Text Talk

[madmax]

Good god, you must be bored witless if you tune in to my messages - mostly to partner-in-grime Jane - 'hello, are you going to the lottie tomorrow?' and 'I've planted the potatoes if you want to sow the carrots'......

zzzzzzzzzzz............

In the States, the 'land of the free', Ericsson installed kit to allow us and the DEA to listen into conversations. We came across some 'interesting' stuff...

[madmax]

Incidentally, do those huge 'Golf-Balls' just outside Harrogate which belong to the Americans have anything to do with that? Or is that just a narsty rumour...?
(Notice I'm not putting the name of the place...?! )

Not a clue... I am saying nothing. 'Sept they got balls enuff to listen to us all. Yes... Thats right... Us all.

[bubblewrap]

Mobile? phones.
YouTube - Trigger Happy TV Giant Phone Compilation

[NOG]

To my mind, Jacob, these abbreviations are OK where you have the limited number of characters allowed by traditional SMS in which to compose your message. Using it where there are no such constraints is, to my way of thinking, not only lazy, but also direspectful to and discriminatory against the recipients of any message who prefer to use the language properly.
KK

You are ovbiously new to computers then. these abbreviations were in use well before SMS...and well before Mobile phones infact.

They started (to my knowledge) in the 60s with telex cos you were charged by the letter. So the telex opps would chat at your expense using as few key strokes as pos. Then they were used in IRC where you could have 20 converstions going on at the same time. So you had to be quick.

Actually they were used in telegrams going right back.

ttfn/ AFK

[NOG]

You are welcome Paul. By the way are you aware that GSM mobile phones are one of the most insecure methods of communications about!?!?

And conversations can be plucked out from the network once it has been received by the BTS (Base Transceiver Station). So be careful what you say - We are listening to you!

Yep and all SMS messages are dumped into ****** (can say) at GCHQ and any of intrest are spat out.

A bloke got a visit from the Men from the Ministry cos the SMS the lyrics to the CLASH song Tommy Gun. A Verse at a time. The txt of the last Verst triggered ****** and he got a visit.

[scared55]

You are ovbiously new to computers then.

Yes, I suppose starting as Analyst/Programmer in 1983 and retiring as Systems Consultant in 2005 would count as new to computers.

I don't recall using these abbreviations when using Telex in the late 1960s either. I seem to recall telex charges were time based, which explains the ultimate use of punched tape that allowed transmission at a constant speed of, I believe, 72cpm. Telegrams were charged by the character.

You may need to check your assumptions !

[TonyF]

I hate text talk with a passion. For a while I thought it was restricted to pre-pubescent teenagers but then found that pre-pubescent adults also used it.

I couldn't agree more - there is absolutely no need to use text speak in 'proper' conversation or in messages in fora or chat rooms. I belong to a couple of fora where people using text speak are asked to desist and then they get booted if they continue. One a French forum there's a guy who posts messages and lives close to me, setting up a new business and is frequently asking for help. He has said he can't be bothered to write properly, grammar and punctuation aren't important to him - that's fine, I can't be bothered to help him then!

As Paul said, badly punctuated messages are often difficult to read and there's no need for bad spelling with a spell check facility on everybody's computer somewhere.

But, if somebody has a genuine education problem, that's fine, but text speak is just laziness.

Apart from silly messages, I tend to ignore messages that are so badly written, think it is likely to indicate a lazy person - as I mentioned above, it the writer can't be bothered, why should we be.

[bubblewrap]

The only time I use text speak is on my mobile phone to Madderbat ,it saves money. I only text when I have to.
The cost of my mobile phone? ........£20 a year!

[jacob marley]

Well thank you all very much for the illuminative answers to my question about text talk.
Here come's the next question what do's SMS stand for it has been used a lot on the post's and i have not got a clue what it means i know it could mean sowed my seeds but not in the mobile telephone industry.
I genuinlyely do not know . jacob

[bubblewrap]

Short Message Service!

[Two_Sheds]

I really like text - I can tell Mr Sheds what time I'll be home from the lottie for 3p without having to talk to him and hear that he doesn't want what I'm bringing for tea!

I hate predictive text and things like M8 (but then I hate being addressed as Mate anyway).

I find some of the posts on the Vine really difficult to understand, and I'm afraid I don't even bother reading them to the end if they are that bad. The odd typo is understandable and pardonable, as is true dyslexia, but most bad spelling is sheer laziness. If you know you can't spell, use a spellchecker, please
(there's one on here, if you click on Go Advanced - look in top right hand corner)

[HeyWayne]

Simple Muppet Spelling?

Sorry, I shouldn't, but I already have.

Poisonally I don't use text speak (or txt spk as I believe it's known) as it takes me just as long to think about how else to write the word I'm thinking about than it does to actually write it properly.

I use text more often than actually calling, in part because I'm often "speaking" to LadyWayne when she's on the train/tube and she won't actually speak to me on the train - it's just not the done thing, and she cannot get a signal on the tube for obvious reasons. Also actually speaking to someone relies on both of you being able/available at the same time, which is seldom the case for me. I can send a text, and get a reply when it's convenient for the respondent to do so.

Another thing I find mildly annoying is abbreviations/misspellings of shop fronts or company names. Kwik Kall, Kwik Save that kind of thing. What does it save? Certainly takes me the same amount of time to say it, and to be honest, they'd get fewer Scrabble points for a K, than they would a QU.

Maybe we should have a similar system to the French when it comes to this kind of thing. If (as is with our company) there is part of the company name or logo/slogan that is in a different language, they have to include the French translation somewhere.

[Two_Sheds]

I was using text talk before it was 'invented'. It used to be called something like Speedwriting, a sort of shorthand.
You take most of the vowels out of words: U tk mst o th vwls out o wrds bt cn stl undrstnd th mssge.
For real shorthand (I did Teeline which most journalists use), you then convert the Speedwritten words into dots and dashes. Darn, I can't type any of it on qwerty to show you. here's a link: Teeline - Graphic Version

[scared55]

I was using text talk before it was 'invented'. It used to be called something like Speedwriting, a sort of shorthand.
You take most of the vowels out of words: U tk mst o th vwls out o wrds bt cn stl undrstnd th mssge.

Me too. The difference is that it was just for my use - I never inflicted it on other people. However, whilst teaching myself Pitman Shorthand I did occasionally pass notes to the typing pool (remember them?) in shorthand - not as communication, but for them to comment on to help me improve.

KK

[Headfry]

text talk is used to cut words short, I think you get some 150 letters to a text message-go over that and you get charged for 2nd message- rip off, I say!
By using text talk you can say more in your one message!
Why don't phone companies increase number of letters you are allowed in each message.