Gizmodo
In a blatant example of downright-lazy journalism, the Wall Street Journal has just discovered the fact that, OH NOES, there is slang coming from the internet! And kids are using it irl (that's "in real life," for you WSJ writers).
It's the exact same story that pathetic local news stations use for scare stories between "Your New Carpet Could Give You AIDS" and "Highway Killings: More Common Than You Think." But it's even worse, as it's in a "respected" newspaper and it's a good five years beyond when this could even questionably be considered newsworthy.
It goes through the same formula that all these stories do: first, it uses an example of "l33t 5p34k" that is full of numbers, is pretty much unreadable and no one actually would ever use. This is to shock people into feeling like they're out of the loop. It then interviews a bunch of kids "in the know" about it, who then show that, well, it's really just a jokey set of misspellings that people say when around fellow dorks. Then, they interview some dude with his panties in a twist about how the English language is going down the tubes because kids are saying lawl to each other.
Let me break this down for you: Back when you were doing the Lindy Hop and wearing zoot suits, you had a set of slang too. It freaked your parents out. It was a way for you to bond with your peers and have a shared language. It did not destroy the sanctity of the English language when you said stuff like 23 Skidoo and bee's knees. This is the exact same thing, but because it comes from the internet, something else that's new and terrifying, you think it's even more disastrous. Well, guess what? It's not. You're an alarmist idiot. Now go back to complaining about how the Wendy's menu used to be a lot better before they banned trans fats and leave reporting about tech culture to people who know wtf they're talking about. [WSJ]
Comments
I bet Murdoch is behind this!!!
they dont know but all their base are belong to us so they're are fuxored
werd!
One acronym:
TFSU.
(is this getting old yet?)
qft.
I has ur language and i changes it!
@foofighter28: I never thought I would actually see someone use that term and have it actually make sense in the context of the topic (all their customer base). Clever.
In other news, the establishment continued to deny, marginalize, or eliminate anything and everything which they found confusing or frightening. The government is advising people to stay in their homes and stay tuned to Fox News for more information on their progress (clumsily) rooting out all that is innovative and good in this world.
American slang has been a core component of youth culture since at least 1870. Every generation has its own set of words that build a sense of commonality. To rail against youth slang is tantamount to saying "there are kids, and they are talking!".
Way to stay current, WSJ.
damn WSJ!! and to think i use that paper for investment opinions... *cancels subscription*
OMG WJS TFSU
Word??
:-)
Why is it that the front page shows 4 comments for this but when I click the post there's nothing here?
OMFGWTFBBQ 7h3s3 s7up1d phr34k5 7h1nk 7h3y kn02 n3w5???
Apparently us internet types speak entirely in "l33t 5p34k" in our daily lives.
Why didn't anyone tell me?
The writer's email address is at the end of the article. I'm sure he's going to regret that.
this post was the bee's knees, the cats pajamas, and all that other good stuff. woot.
Seriously, where's my Quarter Pound Texas Double? Best 99 cents you could spend.
+1
Here here!!! (or is it hear, hear... idk)
i saw this when i came into the office today. i swear i thought someone was cleaning out the files and left an old copy of break room table. the journal needs to focus on telling me which companies to invest in and why taxes are evil.
They're all a bunch of truck-jumping hyperactive AED sucking disc tossers.
Ur article SUX.
Hey! I LIKE the Wendy's menu. It's w00t!
So...
...what does "l33t 5p34k" really mean?
signed-
Out of the loop guy
7h15 w45 c00| b4ck wh3n 1 h4d 4 300 b4ud 4c0u571c c0up|3r m0d3m. 1n my 34r|y 733n5 1 h4d 40 M365 0f 570r463 5p4c3 4nd w45 571|| qu173 7h3 4|ph4 n3rd. N0w 1 4m f47, b4|d1n6, 4nd 4m 4 n4r3-d0-w3||.
1f 7h3 W4|| 57r337 J0urn4| h4d ju57 d0n3 4 |177|3 m0r3 r3534rch 7h3y w0u|d h4v3 f0und 7h47 4|| 34r|y 3|173 u53r5 4r3 n0w b4|d1n6, f47, 4nd n07 4 7hr347 70 4nyb0dy.
Pardon me:
This was cool back when I had a 300 baud acoustic coupler modem. In my early teens I had 40 Megs of storage space and was still quite the alpha nerd. Now I am fat, balding, and am a nare-do-well.
If the Wall Street Journal had just done a little more research they would have found that all early Elite users are now balding, fat, and not a threat to anybody.
Hey! I LIKE the Wendy's menu. It's happening!
WSJ is teh suxxors.
WSJ are a bunch of ideas....what a waste of a story
WSJ=fail.
Rupert Murdoch clearly has his finger directly on the pulse of todays culture.
Expect more great reporting on pertinent issues from the WSJ in the future, as the quotes grow even larger around "respected" newspaper.
W3RD!
Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work.
-Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967), New York Times Feb. 13, 1959
...and...
Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.
-Noah Webster
You tell 'em 404M! Maybe comic book decoder rings should be banned, and we should all just learn to get along and speak Esperanto!
this is sad/hilarious
Adam, you rock. That is all.
own3d
Well shiver me timbers, a rat's ass I do not give.
Is it possible you are being a bit of an alarmist idiot yourself? So it's dumb to get worked up over internet slang. It's also dumb to get worked up over articles on internet slang. I'm doing my best not to get worked up about an article on an article on internet slang.
@catbutt: and I'm not getting worked up about your post. Let's not have opinions on anything, ever!
|>0|>|>`/(0(|<
stallownd
I'm in your dictionary, destroying your language
Words fail me.
oh, wait ... here's one:
wankers
TFSU!
Old people are funny.
(oh crap I'm 38!)
I'm 37, I'm not old!
Here's a recent story from my local NBC affiliate:
javascript:popUp('/slideshow/mylife/13415032/detail.html','width=1024,height=750,top=0,left=0,scrollbars');
wtfbbq?!
th3 5ky 1s f@ll1ng!!!1
th3 5ky 1s f@ll1ng!!!1
eh that didn't work out at all...
TFSU is my new fave slang term oh yeah one more thing.u r 75h 5ux0r 4nd w3 l337 sp34k3rs5 w1ll j01n 70g37h3r 2 734 b46 73h n00b5 w007!
Quote: "It's ultimately about creating a secret language that can differentiate them from others, like parents"
If it was a secret language then it wouldn't be readable, now would it douchebag?
Idiots... WSJ would bow down to my awesomeness if i was lame enough to be an editor there.
7F5U WSJ Id10t5
PS. 01000010 01111001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01101101 01100101 00100001
WERE IN UR NUZPAPR USIN IT 4 KITTYLITTER
WSJ got pwned!!!!11one!
Ewowowzerz!!! 7h3s3 r $um 0f 73h b3$7 90$7$ 1v3 $33n 0n h3r3 1n 4 wh113.
pr0pz 2 FOOFIGHTER28, UNCLE_LEO, Windhawk (+7), Lorticon, N JERMJERM!
Just wait 'til this guy discovers the iPhone. His foundation will be rocked!