Text-Speak - txt-spk: There seems to have been a... - Thyroid UK

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Text-Speak - txt-spk

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK
192 Replies

There seems to have been a lot more "text speak" and other abbreviated language in posts recently. Please avoid this so that others can read your contributions more readily.

Many people suffering from thyroid issues struggle enough reading properly written replies without struggling to interpret lots of shortened "words". Shortened forms which make perfect sense to you, the poster, at the time, might make little sense to someone else, whose first language possibly isn't English, and who might be feeling awful and brain-fogged.

In order to give an example of the difficulty of understanding slang/text speak, I have converted the above into a form of text speak:

ther sEmz 2 hav Bin a lot mo "text speak" & othR abbreviated lngwij n posts recntly. pls avoid DIS so dat others cn rED yor contributions mo readily.

mNE ppl suffering frm thyroid isUz struggle Enuf reading properly RitN replies w/o struggling 2 interpret lots of shortnD "words". shortnD forms whch mAk perfect senS 2 you, d poster, @ d time, mite mAk ltl senS 2 SOME1 else, whuz 1st lngwij possibly isn't English, & hu mite b fEln awful & brain-fogged.

Thank you

[ A repeat posting - previously posted 4th October 2016, 30th January 2016, May 17th 2015, 23rd March 2915. ]

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helvella profile image
helvella
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192 Replies
Margo profile image
Margo

I agree helvella . Can I also add the bright yellow smiley face emoji's, I find those very distracting, and avoid reading replies in most cases, they make my poor struggling thyroid eyes struggle to read. Do we really need to know the writers mood?!!

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Margo

Sometimes I feel they do help to emphasise that a comment was meant lightly - it is so very easy to misinterpret plain text.

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to helvella

Can't agree on that one helvella , what did we do before emoji's came into the picture. Didn't we learn at school to express ourselves with our vocabulary?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Margo

Seems to me that very few people did. They certainly don't seem to learn punctuation, anymore, and that's what I find hardest - long tracts of text with no punctuation - à la James Joyce, only less well done.

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to greygoose

I agree greygoose . What's happened to the education system!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Margo

Well, as I heard it, the powers that be decided that grammar and spelling, etc. weren't important, what was important was that the child was allowed to express itself fully. So, they stopped teaching all those things. Only to find that without bricks, you cannot build a wall. And the children were unable to express themselves at all without the building bricks of grammar, punctuation, etc. I could have told them that, but no-one ever listens to me! lol (Sorry! Can't resist, and it does point out that I'm just joking, there, which is rather important when it could be taken either way by people who don't know me.)

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to greygoose

My understanding too greygoose , so sad!

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to greygoose

Never Greygoose, you being taken the wrong way!!😆x

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Rmichelle

Oh, it happens!

Valarian profile image
Valarian in reply to greygoose

And few would say that “Ulysses” and “Finnegan’s Wake” are an easy read, brilliant as they might be.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Valarian

I was thinking of Molly Bloom's soliloquy at the end of Ulysses. Obviously James Joyce uses punctuation apart from that. I wasn't denigrating James Joyce or his books.

alchemilla12 profile image
alchemilla12 in reply to greygoose

heartily agree! I was soundly warned by admin to desist when I asked a poster to add some punctuation as I couldnt make sense of what was written.punctuation is the key to proper communication ( as a former English teacher!)

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to alchemilla12

Really? I think that's rather unreasonable on the part of admin. I tend to ignore posts with no punctuation. It's often difficult enough to get the gist of some posts, but if you don't know where one sentence ends and another begins, then there's so much scope for misunderstanding. Or should I say, so much more scope. :(

Valarian profile image
Valarian in reply to alchemilla12

But not everyone will have had your level of training and education.

Are we really insisting that our members must achieve at least GCSE Grade C level English in their posts ?

alchemilla12 profile image
alchemilla12 in reply to Valarian

of course not -but basic punctuation is taught even in primary schools.

Dee8686 profile image
Dee8686 in reply to alchemilla12

I might add a few capital letters to your post too, Miss! X

alchemilla12 profile image
alchemilla12 in reply to Dee8686

but that hasn't stopped you understanding what I'm saying - whereas a lack of punctuation often makes things unintelligible !

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to alchemilla12

You slipped up there.😊

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to Dee8686

😆😆

Valarian profile image
Valarian in reply to helvella

I’m ok with emojis, and txtspk is ok in text messages, but I too find it irritating in other situations.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Valarian

In the days before predictive text that can work reasonably well, I too would accept text speak. Now, however, I rarely use any such short-forms. Obviously, quality of predictive text depends on the device/software!

