Language

As it happens, forum speak has been around longer than text speak and quickly becomes second nature. Doesn't have anything to do with age or being trendy.

Anacronyms are the lingua franca of message boards and using them has nothing to do with emulating anyone, trendy or not.

It has nothing to do with denigrating the English language, which is in a constant state of flux anyway.

It's an easy shorthand. You can decide whether you want to use it or not.

I'm in my sixties and have been using it for years.

With respect, might I invite you to get over this a little?

There's no such thing as "We are the generation" - unless you are assuming that all grandparents elderly old gimmers who tut about "Modern Ways" and refuse to accept that the use of language will change over time. Not all of us hark back to the days when Clement Attlee was Prime Minister and while I detest "txt spk" there's really no need to be pedantic about the use of simple acronyms on the internet - all of which can save a deal of time and can be understood perfectly well by anyone prepared to put in the most modest effort.

I'm beginning to get the distinct impression that Gransnet will not be a much-needed cool place for grandparents to hang out but instead will develop into a choleric home for the sanctimoniously pedantic. Which is a great shame and an opportunity lost for those of us who'd rather like to be in the company of people who share the status of grandparent but also want to have objective discussions that range from serious to downright, gloriously silly.

Thank god for the voice of reason Pandemonia .

No, no, no! We're determined not to be sanctimoniously pedantic! We are going to be cool and interesting. Not sure that that's dependent on our attitude to acronyms, though...

ditto what Slinky said

What Pandemonia said.
Even if you're a touch-typist it can be a pain trying to type a response quickly.
For some reason I am very comfortable using the acronyms that have been around as long as t'interweb, but I loathe txt-spk with a passion. I am the sort of sad old git person who uses proper grammar and spelling (and punctuation) in text messages.

So - hang around a while and you'll soon get used to it.

Oh - and bear in mind that the age range on here could be from 30s to 80s+. So our educational experiences may vary a little...

Nicely put Pandemonia. I was hoping this would be a place to spend some time, exchange ideas and have a chuckle with cool grandparents. Acronyms are a part of Net life, FFS.

Oh FFS! We can't swear, we have to spell correctly we have to make sure our grammar is correct and God help us if we have tatoos on our backs...............................

Pandemonia - thank you for your voice of reason

Sixtiesgirl, probably easier to learn the lingo!

Oh lawks! I missed the tattoo injunction.

That's me -fucked done for then!

Pandemonia, I think you and I are going to enjoy this site !!

Allow me to second that, Diva!

I'd like to nominate Divawithattitude and Pandemonia as co-chairs of the People's Front for the Liberation of GransNet. Can we have The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" as our anthem please?

Seeing this, I think I'm glad I joined! I belong to other internet forums (or should that be 'fora'?) and really try not to get bogged down in petty things that can easily degenerate into slanging matches, however, here's my two-pennyworth
I use proper English, having been taught grammar and spelling at school, and text speak makes by blood boil, but language isn't a static entity, it evolves and develops and we have to do the same to keep up with it. Relax and enjoy the ability to communicate by any means, so thumbs up to Diva and Pandemonia!

PS Just because I'm a grandparent doesn't mean that I'm dead from the waist down nor the neck up - I have two tattoos and a pierced belly button

Oh thanks PoppaRob, or anything by Jimi Hendrix.........................

I'm also one of the people who don't use text speak - even for the words text speak!! -- (I do use too many exclamation marks though!!!) --- but I don't mind using initials, sometimes that is easier. I find that, often, I don't even understand what is being said in text speak! My eldest granddaughter often has to explain what she's texting, which then takes her longer - so, she has resigned herself to using as correct English as she is able to use, when texting to me!!
I loved English lessons at school, and maybe that is why I am the way I am, plus, my parents never liked 'slang' and always made me use 'correct' English - as in Wellingtons, not 'Wellies'. No, we weren't posh, or well off, we lived in a terraced house in Liverpool, and my parents were working class.
I don't use language in messages - IMPO (!!) I can't see the need to actually write something down. I am not someone who doesn't swear - if the cat walks in front of me and trips me up, if I fall down the stairs, if I get angry, then yes, I will come out with the odd s**t, but, that is done in anger/pain or whatever. In writing, there's the time to think about what you want to write, and I don't think we are really in a mad rush to finish a message within a certain time.
Okay, that's my two penneth!!

I can't quite understand why anyone would want to use textspeak on a forum. Its not as though you are paying for sending the message and so have to keep it brief.

When I text i use complete words plus full and proper punctuation.

Very commendable Jangly, perhaps others will explain their position on this to you so you are able to understand the use of shortened forms, many of which are not necessarily textspeak.

I use a number of websites where initials or other names for family members are used such as the DH for dear husband, in rela life I would never call my old man my dear h usband so I tend not to use them myself, OTOH, it is sometimes nothing more than a timesaving device for those of us who are a little pressed for time or just downright impatient!

I wasn't asking for commendations! Those three grins meant I was laughing at myself.

I do understand textspeak and short forms on forums. I've probably been on mumsnet longer than you!

Why don't you drop the attitude? Its pointless.

I'm beginning to get the distinct impression that Gransnet will not be a much-needed cool place for grandparents to hang out but instead will develop into a choleric home for the sanctimoniously pedantic. Which is a great shame and an opportunity lost for those of us who'd rather like to be in the company of people who share the status of grandparent but also want to have objective discussions that range from serious to downright, gloriously silly.
Oh I do hope you are wrong, i am sure this is going to be a great site

nanamo...like you, I joined Gransnet because I hoped that it would be, amongst other things, honest-to-goodness fun - if I was mistaken, I shall quit and make better use of my time.

..just got dictionary out to find out what pedantic means, because I think it's going to be my new favourite word and I want to slip it into conversations; by the way, my grammar and spelling are getting awful these days so I hope people bear [bare?] with me in this [I have always hated bad grammar and spelling!]...also checks out spelling of grammar in dictionary; phew ... got it right....I think this forum is going to be jolly good fun.....