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.