Hackspeak, "l33t sp34k", etc..

[sonnik]

This isn't so much about the practice itself, I'm just fascinated by "synthetic languages" that have come from pop culture or the Internet.

I often check out Slashdot (or other news/Social Media sites). There's a link for XKCD at Slashdot that describes XKCD as "(It's teh funz0rz)"

I also think it's quite impressive that someone has actually put Klingon into a structured language.

I've noticed there are two different flavors of hackspeak and l33t sp34k, and there are different translators online.

But I'm confused on words like "funz0rz" - what is that akin to in English? (Funnest? Funzorz?) I know "teh" is a typo variant of the... but the other aspects of these in-jokes are often lost on me. In other words, if you miss Slashdot or Digg for a week - you'll never catch up on the "in" jokes of this language. ("Boom goes the dynamite", OMG!!Ponies, etc...)

I guess this can be a thread about if the Internet/Technology is degrading language.

[knownzero]

As a friend of mine once said after I corrected him about certain word useage or phrasing: "English is a living language and I'm just trying to evolve it a little." Funny at the time but now I think I understand what he was trying to convey. Probably helped that he was an English Lit major.

[dcheesi]

I guess this can be a thread about if the Internet/Technology is degrading language.Wt r u talkin a bowt! Mi langwaje != degr8ed!!1! ;)

[monsterjoe]

I appreciate it for what it is and agree with your friend's thought of evolving language. It's important to embrace it, to an extent.

It doesn't annoy me at all like I know it does others.

[Gus]

But I'm confused on words like "funz0rz" - what is that akin to in English?You can add "z0r" or "z0rz" to an otherwise un-l33table word to make it l33t. It doesn't really change the meaning. It's sort of like the SNL skit where the guy added "-orama" and other suffixes to everyone's names.

[mbklein]

-z0rz (and its variants) is also a superlative suffix. When something iz rly teh suck, it suxx0rz.

[Otto]

Etymology of -z0rz: originally comes from "source" as in "source code". So when something is the funz0rz, it is a source of fun.

Also, urbandictionary is a good place to get the skinny on phrases like this.

[scooterboy]

I don't embrace it - I can't stand it. I'm one of those old farts that are annoyed by it. :)

That said - I don't mind new slang in the language, but I don't like any of the styles that makes sentences hard to read. I just immediately skip over anything like that, and I doubt that's the author's intention.

I also skip gigantic blocks of text that aren't split up into paragraphs. I find them hard to read as well.

[Otto]

That said - I don't mind new slang in the language, but I don't like any of the styles that makes sentences hard to read. I just immediately skip over anything like that, and I doubt that's the author's intention.

I also skip gigantic blocks of text that aren't split up into paragraphs. I find them hard to read as well.

I don't generally use it, but I do find it amusing from time to time. I've never really found one that I can't understand though.

Also, you're talking about a wall of text (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wall+of+text). Everybody hates those.

[trainman]

I still enjoy LOLcats, and the language thereof.

[scooterboy]

I still enjoy LOLcats, and the language thereof.
I can enjoy those too, because they're short and easy to understand.

But a post from which you're supposed to get some real meaning shouldn't be made difficult to read IMO. And some "leetspeak" is difficult, or at least slows down my reading of it to the point that I don't care what they have to say anymore.

Like I said - old fart. :)

[mbklein]

I still enjoy LOLcats, and the language thereof.
Oldest lolcat in existence. Caption actually scratched onto the negative:

http://www.webanswers.com/post-images/E/E7/138CC941-132C-1504-8856148CA2D6116F.jpg

ETA: Actual photo from 1905.

[trainman]

ETA: Actual photo from 1905.

Wow, that means it even predates Aloysius Koford's "The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats" comic panels.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/805257904_fbc9bdf68d.jpg

[mbklein]

I <3 Apelad. :)