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to helvella

Obviously, quality of predictive text depends on the device/software!

And also on the quality of the proof-reading of the author. There are some posts that people clearly haven't read after they wrote them e.g. there are sometimes autocorrect errors affecting every sentence which make the author's meaning impenetrable.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to Valarian

Nah. I use full words and punctuation in text messages, too. Far too easy to be misunderstood if you don't.

in reply to Margo

Oh good oh Margo! One must speak the Queen's English.

in reply to

We don't all speak the queen's English!

in reply to

Sorry, I meant no offense to you from across the pond.

in reply to

None taken. 😊

Kell-E profile image
Kell-E in reply to

:)

Anthea55 profile image
Anthea55

I do so agree.

And please don't forget those of us of an older generation for whom text messages did not exist for most of our lives. We have no idea what some of those words mean. Why do people keep putting "lol" into messages? Is there a dictionary of text words somewhere?

Yoshbosh profile image
Yoshbosh in reply to Anthea55

You can look them up on line. I often have to do that...!

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Yoshbosh

We shouldn't have to!

Yoshbosh profile image
Yoshbosh in reply to helvella

No, I know! Sometimes I simply don’t have a clue what is being said, and I don’t want to ask. I also worry that maybe the poster has learning difficulties and they don’t mean to post something illegible, so I don’t want to be accused of not being inclusive 😆

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Yoshbosh

If someone is desperate and can't manage to post in beautifully formed sentences, I think we should all cut a bit of slack. It is when people repeatedly post like that for what appears no reason other than it has become their default posting style, that is when I get less tolerant.

in reply to helvella

This is a very good post that points out ways that make reading and understanding easy or difficult. As I read I realize I use emojis, lol's, etc. I look at my posts as I would a 'first draft' . I go back and correct what I think is not clear but sometimes this is too frustrating and time consuming for me. I see myself in a lot of these complaints and since my goal is to write a helpful, clear and easy to understand reply I would appreciate if anyone has a problem with something I wrote that they mention it to me as a reply. I would not be offended as long as it is done in an informative non-sarcastic way. I'd prefer to know. For me computer language was at first a completely foreign language for me and it took me time to learn abbreviations and the like. I'm 74 and it seems to me that younger people who grew up with computers write totally different than I was taught. So if my posts aren't clear I would appreciate being told. I do like 2 "text-speaks;" Emojis and LOL. This is because sometimes when I write something I want others to understand that my meaning is lighthearted and friendly rather than critical. I know how to write-have written for professional journals in my time. I always wrote my first draft just to get thoughts down on paper, then polished and corrected it with further revisions. I see posts as a way to quickly express my thoughts without them having to meet term paper or publication standards. I think there is a happy medium here. When I receive helpful information here I am happy to have content that helps me find better care for myself. I don't think form is the goal. This is a health information site not an English grammar lesson. Thanks for listening. Just sayin'. I'm also not the best typist or computer user. irina

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Form is not the goal, but comprehension is, and the two do rather go hand in hand. :)

catrich profile image
catrich in reply to

Irina1975 - you write well and clearly have an understanding of spelling and punctuation. As you say, you know how to write. Emojis can help make intention clear - I agree with you and think they should really pass unnoticed ( except where they litter the text and it all gets a bit too visual.)

But all of that IS form. It's communicative form, if you like. And you are very communicative. I wonder why you see yourself in a lot of these complaints? Your post is a model for clarity. With the possible exception of lack of paragraphing... ;.)

If someone finds a post with poor punctuation hard to process, it's almost certainly because the very purpose of punctuation is to make written discourse easier to process. So no surprises there. This IS a health information site but it is one of the very best, where certain standards are in place and occasionally the moderators ( who I believe are volunteers) remind people of them. Just because there are some basic standards that should make life easier for the majority (and the posts clearer for the majority) doesn't make it a grammar lesson!

