# What would you make of this writing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037 "2010-07-09T00:07:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/21 "2010-07-09T05:47:15Z")
I tried reading the OP, but it was giving me a really bad tension headache. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/22 "2010-07-09T05:51:13Z")
It reads like a stuttering problem. My inner voice says each word as an individual thing, rather than regular flowing speech. It takes me three times longer to read it than standard text would. The guy sounds like an absolute tool. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/23 "2010-07-09T07:09:56Z")
What would I make of this writing? Why, I could make a hat, or a brooch, or a pterodactyl! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/24 "2010-07-09T07:12:06Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > To me, all but the last one were completely readable and made perfect sense. While it’s not a high literary form, I estimate it saves time to type. It makes me suspect the poster’s intelligence, but I know some people who post like that from time to time and are eminently smart. As for the demographics of the post in question, in my perhaps racist mind it conjures up the image of a black teenager, but in my actual experience young and male are the only descriptors that are nigh-universally true. The abbreviated words I don’t mind, but it takes no more effort to write ‘the’ and ‘life’ than ‘tha’ and ‘lyfe’. And yes, it does indeed “conjure up the image of a black teenager” (nothing racist about that, it was a couple decades ago that some black leaders were attempting to legitimize “ebonics”), which is why it’s almost certain that the writer is a white kid- it’s too contrived. Girls who write Personal ads on the Net looking for a guy who’s a “straight-up thug” who’s “keepin it real” are usually not black or Hispanic. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/25 "2010-07-09T07:59:55Z")
Appears to be friggin’ illiterate to me. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/26 "2010-07-09T13:56:42Z")
“I am intentionally illiterate and I don’t care who knows it!” This isn’t somebody making mistakes in writing, it’s somebody who’s somewhere between not even _trying_ to write correctly and deliberately trying to be _in_correct. Thing is, if this is how he and his friends choose to communicate over facebook, let 'em. I don’t really care. Facebook isn’t the real world. I’m going to hold out some hope (for now at least) that they wouldn’t get away with this style in a school assignment or on a job application. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/27 "2010-07-09T14:10:56Z")
Looks like a text message from one of my kids. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/28 "2010-07-09T15:53:27Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > “I am intentionally illiterate and I don’t care who knows it!” > > This isn’t somebody making mistakes in writing, it’s somebody who’s somewhere between not even _trying_ to write correctly and deliberately trying to be _in_correct. Well yeah, obviously (someone has to invent a sarcastic smiley). > [@Wheelz](#): > > Thing is, if this is how he and his friends choose to communicate over facebook, let 'em. I don’t really care. Facebook isn’t the real world. I’m going to hold out some hope (for now at least) that they wouldn’t get away with this style in a school assignment or on a job application. Gawd, let’s hope not. Although with some of the teaching styles these days… ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/29 "2010-07-09T18:28:14Z")
I’ve always thought it’s an environmentally friendly language. Less strokes on the keyboard will mean it lasts longer and less of the earth’s precious resources are used on a replacement. Young people these days show an amazing commitment to Saving The Planet. I might be barking up the wrong tree though… ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/30 "2010-07-09T18:35:56Z")
Typical text-speak. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/31 "2010-07-09T18:44:58Z")
The first two entries look like they could have been entered using a phone, rather than a real keyboard. I also thought the person might be stoned. Edited: After re-reading what I wrote, I meant to say that I thought the person was stoned when he wrote it, not that he should be taken out and executed. However, I am reaching the age where the latter is becoming increasingly more attractive. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/32 "2010-07-09T18:47:29Z")
Apparently the author is young, has dogs, is generally pleased with their current living situation, is religious, is devoted to family and friends, and recently suffered a romantic disappointment. Unfortunately, said author choose to express those sentiments in a style somewhat less pleasant than fingernails on a chalkboard. Of course, by using that metaphor, I out myself as one of the grumpy old dudes. But I have better insurance and a lawn to chase kids off. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/33 "2010-07-09T19:58:30Z")
The last line makes me tend towards believing it is female, but, then again, that might be my bias, as most of the young people I have on Facebook are female. There are just not that many guys in my church youth group. Still, the only thing “guy” about it is that it is trying to hard to impress by using “cool” misspellings. But that’s picking up amongst the female population, too. Oh, and definitely white, as she’s frontin’. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/34 "2010-07-09T20:39:23Z")
It made me picture a female around 22-ish who is not too strong on book smarts. Could be any ethnicity; IME elements of AAVE are fairly widespread among the younger crowd so this person might have learned to talk/write that way from friends, pop culture, etc, and is not necessarily frontin’. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/35 "2010-07-09T20:39:33Z")
I just laughed out loud when I thought I read that the dogs just got done eating each other. Other than that, there’s nothing remarkable about these posts. –Acsenray, lovin lyfe god fam n tha homies ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/36 "2010-07-10T22:05:36Z")
Thanks for the opines. This actually belongs to a relative that I see probably two or three times a year, but have never actually spent any time with. While I “get” the text speak, I suspect that the “regular” writing skills are not much better. I saw one message once in which the word “failing” was spelled “feeln.” While getting a job is still rough for a lot of people, I suspect that a lot of employers would dismiss an application written so poorly from the get-go. Again, I wasn’t really looking for a poll on guessing the demographics, but having said that. . . Day-um! > [@umop\_ap\_sdn](#): > > It made me picture a female. . . Check. > [@](#): > > . . . around 22-ish. . . Check. 21. > [@](#): > > who is not too strong on book smarts. Check. 10th grade dropout > [@](#): > > Could be any ethnicity; Check. Primarily White, but a good mix of not-so-White > [@](#): > > . . . this person might have learned to talk/write that [AAVE] way from friends, pop culture, etc, and is not necessarily frontin’. Check. School is 80% Black. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/37 "2010-07-11T18:26:56Z")
Why are you reading my 20-year-old cousin’s wall? - Lucky 13, jus chillin ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/38 "2010-07-11T20:06:53Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Writng like that makes me both happy and slighly ashamed that I don’t put my English education degree to better use by actually teaching kids. You can only lead the horse to water… ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/39 "2010-07-12T00:47:39Z")
Wow. Do I win the thread? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037/40 "2011-08-17T21:19:45Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I just laughed out loud when I thought I read that the dogs just got done eating each other. > > Other than that, there’s nothing remarkable about these posts. > > –Acsenray, lovin lyfe god fam n tha homies I am somewhat ashamed to say that I understood that she was saying that “the dogs just got done eating, and other than that, she was just,” etc. If I didn’t know people who wrote like that, I wouldn’t have understood that, as she didn’t put anything there between ‘eatin each other’ and ‘dat im goin 2 b in tha livin room’. I wish I didn’t understand that. It hurts to read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-make-of-this-writing/546037.md?page=3)