08-26-2006, 06:09 PM
I don't go out of my way to correct people, but I can't help but mentally correct the most obvious, or offensive, ones... "like" in place of "as", "good" in place of "well" and many other obvious but informally common ways of speaking.
At this point language is often written and read, however in terms of pronunciation I say as long as it's understandable, I don't care how you say a word. However, teaching these young people that they may encounter people from other nations, for whom English is not a primary language, and warning them to present their best in places where such contact is more likely (most messageboards, and even many e-mail groups, have an international viewership, if not subscribership). I don't care if they slack off in IMs with other people who slack off in the same ways, however if you're chatting with a person who has asked you to keep your wording clear, well:
i dont want 2b c'ing $#!t lyk dis.
I always keep my wording clear, no matter how much other parties may slack off. Clarity is crucial to communication, just as vigor is crucial to artistic expression.
At this point language is often written and read, however in terms of pronunciation I say as long as it's understandable, I don't care how you say a word. However, teaching these young people that they may encounter people from other nations, for whom English is not a primary language, and warning them to present their best in places where such contact is more likely (most messageboards, and even many e-mail groups, have an international viewership, if not subscribership). I don't care if they slack off in IMs with other people who slack off in the same ways, however if you're chatting with a person who has asked you to keep your wording clear, well:
i dont want 2b c'ing $#!t lyk dis.
I always keep my wording clear, no matter how much other parties may slack off. Clarity is crucial to communication, just as vigor is crucial to artistic expression.