Style, cohesion, coherence, flow...sometimes it takes a bit of grammar, sometimes punctuation, other times vocabulary. Sometimes something else entirely.

in reply to catrich

Thank you for the kind words. I do get verbose but it's because I want to share as much information as I can. I guess it comes from years of explaining to patients what their doctors didn't. I have to laugh about the paragraphs. You are right. I will only offer the excuse that I am so computer illiterate about which keys do what in structuring a piece of writing. Computers are very frustrating for me. I was dragged kicking and screaming into the computer age. I have ADD and I joke that I have 2 right brains. When we started using computers in hospitals of course I had to learn how to use them but they were so well programmed even I made very few mistakes. When I write something that has to be well-written and constructed I have to do it in longhand. My mantra should probably be "The computer is my friend." Computer paragraph? What's that? Take care. irina

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to

I don’t mind emoji faces, to me they are happy little additions.

However, what I can’t stand and don’t bother reading, are long posts without paragraphs. They completely do my head in, not to mention my eyes!

in reply to Ellie-Louise

Not sure I can change that. Just getting a post typed is enough for me. I don't like computers but they are the way of the world. Changing my writing style is more stress for me for me right now. . I don't read everyone's posts either. Not always necessary . Probably someone else will write something similar to my post in an easier form to read. Take care.xx irina

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to

Yellow smiley face. x

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Anthea55

David Cameron used to think it meant Lots Of Love - rather than the usual Laugh Out Loud.

He was ribbed (fairly unmercifully) for that.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to helvella

He was not alone !!

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to helvella

helvella I made the Cameron mistake too, which was extremely embarrassing!!

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Margo

I mistyped originally and have corrected it to Cameron! :-)

in reply to helvella

And I am grateful to greygoose for helping me learn how to use emojis.They express humor that I want to include but in a quicker way. Sort of a universal language for friendliness and agreement. 😊

in reply to helvella

I thought it meant laughing online. I think I will just write 'giggle' from now on. LOL.😆

in reply to Anthea55

Lol is one of my pet hates.

Zephyrbear profile image
Zephyrbear in reply to

Some people think it's ok to make the most offensive remark and then expect most of us to develop a sense of humour just because they put LOL behind it... like that somehow negates the offensiveness! It really doesn't, people...

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

I do not like full on text speak as i do not understand some off it but i disagree with the emoji comment that they should possibly not be used either, i think they are a good idea and yes they can help soften a sentence up and can show people how you are feeling-i get they are not everyone's cup of tea but what is nicer than a smileyface!!☺ or 🌟.xx

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to Rmichelle

The odd emoji is acceptable, it's when there is a sea of yellow blobs on the messages, which I find most off putting. However, each to their own I suppose, I just avoid reading anything with dozens of emoji's really can't be bothered. Any why would it be necessary to know what kind of mood somebody is in.

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw in reply to Margo

I don’t use them to express a mood, I use them to express that I’ve said something light-hearted. Because these days, many people *can’t* construe from the content that you’re not being entirely serious. I don’t know why that is but on more than one occasion, I’ve had someone take my words here completely literally and been “punished” for it because I’ve inadvertently upset someone (despite agonising over word choices sometimes). Thyroid patients - especially undertreated ones - tend to be prone to anxiety and even paranoia, so sometimes you need a way of conveying the context of a post. I only use smiley faces :) , sad faces :( and the occasional wink. ;)

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to Jazzw

So AGREE - ah now that's another issue ! - capitals can be shouting - which of course to be heard all the way from Crete it is necessary :-)

Your posts that I have read over the years - come over in an excellent way - ALWAYS :-) !!!

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw in reply to Marz

Awww, thank you :)

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to Marz

Got to admit ive used CAPITALS in my headings on a post -so it stands out more for people to see!😊

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to Rmichelle

My EIGHTY FOUR year old MOTHER drives me BATTY ON FACEBOOK! She often SHOUTS HER POSTS SO THAT EVERYONE WILL READ THEM.

In reality I skip right by when SOMEONE SHOUTS LIKE THAT! Especially when it's my mum haha.

I sometimes, RARELY!, use capitals, but it reminds me too much of my mum so I tend to avoid them.

ShinyB - open to psychoanalysis ;-)

in reply to Jazzw

Brick by Brick, she's building a madhouse!

StitchFairy profile image
StitchFairy in reply to Jazzw

Agreed. jazzw. The thing about emojis is that they're universal. You don't need to speak English to know what a smiley, laughing, sad or angry face is saying.

in reply to Jazzw

I agree. And we wouldn't have to use emojis or 'lol' if we were speaking face to face and not relying on accurately understanding each other through computer use here. We can't include 2 important facets of good communication skills: body language and voice inflections. So we need substitutes to effectively communicate in this technological world.

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to Margo

I find it hard to believe that you yourself go around with a long face.

