enough to go to the trouble to write in complete words.

      I'm just glad that I'm not a high school or junior high school teacher these days. I'm sure that they have to correct papers full of this garbage and there is no doubt that there are high school graduates that have no idea of how to write a thank you letter. I honestly think that texting has hurt the pure written form of the English language worse than anything in existence.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Call me old-fashioned, but I dislike it intensely.

        It does typically stop me from posting/replying, because my responses would be (a) acerbic and (b) wombatesque, and (understandably enough) neither is particularly welcome here.
        wombatesque - lol, love it, although I'm sure there are a lot folks who haven't read Paul's report that will wonder what the heck you're talking about.

        Originally Posted by bretski View Post

        Personally, I don't care for it even in emails or text messages. In general, it just tells me that I'm not important enough to go to the trouble to write in complete words.

        I'm just glad that I'm not a high school or junior high school teacher these days. I'm sure that they have to correct papers full of this garbage and there is no doubt that there are high school graduates that have no idea of how to write a thank you letter. I honestly think that texting has hurt the pure written form of the English language worse than anything in existence.
        You're probably right. We talked about this for maybe 5 minutes and that point never came up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    What do you think about the practice?
    Trying to understand these messages it's like solving the mysteries of life. In fact, if this goes on, one day Aliens will come and they'll be like... Duh????
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    What do you think about the practice?
    Call me old-fashioned, but I dislike it intensely.

    It does typically stop me from posting/replying, because my responses would be (a) acerbic and (b) wombatesque, and (understandably enough) neither is particularly welcome here.
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    • Profile picture of the author hardraysnight
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Call me old-fashioned, but I dislike it intensely.

      It does typically stop me from posting/replying, because my responses would be (a) acerbic and (b) wombatesque, and (understandably enough) neither is particularly welcome here.
      Wombatesque - love it

      Will one 'gro' into it?

      Wonder what it means, not in my Pocket Oxford.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Mayo
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Call me old-fashioned, ...
      Nope, I call you a skepchick!

      Dennis,
      I C U DO U C ME?

      I was a cryptologic tech in the US Navy and I find trying to decipher some of
      the text shortcuts is worse than breaking codes...

      It Makes my eyes water and my nose run, Um Hum.

      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      I think ... wtf :p
      Suzanne, So does the calendar after Monday and Tuesday, (eg, WTF)


      Have a Great Day!
      Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
    In a short text - or Twitter - or whatever I don't have a problem with it. I'm expecting to see it so will be reading every character.

    For a forum post I, and many others probably, skim read initially to see if the post is of interest. Skim reading involves word recognition rather than reading each letter. For me, at least, skim reading doesn't work with text speak, so I just ignore those posts - for me they might as well be written in hieroglyphs.
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    • Profile picture of the author Laurie Rogers
      I can't stand when people do that, I will sometimes use short forms, but that's usually on twitter or facebook (since there's not much room to type). And as a writer it bugs me even more ... I often wonder how some of these people passed English or Grammar class.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    What do you think about the practice?
    I think ... wtf :p
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  • Profile picture of the author Britt Malka
    I don't like it.

    It's very much used in France, too, and it takes much longer to decipher what the person are actually trying to say. Normally, I don't bother to try.
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  • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
    U mad bro?
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    :)

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  • Profile picture of the author Cee
    I think it's hard on the eyes. Also trying to decipher what someone is saying isn't much fun and not worth my time to read. But who knows, maybe in 100 years everyone will write like that.
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  • Profile picture of the author BloggingPro
    What I want to know is when in the hell did LOL start getting spelled lulz? I'm seeing it all over the net now, specifically entertainment boards I frequent. Some are even starting to text this... What happened? The net/texting lingo can't possibly be passing me up can it?
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