Thanks so very much for the feedback on the previous Netiquette post, as well as the cell phone etiquette post. I remembered, however, that there were additional points that I did not touch upon yet. Quite a few are just general rules of writing, especially when communicating to international audiences. Some more observations I have made in various communications on the Internet are as follows:
Textspeak, Chatspeak, 1337-speak, etc.
- While these may be appropriate for texting, instant messaging, and other various forms of chat, they do not fit well for e-mails, forums, and written offline communication. While it may be considered cool or trendy, most of the time, using them likely make you appear like a kidiot ("kid idiot"). It looks exceptionally unlearned and unprofessional on e-mails to present or potential employers, and academic papers (term papers, homework, and so on).
- It may be difficult for non-native speakers to understand such. Trust me, this is NOT limited to the English-speaking world! The Spanish-speaking folks I chat with from time to time use odd abbreviations (oye hispanohablantes, asi que me entienden, cuando no usan "que" sino
k" a veces me pone confundido y es dificil a entenderles)
and
I am told that French speakers have their own chatspeak, too. - Some abbreviations are abused to the point that they lose their meaning. Most teens and adults I talk to that use "lol" a lot will freely admit they really aren't Laughing Out Loud. Often times, they aren't even chuckling. How is that communication? "Heh" or "hehe" aren't that much longer. But... as if laziness was contagious, the kids have started using "L." now. More often than not, it looks incredibly superfluous after a while. One forum community I'm with uses "tbh" (to be honest) to the point that it would look unnecessary spelled out. This is true of some other abbreviations, such as IMO (in my opinion) and IMHO (in my honest opinion). Your mileage may vary.
Speaking of language barriers...
Spelling and grammar really ARE important.
- Punctuation really does clarify your thoughts. Now I know Spanish-speakers will roll their eyes on this one, because lack of punctuation is perfectly acceptable in informal communication. But I'll tell you, sentences that run on for a paragraph or more make it rather difficult for non-native Spanish speakers like myself to understand. And how would that be any different the other way around, when non-native English speakers are trying to read a sentence that runs on and on in English? Oh, and read aloud those sorts of sentences. Punctuation dictates pauses, and the type of punctuation dictates the length of the pause. You may claim that you are prone to rambling, but can you read that run-on sentence in one breath, because there are no punctuation marks to dictate otherwise? No... you DO have to pause to take a break every now and then! Put in punctuation marks where you have to take a breath AND where it makes sense. Even if you don't get it quite correct, it should be easier to read and understand.
- Not everyone understands the lingo, local slang, etc. I remember an interesting conversation with a Brit where I was asking what "take the piss" meant. Imagine my surprise when she explained it with another slang-- "take the mick" and "take the mickey". Okay, so we have Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary for online references, and I eventually had to consult them to get the meaning. But you can't always expect everyone to understand your local vernacular; be prepared to explain in way they can understand too.
- Sometimes typos and misspellings really CAN lead to a misunderstanding. Those who are fluent in the language may be able to figure out your meaning regardless, but sometimes they will misunderstand, too. You can't always assume that people will understand your mistakes! When you can get some help, such as with a spellchecker, I think it's a good idea to use it.
Oh, and don't abuse exclamation points.
Crossposted to LJ, itemid = 916, security = public, mask = 0.
I love a place that gives clear instructions.
When you hire someone to read a book on CD you should make sure they are literate. Make sure they can pronounce words properly.
So I'm reading "New Moon", book two in Stephenie Meyer's vampire series. It's pretty good, but it could have used a better editor. She uses the word 'familiar' WAY TOO MUCH! (and by way too much I mean at least 6 times on a page sometimes) How is it that I am so aware of this? Because the stupid moron who's reading the book cannot pronounce the word 'familiar' correctly. So every few sentences I hear 'fermillier'. Yes.
BAD ENGLISH! BAD BAD!
Fahmilliar...not fermillier.
Its not that hard.
(every time she says it, and it is a lot due to Ms. Meyer's negligent editor, I just want to bang my head against the steering wheel)
Are you fucking KIDDING me?
After all my adventures last night, I get up this morning, and go out on the screen porch to enjoy my coffee. From the window well I hear an all too familiar dry leaf rustling sound. I look and over, yes, there's a teeny bun in the window well. Only I know it ain't my teeny bun, because he's still in the bathtub, enjoying his breakfast in bed:
Please meet Not-So-Teeny Bun. He's more like Teenage Bun and just as wily. Capturing him to remove from the window well was a bit more exciting, because he actually jumped in the window and ran around the basement.
Oy. Now I've got to figure out what to do with them, because if I just put them back outside, I envision having to fish them out of the window well every other day. Suggestions?
What's your favorite song with "America" or "USA" in the title? Bonus points if you share it with us.
Short, sweet, and really, really funny.
How are you celebrating the 4th of July?
Being shellshocked. We drove home at 7 this morning. I'm sitting here looking at the clock all, "It's not even 11. I should be getting up right now!"
Plus I will be catching up with all my online buds. :-)
In honor of Independence Day, show us something patriotic.
How are you celebrating the 4th of July?
Here's today: doing dishes, writing letters, taking a walk, sending emails, VOXing (I hope), doing laundry, cleaning the filter in the vacuum cleaner. NOT answering the phone if it rings.
Normally I'd put out a couple of small flags, because we always do/did. But it's raining and that's a no-no. I've been told.
It's just another day, and for that I'm profoundly grateful.
And this is NJ, so naturally it's raining this morning. And the cold I have been trying to dodge is taking hold in my body. Crap. Just in time for a 4-day holiday weekend. shit.
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