Surely it’s nice to see, or sense if someone feels happy or not? A smile given freely is very uplifting to the spirit.

in reply to Rmichelle

I agree. All we have for others to interpret our meaning is our typed words. There is no body language or tone of voice to help others correctly understand what we want to say.

Talk about snobbery, yes, it's still alive and kicking.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to

Bunnyjean, this is nothing to do with snobbery! We ask people not to use text speak on the forum, as a courtesy to members who have difficulty understanding it. This can very often be due to the proverbial thyroid brain fog, but there may be other reasons why a member finds this mode of communication difficult to cope with. There is absolutely no good reason to communicate in abbreviated format such as only typing 'r u' instead of are you, 'w/o' instead of 'without', or 'ppl' instead of 'people'.

Valarian profile image
Valarian in reply to RedApple

I can live with incorrect grammar and mis-spelling - there is a difference between being too lazy to type full sentences, and not being sure of correct usage (I expect we are all guilty of this at times !) Also, editing/proofreading posts on this forum via tablet or mobile is not always easy.

We do also have some members for whom English is clearly not their first language, and generally I’ve been pleased to see that everyone will make an extra effort to support and encourage them.

In the end, it’s up to individuals to decide whether they want to read / respond to any given post. When I decide to celebrate with a post featuring flashing lights, text speak, dancing emojis and maybe the odd word of English, I will only have myself to blame if you all ignore me !

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to

Why do you think it's snobbery Bunnyjean?

I am 70 years old, don't use text (or have a Smartphone) so don't understand much of this text speak. I can just about work out "r u" and "gr8" but that's about my limit. It may be fine for younger people who use it a lot but there are many of us seniors on here who just aren't familiar with it. I don't think it's snobbery, it's just asking members to be considerate.

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply to SeasideSusie

It takes me longer to think about writing in text speak than it does to just type the word in full!

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Laughing out loud-he he,ha, everyone will now be under pressure to use the right vocabulary, expressing themselves with words instead of using the emoji's and no Capitals so other people wont think they are being shouted at, and the correct grammar and punctuation, will anyone write a post or reply to a thread now? I think so.!!😊😊 yeah!!

Marz profile image
Marz

Probably me !

in reply to Marz

........and me!!

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Ha, i did not know what Tc or rcv is? I asked my 13 year old. 😊

BootsOn profile image
BootsOn

!!!! drives me nuts too. Also those who can't construct a sentence with a full stop and a space or two at the end. So they write like this..............my doctor won't help me..................what can I do......................where do I get help.....................etc. I find myself hoping their full stop key will break!

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to BootsOn

The ............ between every pair of sentences and the !!!! at the end of nearly every sentence are some of my pet hates too. I find it so difficult to read!

I will admit to using "..." sometimes i.e. just three full stops (an ellipsis). I use it where I start saying one thing as an introduction, then follow it up with the three dots as a way of saying I am metaphorically taking a deep breath before I begin, and as a way of separating an intro from the main text.

I have sometimes thought that I use an ellipsis too often, and I'm never sure whether I use them correctly or annoyingly.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to humanbean

It can also indicate that you are thinking about what you've just said, or are going to say. But people who use more that three full stops are very annoying! I used to proof-read for someone for their site, and that person would frequently use a random number of full stops, for no apparent reason. And when I explained how it should be, that person didn't want to know, and preferred to continue with their random full stops, even though they didn't mean anything. That was very annoying. The same person also used 'i.e.' and 'e.g.' indiscriminately, believing that they meant the same thing. And would not be told! So, I gave up the proof-reading.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to greygoose

Another of my pet hates is people who use ect when they mean etc.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to humanbean

Being dyslexic, I tend not to notice that. lol

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to greygoose

When I see etc in writing I hear et cetera in my head in a normal voice, like I would if someone said it in conversation. But when I see ect my brain insists on shouting EKT at me and it derails the meaning of the sentence so much that I have to go back and read it again, sometimes more than once.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to humanbean

Really? Oh, dear. If I wrote ect my spell-check would shout at me in red, so I tend to avoid it! :D

It would seem a lot of people don't have spell-check.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to humanbean

In turn, that makes me think of Life with an Idiot, even though the sound and spelling isn't exactly the same.

As a punishment for not working hard enough, "I" is forced by the authorities to live with an idiot. He chooses Vova from a lunatic asylum. Vova is only capable of speaking a single word: "Ech".

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_...

