As a writer/journalist I try in my best effort to write content that makes grammatical sense. It is true I do break the traditional rules by using fragments, run-on sentences (like this one), shortening words for creative effect (ex: "Good ol’ IBM), starting sentences with and or but, and so on – but with blogging that’s acceptable because the internet demands content like that.

Make no mistake, the internet has changed the way we communicate right down to the very core of how we put ideas across. Where there was once format and informal writing, now there is formal, informal and internet, with internet obviously being the worst.

But then there’s the argument that internet language isn’t just a gross bastardization of the English language, but rather a creative outlet.

Certain things with internet language I agree with while others I don’t.

Agree: Shortening words that are very obvious as to what they mean

In some instances I agree with the way internet language puts things across if the term in question came from internet originally. A classic example of this is e-mail, which many write as email. Which is correct? Both are. Another is web site and website. Both of those are also correct.

The reason both are correct in each instance above is because you cannot mistake them for anything else.

Disagree: Abbreviating out of sheer laziness

Two examples: IRL and OTI. Do you know what either means?

IRL is In Real Life and OTI is On The Internet.

In usage: "OTI my sn is larr123, IRL i’m larry"

sn by the way, means screen name.

Using this abbreviated crap means you have to relearn a language you already know. It does not promote creativity whatsoever.

If you’re using a cell phone to write short messages with, then sure, I can understand using abbreviations. But if you’re in front of a PC with a full computer keyboard, you’re just being lazy.

Agree: Phonetic writing

This is a style of writing that took me a very long time to get used to. Originally it ticked me off something awful but over time I grew to accept it. Actually, tolerate would be a more appropriate rather than accept.

Example: "i lik ur blog"

Everything about the above example is absolutely wrong, but, you do know what it says and moreover understand what the expressed idea is.

I label this one as an agree only because you more or less have to in today’s world – particularly when communicating with children and teens.

The rough part is how to communicate back with them. What many don’t realize is that for a person age 7 to 13, internet phonetics are basically the only language they know. What this means is that if you type to them using proper English, they don’t understand it. You literally have to speak their language just to have a normal conversation.

It took me a long while before I could wrap my mind around this. You can’t say, "Away with that kid! He should know proper English!", because if you do, communication grinds to a halt. He won’t be able to express ideas to you, you not to them, and that’s bad.

Disagree: Using informal/internet as the new formal

I am vehemently against degrading formal writing in favor of informal or internet language because it breaks down communication.

A good example of this is with instructional documentation. The point of instructional documentation is, obviously, to instruct. It needs to be clear, concise and to the point. If interjected with needless crap, the documentation fails completely. Informal/internet writing has no place in documentation whatsoever.

The internet has learned over the years that you absolutely cannot run a service without good documentation. Such an example is Twitter’s FAQ. This is a good document. It answers every single question you would ever want to know about the service properly.

Twitter by nature has the bulk of its user content in short and sometimes cryptic messages – however their own documentation is long (in a good way), very descriptive and easy to understand. It goes to prove that when you’re the service provider, you can’t go with the informal/internet style because it just doesn’t work.

Have you run into internet language barriers in your life?

Do you have kids that use internet language? Can you decipher it?

Do you have coworkers that use texting language a little too much for their own good where it creeps into company emails and documents?

Is internet language truly creative or something that should be stamped out?

Let us know by posting a comment or two.

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