It's OK to keep AIMing

fooby12 writes "According to the Univeristy of Toronto instant messaging does not hurt the grammar of the people who use it. From the article: "With 80% of Canadian teenagers using instant messaging and adopting its unique linguistic shorthand, many teachers and parents are concerned about the medium's potential to corrupt kids' grammar. But instant messaging doesn't deserve its bad reputation as a spoiler of syntax, suggests a new study from the University of Toronto.""

Comments

NO WAI!

[RobertB-DC]

My first thought, of course, was:

  {o,o}
  |)__)
  -"-"-
O RLY?

{o.o}
|)_(|
-"-"-
YA RLY

  {o,o}
  (__(|
  -"-"-
NO WAI!

(Courtesy of the usual suspects)

Instant msg-ing messes with grammar? As if! lol!

[Neoncow]

The title of the story has it all wrong. 'lol' does not require an exclamation mark. It is implied. These lingusts should learn how to IM. lol

that is gd

[TheOldSchooler]

i wuz wurried that im'n 2 much wuz m/king me 4get gd gremmer.

Canadian teens?

[PoitNarf]

Well now I know this is BS, because whenever I am speaking to a Canadian they mispell common words like color and flavor! For some reason they put a u in between the o and the r. It must be some new l33t speak or something...

Fun with Punctuation

[Aabra]

Blatently ripped from Eats, Shoots & Leaves :) Dear Jack, I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours? Jill Dear Jack, I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men I yearn! For you I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart I can be forever happy. Will you let me be? Yours, Jill

I agree....

[MattS423]

I've been AIMing for years, and I can write a coherent sentance. In fact, with the latest speech-to-text programs, I don't even have to use AIM shorthand...i can just speak and dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all.

Re:Telegraph didn't hurt anybody's grammar

[null_session]

Good point (stop)

Not correct to assume message content affected by path (stop)

Silly people (stop)

Re:To the Contrary!

[Distinguished Hero]

I've used AIM and IRC excessively in the past few years, and it has led me to getting a nearly perfect score on my English SAT exams.

I'm pretty sure that "it has led me to getting" is grammatically incorrect. You might want to try "it has led to me getting" instead; while it involves splitting an infinitive, a practice frowned upon by some, I believe it to be far more correct than your version.

Some people may actually improve based on the widespread use of IMs, just like emails or passing notes in class...

Furthermore, "just like emails or passing notes in class" is not a complete clause, so I don't believe your other sentence to be grammatically correct either. I intend no offense; however, you attaining a near perfect sore on your "SAT exam" may say more about the aptitude of the SAT to measure your proficiency with the English language than it does about your own aptitude.

P.S. English is my third language. If I have made any grammatical mistakes in my post, feel free to correct them; however, if you do happen to come across such mistakes, please keep my ameliorating circumstance in mind.

Re: "Net doesn't corrupt grammar??!"

[TaoPhoenix]

Chaucer:

That it was May thus dremed me
In time of love and jollite
That al thyng gynneth waxen gay
For there is neither busk nor hay
In May that it nyl shrouded ben,
And it with new leves wryen.
These greves eke recoveren grene,
That dry in wynter ben to sen,
And the erthe waxeth proude withal
For swete dewes that on it falle . . .

'Tweener Net

in mAY i hd a drem
like a stry it seems
i luv it now lol
tht all that ssht is kewl
May has these prety leeves
Fck hey its green like sleves
Winter sukked so flipin cold
gimme a light i feel so old
i duno and i dont care
aint a shame that i live here