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to helvella

I have never heard of that before. How very bizarre.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to humanbean

It certainly was!

in reply to helvella

I'm impressed.Most of my favorite literature is Russian. I also like Dostoyevsky's The Idiot. His "Idiot' is one who has a moral code higher than most people. Probably a good role model in today's greedy world. My favorite novel is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich- a fairly short work by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Ivan is serving time in one of Stalin's gulags yet has a positive attitude everyday seeing his glass as half full. When I'm feeling really down and ungrateful about my life, which is really pretty good, I re-read Ivan. It helps me get out of the pity party in my head. Thanks for the memories. irina

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to

Don't be impressed!

A few years ago I got into reading some Russian books (in English, I hasten to add), and only for interest.

Was riveted by Vasily Grossman.

in reply to helvella

Have not read his works. But just googled his books and see he wrote a lot about life under Stalin. My first trip to the Soviet Union was in 1975 and was the most interesting trip of my life. I have always had a fascination with Russia. I don't know why. Maybe I lived a former life there. Their literature has so much philosophy that resonates with me. Maybe I have a little Russian blood. I was adopted so there are gaps in my knowledge of my family tree. If I were there I'd say let's go have a Guinness and discuss Russia "dushe dusha" (soul to soul.)

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

My grandfather and his parents came over to the UK during the Russian Revolution. They were from St Petersburg.

We know very little about him and he used false names a lot (bit of a colourful character by all accounts!) so it's really hard to trace any family tree information.

I love the idea that there are people wandering around Russia who I am related to!

I've yet to visit Russia but it's on my wishlist!

in reply to ShinyB

I would love to do the "ancestry' research but it can get expensive. It's on my bucket list. There is a reasonably new program (3 years, I think)on public television here that takes 3 people weekly and does their family tree search. There is a lot of free info and leads on there. Something to think about. I think I would find some Russian ancestors. My late brother was very fascinated by ancient Egypt and my sister is very taken with the UK- especially medieval times. We are not blood related but by adoption. Amazing how our individual interests crop up. Maybe it would be something you could do. Then you'd have a reason to start planning your Russian trip. 😊

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

I've done loads on my mum's mother's side of the family - fascinating lot! Circus, theatre, music halls, trapeze artists. But have nothing on my mum's father's Russian side :(

Perhaps we could meet up in Russia?! ;-)

in reply to ShinyB

Would love it. I would like to go again before I move on from this world. We have some Russian senior residents in my bldg and I really enjoy talking with them It's like history in living color. Some of them are in their 90's, are still sharp, and have very interesting stories to tell. It puts perspective on how little we in the west have had to do without in our lives.

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

Now that does sound fascinating!

My mum wishes she'd talked more to her Russian grandparents - the main thing she remembers is she would get yogurt when she was at their house - way before yogurt was common place over here!

in reply to ShinyB

Maybe a place to start would be old shipping manifests that brought immigrants. When I watch that program I mentioned called "Finding your Roots" I am amazed at how much much information and avenues are now available for finding our ancesters. Apparently they can be helpful even when we don't have a lot of information to go on. Maybe "Finding Your Roots" has a website that could help. Worth a try.

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

Thanks, they may be worth checking. We're not even sure what the family surname was though as they kept changing it. And he took on an English first name too. He and my grandmother divorced when my mum was very young and he died when she was only 17, so we don't have an awful lot to go on!

in reply to ShinyB

Sometimes searches begin with only the village they came from and finding other people from there who emigrated. I hope you come up with some workable info. There is a great book and film called Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Boer about a teenager who goes to the Ukraine to find his roots. Look up the synopsis on amazon if you're interested. It is a true story and to me the film was beautiful. I think the teenager is the one in Harry Potter. Directed by Liev Schreiber.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to

The best is Crime and Punishment - just like Columbo, when you know the answer and have to see how the detective works it out - but I have the other two you mention (and have read them).

in reply to Angel_of_the_North

And I love Columbo. In fact he has re runs on this evening at 8PM. I try to watch his old programs and also Angela Lansbury's Murder, She Wrote. I have used books to escape from uncomfortable reality since I was a child. Always had my nose in a book and often reprimanded for it.

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

I had an odd crush on Columbo when I was a little kid!

in reply to ShinyB

My big crush was always Yul Brynner. Always was a sucker for a foreign accent.😊

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

Loved him in the King and I!

in reply to ShinyB

Me too. He did a lot of good anti-smoking commercials before he died of lung cancer. He was already very sick when they were shown on tv. Sad. I have a playlist with some of his songs. They are on youtube. He played russian guitar and sang gypsy and russian songs in several languages.

