Why do people here consider abbreviations to be a spelling mistake ??

Question

I am new on yahoo answers and i am used 2 chatting on Msn so i automatically use abbreviations, but 4 every question i ask i get a couple of bad remarks about my spelling !!! i know my spelling is not PERFECT but if i write a "u" instead of "you " doesn't mean i don't know how to write the word !!! A lot of people seem to answer my questions in criticism about my spelling :D?!? would som1 ( someone) plz (please) tell me y (why ) ppl (people) think abbreviations r ( are) spelling mistakes ???

Answer 1

It's not just that it's difficult to read for those of us who are used to reading full words. By not doing those extra two keystrokes you look like you can't be bothered. If you can't be bothered to communicate clearly with me, why should I bother to communicate with you?

When you need to cram as many words as you can into a text message, these sorts of abbreviations are fine. When there is no limit on how many characters you can use, when 'people' costs you no more than 'ppl', it's just lazy.

Answer 2

I think that most people do not consider them spelling mistakes. They think that there is a time and a place, and this is not it. Can you type? Then do so. Why shortcut your words on this forum? You obviously have your reasons, but many people do not feel them appropriate here.

Answer 3

I don't see anything wrong in using abbreviations but if someone uses too many I personally don't understand what they are trying to say!

Answer 4

And it might be a lot harder for people whose motherlanguage isn't English.

Like me, I reckon it very hard to understand it if you write like that!!

Answer 5

Because you are not texting and you are not only addressing members of your own generation. To many of the rest of us, the way of writing that you describe comes off as semi-literate and it actually seems like a stumbling block to effective communication.

To many -- and I am one of them -- it looks like the dumbing-down of an entire generation. Being a writer, I love using the language and I find using texting language in any other forum to be counter-productive to the goal of communicating.

It's also a lazy approach that becomes a habit hard to break. Already you say you don't see why (y)  it appears incomprehensible. I'll bet you've even slipped a few times and used this technique on school assignments. You absolutely won't be able to write this way in a professional arena.

Answer 6

When chatting or writing a text the reason for abbreviations is to reduce the amount of keys you press and to reduce reaction times.

On a forum or a site such as yahoo answers there is no reaction time issue and 99% of users are using a proper keyboard, so saving the odd second or two is seen as lazy or illiterate.

Answer 7

It might SEEM that the writer of the question with less than accurate spelling is less intelligent.  It isn't necessarily so but maybe the answers to the question come from the same group.

I am not casting aspertions here, just passing my thoughts through my fingers on a keyboard.

Answer 8

Textspeak should be confined to texting....write properly on a forum like this otherwise people will assume you are semi-literate and keep on correcting you.

Answer 9

I wouldn't consider it a spelling mistake, but a lot of questions are hard to read as it is all chat language and, especially if it is a serious question, the person asking should take more time to write it out properly. A lot of people do make spelling mistakes on here as well though

Answer 10

It's just a public forum, it's subjective; and whatever they say IT IS a chat forum at that.

You should just use a style you are comfortable with, a lot of people use the other chat forums so most people will understand you anyway.  The only time it annoys me is when people can't spell but use nonsense and poor English to rant.

However, you have asked something reasonable and will develop your own style which people should become accustomed to, so good luck!

Answer 11

Yeah I know what it is

It happens to me too,english is not my mother tongue too

My mother tongue is portuguese and I use abbreviations too but apparently the ppl seems not to understand or at least they dont want to understand

Answer 12

Abbreviations are fine - it's the people who really can't spell that annoy others !

Answer 13

I have never told anyone they were misspelling words when they were abbreviating. But it's so annoying to wade through and translate all the internet abbreviations! It's a useful thing for chats, when you want to get the message out fast, but for Yahoo! Answers, there's no need to scrimp on typing out words for speed. I also think it makes the person seem younger, less mature, less knowledgeable. Maybe the person is fully grown, well educated and highly intelligent, but all those abbreviations give me a bad impression.

Answer 14

I no speeky ur langwidge...

Answer 15

y da f*k wud u sk dat ques?