25

Recently, in one of the more niche tags I follow, a new user has cropped up and started answering questions - very well to his credit - but one thing that stands out is his use of shortened "text speak" language. I'm no dinosaur by any means, but I'm not sure that using that sort informal language like that fits Stack Overflow.

Words like "ur" and "plz" crop up a lot, but they are getting upvotes because often the code is correct. Should I correct the language used to the Queen's English or just get over it?

|improve this question
30

Should I correct the language used to the queens english or just get over it?

You should correct it. Not only is text speak infuriating, it must be completely impenetrable to those users for whom English is not their primary language. The programming issues we're tackling here are complex enough without having to work to decipher the language used to explain them.

In my humble opinion it'd also be worth dropping the user a comment to ask him/her to use full English, and even to flag to a moderator any repeat offenders who simply refuse to mend their ways.

|improve this answer
  • 3
    "Not only is text speak infuriating [...] IMHO"? lol... – H.B. Sep 8 '11 at 8:39
  • 10
    @H.B. IMHO iz not part of the txt spk that we all h8. – Pekka Sep 8 '11 at 8:44
  • 2
    Thts db8abl tbh – Dunhamzzz Sep 8 '11 at 8:45
  • 1
    I fxd it nw. l8rs. – razlebe Sep 8 '11 at 8:48
  • 1
    I ♥ ygm ----- – Pekka Sep 8 '11 at 8:49
  • 7
    If this wasn't on Meta, I would flag those comments. Because it offends my mind and soul. – tombull89 Sep 8 '11 at 8:57
  • Posted against any other answer, I would too. – razlebe Sep 8 '11 at 9:00
16

Flag him for moderator attention. We'll drop him a little love note and ask him kindly to stop.

Or, you can just leave him a comment pointing him to this question. That may work just as well.

|improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .