Re: OT: Oh dear

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:23:20 +0000, peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Peter
Ceresole) wrote:

Ian Robinson <junk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

People a few hundred years from now will struggle to read
English from today. It'll change. We can't specify how it will change.

That's surely true.

LOL
and their ilk might, or might not, be part of the language then.

Whatever the change might be, 'LOL' has no virtues at all. Doesn't sound
good or look good. None of the changes, in themselves, are inevitable. I
reckon it's a good idea to fight against the sloppy, the boring and the
mindless.

Is it just possible you are missing the point re the likes of lol
though? (Either that or you really are a prude!) ;-)

IMHO it's just another shortcut tool (typically) used in an instant
messaging environment to convey a feeling of levity, an emotional
shorthand, an 'Ok' etc.

Assuming you ever used any IM (and my Dad wouldn't, way beneath him ..
'boring' ...) how would you convey that the three or four words you
just received were funny, that you get the drift, haven't taken it the
wrong way, without plugging away and writing a long paragraph in
return (and you have to write *something*, that's also the point).

You know how difficult it is with some to convey the spirit of what
they are saying with text [1]. Many of us have mates where an opening
of 'Twat' [2] (be it IM, TXT or voice) would (always) be taken as a
form of endearment [3]. With others (even those you thought were
'friends') you may not be able to do said because it's quite possible
they could take it the wrong way. You may not understand this
'ruffian, uncouth, common' way of talking to people but trust me it's
at the heart of many a conversation between ordinary folk. That
doesn't make them lesser human beings, no matter what you or any
(other?) 'prudes' may think. :-)

It's all instant (hence why it's called IM) and should be snappy and
often throwaway etc. Like I said before, anything more formal, write
an email or worse a letter.

So (and re your friend), someone who uses the likes of lol in IM may
well slip the odd one into an email, especially if it was the 'Hi'
rather than CV type. Should you pass judgment on her for something so
innocent or trivial, not in my world you wouldn't.

Do you say to everyone you pass "Good morning, how are you, hope you
are well, how are things in general ... ?" or might you (more often)
just nod, smile or say "mornin", "alright?" or 'Ok?"

If you never say the later then I'm afraid you (and a couple of
others) were born a century too late. ;-)

(And I'm not saying there isn't room for both, but both ARE equally
acceptable, time n place etc).

T i m


[1] Like here. Over time a picture has emerged re those who have
killfiled me and those who are open minded enough to accept the real
(rather than 'e') world is full of different people, all with their
own weird ways, habits and preferences. My intentions, attitudes,
preferences have to a large extent stayed the same (as I have owned
Macs for a long time now). You 'chose' Mac's because *for you* they
worked better / nicer / easier than PC's. For me the experience is
opposite but whilst I'm happy to accept both views some are so filled
with bile and hatred they often miss the intent, the spirit of what is
being said and take stuff the wrong way.

[2] This is how an MSN conversation started from one of the Wife's
workmates to me yesterday morning:

Her: burp
Her: ooops pardon me

She's a product manager of a fairly large company and a very nice,
intelligent, caring and considerate woman.

I wonder if you are able to 'get' what she was saying and why?


[3] I have one mate who didn't reply to a TXT I sent him. He phoned me
a while later apologising for not replying sooner because he 'didn't
like' what I had said in the text. *He* admitted it was ridiculous as
he was happy for me to say the same sort of thing to his face and
understood I meant it jokingly, but just didn't like it by text. We
had a laugh about it and I don't do that with him again.

p.s. This is my last try with you on this. I would really think hard
if an 'lol' is really actually, really worth losing a friend over. If
it is then my respect for you (and I do respect you) will have to go
down a notch (much as though I understand your goals).
.

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