For the love of God, Don't type like an idiot!

[hoosierlogger]

In all seriousness.. That ONE sentence would teach TENS OF MILLIONS of boys to pay attention and learn! No joke.

I hope you all pay attention and remember this, as it may be my best contribution to society.

[redsox]

This is a good thread. Having never read it, I took the time to go through the entire thing. Its interesting, especially in the beginning, to see the influence that the introduction and proliferation of texting has had on language. This thread is a kind of time capsule, as it started before texting was mainstream. I love the english language, and the written word. I'm a huge fan. At times, I try to write so precisely that I will think about what i've written while lying awake at night. Other times, (mostly on 3ww) i'll lose the caps and drop an "ain't" or two. to me, this is a casual atmosphere, and should be treated as such. I agree that ebonics are a detriment to society and the "your/you're" misuse drives me absolutely crazy. What is important to remember is that we do not own the language. It is a common error of the middle aged to think otherwise. We can do our best to pass on our conceptions and "rules" of language but it won't do a damn bit of good. Language is going to change. it always has, and it always will.

Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
Too ... much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw
To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,
Or else, good night your vow!

Thats billy shakes. If you know what the hell he's talking about there, you're a better man than I. My point is that we write and talk differently than previous generations, just as subsequent generations will differ from us. We may not like it, but we cannot stop it. The feelings are compounded at this particular point in history because a technological advance has accelerated the change. texting, the typed word, is the new standard. i think back to all the time i spent with the nuns trying to teach me the palmer method. what a waste. pens, paper, books, will all soon be gone. we'll be left with screens. its not so bad, really. think of everything you can do! think of how many people can easily communicate. its unprecedented in human history. so we've gotta deal with a few lol's and OMG's. Get over it. I think that if we sat down twenty years ago, and i told you that in 2013, the main form of communication among the youth in America was the written word, you'd have told me i was crazy. look at us now. "selfie" is in the dictionary. thats my hangover rant for the week. cheers.