Uh, I'll use "u" if I damned well please.

I’m not the OP of this thread; however, I think there’s a lot of irony in someone spending time to type out a holier-than-thou reply to someone who chooses to use “u” or “u r” as a way of using SHORTHAND.

The point of using “u” or “u r” whenever I do, which admittedly isn’t very often, is to abbreviate typing if I’m either in a hurry, tired, lazy, drunk, what have you. You do not strain your brain any more to read “u” instead of “you”; in fact, you may just be saving some precious milliseconds in calculation that you could better spend reading threads from people who are as eloquent as you are.

In any case, I don’t see what the fucking problem with using “u” is. Do the same people who use “u” also use acronyms? Why not abolish those, too? I mean, what kind of person would you be for slamming someone for using “u” when you, yourself, are using “BRB” as opposed to the much more eloquent “Be right back”?

Shit, I hope none of you use “OK” either. You’ll have to pit yourselves for not typing out the entire “Okay” (depending on which dictionary you use to justify your anal retentiveness). In any case, it’s clear that “OK” developed from someone’s “cuteness” in deciding not to type “okay”.

If I’m writing a nice, formal memo, u can b damn sure that I won’t b using phrases such as “u guys need 2 hurry up and build these cuz r customers need them k thxu”. However, in a much more social setting such as – gasp – the SDMB, I see no reason not to go ahead and use shorthand when it’s REALLY FUCKING OBVIOUS what I mean to say, whether you like it or not.

And if I do, and you decide to write out a multi-paragraph essay on why it annoys you, be forewarned that you’re only serving to release your own ill-formed frustration and I will only mock your reply. So don’t waste your time with me, but instead go chat with more educated individuals.

Using twelveyearoldhormonalgirlAOLspeak is REALLY FUCKING OBNOXIOUS.

Try this on for size: don’t post when tired, hurried, lazy or drunk. If you can’t communicate with your “peers” in a manner that indicates your relative level of literacy, then refrain from posting. This is not a Britney Spears fanboard. Cecil doesn’t r0xxx0rz. Bush isn’t teh suxx0rz. LOL OMG.

It bothered me when paul’smars did it and it bothers me when you do it, Civil Defense

Why? Because it makes you look like a 13 year old* idiot and I will from now on discount everything you say as the rantings of the above mentioned pubescent moron.

*not all 13 year olds are idiots nor do they feel it necessary to leave out letters in very very short words, such as “be”.

If you don’t want people to respond, don’t post in The Pit.

If you can’t understand the concept that “u” means, get this-- “you,” then I’d say that it’s you who has the problem with understanding communication.

Miss the whole fucking point much?

<sarcasm>Aw, shucks, 2 bad 4 me then.</sarcasm>

I’d love to see your logic applied to everyday issues- for example, do you discount the things our President says simply because he mispronounces words and, at times, makes up his own words?

I have no problem with “U” instead of “you”. Personally, I never use them myself. It would actually take me more time to think of it than to just type. I type almost as fast as I think, so no need here.

I also have no problem with other abbreviations like: BRB, LOL … whatever.

One thing that makes me CRAZY is when it takes the same amount of letters to spell the “new word”.

“Kewl” makes my skin crawl.

You’re in a hurry, and can’t type an extra “y” and “o”???

How fucking slow do you type?

Let me help you out a bit. They’re both on the top row of letters. Only two keys between them. Matter of fact, one of them is a “u”.

No it isn’t[/nitpick]

I forgot to thank Starving Artist for his/her eloquent answer to the u r b typer in the linked thread.

I owe you a beer.

[hats off to you smiley]

Fuck yes. Next stupid question?

[nitpick]
Then, let me instead accuse them of being hypocritical for not typing

  1. okeh
  2. oll korrect
  3. open key
  4. o. kendall & sons
  5. aux cayes
  6. obediah kelly
  7. olla kalla
  8. ober-kommando
    [/nitpick]

My apologies for assuming it instead sprang from “okay”.

In any case, the people who are likely to get pissed off if I feel like typing the equally-understood “u” are those who I wouldn’t really want to waste time communicating with, anyway, namely SUTA condescending pricks.*

*yes, yes, irony.

Bwahahaha!

No, it’s not remotely “clear.” In fact, it’s utterly wrong, and perhaps poetic justice that part of your support for the propagation of ignorance rests on… well… ignorance.

In any event, the use of these ridiculous shortcuts makes you look like an illiterate fool. You may well not be, but you can hardly be heard to complain when people read your absurdly spastic typing and conclude otherwise.

  • Rick

Actually, I do discount most of what he says because he does sound like a complete idiot. I think he is a complete idiot, but that isn’t the subject in question here. You can find plenty of other threads on this great message board of ours concerning Pres. Bush’s mental acuity.

You, however, are rapidly proving yourself to be a moron regardless of the way you conduct yourself on this message board.

Whoops, I ment u r stoopid.

Grammatically wrong or not, are you seriously suggesting that associating “u” with “you” is NOT clear when read in a sentence?

Example:

u r number 3 in line.

You are number 3 in line.

You seriously can not distinguish between the two? They are not both crystal clear?

Wow. I rest my case.

Goddammit! Do you have the reading comprehension of a fucking scallop?!?!

You realize this is all Prince’s fault, right?

Um, Bricker was referring to your use of clear in your assertion that OK came from okay.

Dumbass.

Yes. Yes, I do. Now, if you will be so kind as to ignore all future posts from me, because, clearly, I am below your acceptable level of conversational intelligence, then we can both be about our business and you can find much smaller, menial things to pick at, I’m sure.

You are free to use “u” or “b” or “r” or “m” or whatever shorthand you wish. I am free to interpret that as your lack of care or respect to communicate well and properly, and I am also free to come to any conclusions about the level of education you present. One way or another, using substandard communication shows that you either do not know or do not care to make the effort; it also shows a tremendous lack of respect for the non-native English-as-a-second-or-third-language posters on the Straight Dope. Justify your laziness to them, if you will.