It's what's for dinner!
Elite speak - butchering the english language since 1990
Published on August 14, 2005 By KBV In Living in Cyberspace
I just feel like writing something for a change. It's been a long time since I made a blog entry here on JoeUser.com. What do I want to write about this time? Well, I thought "Why not write about people use l33t."

For the people who don't know what "l33t speak" is, I'll give you a short run down. Leet (meaning elite) mostly written as 1337 or l33t, is a form of virus that has spread across the internet and now also into the real world. Mostly these individuals use words and numbers to either shorten down the english word, or feel that they look "cooler". Some words and numbers are as follows:

  • "1" instead of "one". Meaning, "Anyone" will be written "Any1".
  • "R" instead of "are".
  • "U" instead of "you".
  • "Thanx" instead of "Thank you" or "Thanks".

I've asked people who write in l33t why they do so, and the answer, which is most frequent, is almost always "It's easier" or "It's faster". I myself have been using the english language since the age of 5, seeing as I'm Norwegian I can't say that my spelling or grammar is perfect. But, for a Norwegian, I would say that I'm pretty good. Also seeing as english isn't my mother tongue, I still get pissed when I see people butcher the language with gibberish like what you have seen above. If you are a person who use "leet speak" please read below.

  1. You are not cool because you use numbers or make words into single letter ones.
  2. You will not be taken seriously by me or anyone else that have even a remote understanding of the english language.
  3. You don't actually write any faster when using "any1" or "u" etc. You only make yourself look stupid.
  4. There is absolutely no excuse in the world for using elite speak as apposed to regular english.
  5. Elite speak is not a language, and if you were to use it in any official capacity, everyone would laugh and point at you.

If you still don't understand what I'm saying in the five points above, I would suggest you crawl under a rock and die. Since you surely will lead a life as a mental retard with absolutely no hope at being normal. And don't even try giving me that "But I don't want to be normal" crap.

I've read that many teacher in the United States are having problems with teenagers who use these abbreviations in schoolwork. There is even a senior at age 52 on WinCostumize who use words like "Thanx". I mean, what's wrong with the world, what is wrong with these people? I myself believe they couldn't come up with a coherent sentence if given a lifetime to create one.

I know I might step on some toes with people who feel they have superior intellect and have an extremely good reason for using this type of "language". For that I am not sorry, you should all root and die. It is called "English" for a reason and not "3nglish". So please, do the world a favor, get your act together and stop using elite speak, while you still can.


Comments (Page 4)
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on Aug 20, 2005
..-....--.-...-..-.....-.---...-.--.-....-.-.---...-.-.-..-..-..-.----..-.--..----.-....-.-.---..-.--.-..----..-..-.-....I have no idea what that means.
on Aug 21, 2005
WebGizmos, is that a morse code?
on Aug 21, 2005

nuqDaq yuch Dapol (where do you keep the chocolate)

Hab SoSlI' Quch (your mother has a smooth forehead)

yIHmey SurghwI' (Tribble skinner)

Klingon is a lot easier to understand than 1337, at least it's a real language

on Aug 21, 2005

at least it's a real language

OK....quietly move away from the keyboard, Fuzzy......

on Aug 21, 2005
I thought in opposite to when writing an article of my own that was supposed to be using clear or better, almost top language (= "normal English") it would stop blocking other peoples fast access to an interesting long thread of somebody elses when I was only COMMENTING there if I saved spaces and letters. Instead, many responders to my abbreviated comments said I could not speak English, not a far fetched thought, because I am a U. S. citizen living abroad who does need practice again. This was not what I wanted to happen, but good to know, if it displays the majorities true thoughts.

Sometimes I do experience a certain extent of time constraints but want to get the topic on fast or an answer without much ado (one "d"), tee, hee, hee. Then sometimes using editors for a short comment is too slow, so I edit a slipup once or twice manually. This slows up processing even more, so at least I abbreviate a bit in comments to make up for that a bit.

Even as to article creating, Draginol recommends many "well written" articles to be preferred to few "perfect" ones, which I thought about for a long time, yet understand the jest of. This could mean you should differentiate between long top articles with intricate topics and medium fast recent things that are to be updated fast or more contemporary than timeless matters when deciding on when to yOUewssseee jus 1or2 letters... Another thing not necessarily always to be too finnicky about: things like apostrophies, or signs easy to mistaken for code language considering unregistered readers do not see everything displayed properly and you mix yourself up when editing or revising several times, which changes levels you are on without your remembering that
on Aug 21, 2005
..-....--.-...-..-.....-.---...-.--.-....-.-.---...-.-.-..-..-..-.----..-.--..----.-....-.-.---..-.--.-..----..-..-.-


you're lucky this is a pg13 site.
but you misspelled --..-
on Aug 21, 2005
KBV I agree 1337 is lame and annoying, but in online games/communities I have seen it used (with great effect) as a sort of retaliation to those who start typing in their mother tongue among themselves.

Language evolves and people will express themselves however they see fit, you or I have no right to tell anyone what they can or cant do (or how to do it) and calling people names does not help anyone or assist you to make your point.

Just for the record 1337 annoys me also, as do typographical and spelling errors. However I may be misinformed here but I believe it is not only the "english" speakers that use 1337 or shorten their language to suit the medium
on Aug 22, 2005
on Aug 23, 2005
KBV, I don't think "u" is Elite... It's just like other things like, "lol" "rofl" "lmao"... "pwned"? lol jK
on Sep 07, 2005
0/|/|9 101 1 r 73|-| 1337 H@X0r!!!!!!!
on Oct 15, 2005
1337 is just a faster way of typing, people use it when they are talking to there friends on the computer, like AIM or MSN Messenger or something?!!~~

example:

person1: Hey wats up? r u tired or wat?
person2: nm jc, i just got back from skool of corse i am tired



Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
on Oct 15, 2005
people butcher the language with gibberish
like what you have seen


hehe - best to avoid the comedy classics when dissing styles.
on Dec 09, 2005
That's really not "l33t," its AOL 12 year old talk. l33t does in fact have its purposes. Originally it was used to bypass filters on forums so that people could discuss what they wanted that would normally be filtered out. Now, though it's mostly used by script kiddies and/or people making fun of them. Don't confuse the two.
on Dec 09, 2005
my above post was in reply to MadMike
on Dec 09, 2005
+H4T'$ r34lLy N0T "L33+," iT5 @0l 12 yE4R OlD t4lK. L33+ D0e$ 1n pH@C+ HavE ITS PurPO$35. 0R19In@LlY 1+ W4$ USEd +0 BYp4SS F1L+eR5 0N Ph0rUM$ 50 Th@+ PE0pLe CoULD D1SCU$5 wH4T TH3y w@N+ED +h@+ wouLd NOrM4lly b3 F1l+3R3d ou+. N0w, THou9H IT'$ mo5Tly U$Ed 8y 5CrIPT KIDdI35 @ND/Or peoPL3 M@k1N9 phuN 0f +hem. doN'+ C0NFu$3 +He two.
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