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

I never knew he was so musical! I've got a Russian balalaika but no idea how to play it lol.

in reply to ShinyB

He was a very good entertainer before becoming an actor. I brought back a balalaika in 1975. Couldn't play it either. Gave it to my sister who played guitar. Bringing it back on the plane was a challenge. I flew the Soviet Airline Aeroflot which we renamed Aerofright as some of the seatbelt parts were missing and some of the tires were bald! The stewardesses were also interesting. Not what you'd think. They wouldn't have needed security to handle any problems. Quite an adventure. The food was sausages? and awful hard candies to keep your ears from popping. We changed planes for US in Denmark and everyone tripped over everyone else trying to buy real food in the airport. But it was a fun trip. You really needed a sense of humor. The Concorde it was not!

in reply to Angel_of_the_North

Glad to hear you've read 'Ivan Denisovich" The english actor Tom Courtenay made a film based on the book years ago. It came out on VHS but never made it to DVD. I have tried to get a copy but as it was a film that involved several countries in its production no agreement could be reached about a DVD and distribution rights. I think Norway, where it was filmed, is the holdup. I do remember he had no verbal lines in the movie just acting with facial expressions and body language. Very well done. Once in a while it turns up on TV. Worth watching. For me, the book reinforces something that I have yet to learn well about life; that is no matter what our circumstances in life, it is our choice to be free inside. A hard lesson for me. Thanks for listening. irina

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to

Dostoyevsky was required reading for cool young teenagers "in my day", as was Orlando (Virginia Woolf), and Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game (Herman Hesse).

in reply to Angel_of_the_North

I remember. And having to do all that reading was an education in itself. It's very sad kids don't have to do this much anymore. Even basic subjects have fallen by the wayside. When american children are asked geography questions they often have no idea there is such a country or where it is. And many don't even know state capitols. When I was little the best present I could receive was a new book. Now it seems to be a toy or video game that kills someone.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to greygoose

They aren't full stops; they are an ellipsis - three dots. If at the end of a sentence, followed by a full point, so four dots. Bah, humbug! I haven't given up proofreading

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Angel_of_the_North

OK clever-clogs :p Are you absolutely sure you put a fulls stop after an 'ellipsis? That would rather defeat the point (no pun intended!) if the 'ellipsis' indicates a trailing off. Besides, the way this person used them, they were just dots, not 'ellipsis' at all.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to greygoose

It's rare, but you do see it. Can be preceded by a full point also - more common. The spacing is different between the dots within the ellipsis and the ellipsis and full point. Many editors leave out the full point because the author makes it impossible to work out which dots are the ellipsis, so the typesetter leaves it out, too. I used to work as a typesetter. Still do, sometimes.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Angel_of_the_North

They aren't full stops; they are an ellipsis - three dots.

I understand that in professional publishing an ellipsis is three dots rather than three full stops, but in terms of writing posts on HU or writing an email then my version of an ellipsis is quite definitely three full stops. :D

When using full stops I don't put another full stop at the end if the ellipsis ends the sentence. If I had an ellipsis character available to me I'm not sure what I'd do. I've never given it a moment's thought before today. :)

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to humanbean

That because you can't easily alter the spacing - it's not another character (although MS Word tries to supply one and … alt 0133 will do it on Windows, and get it wrong). Exactly how it is set depends on the style guide, but it is very often set with tighter spacing between the dots than you'd get if you just typed a normal fixed width en space (as between words), In InDesign you usually use a nonbreaking space (Fixed Width) with tighter (negative) tracking. None of which matters at all to your thyroid

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to humanbean

What is the difference between a dot and a full stop? surely it’s the same thing.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Ellie-Louise

Angel_of_the_North is the person whose posts you should be reading on this thread on this subject. She is the person who mentioned dots first. :)

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to Ellie-Louise

Ah well, a full stop is really a full point and looks like a dot. Way back, ellipses were dashes. What typesetters call a full point is called a full stop in the UK and a period in the US, so "dot" is a bit more inclusive, I suppose, and the spacing in a printed ellipsis is different from the spacing you'd get from just typing three full points - in handwriting it makes no difference.

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to Angel_of_the_North

Good grief! my head is spinning dot dot dot

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Ellie-Louise

dot dot dot

dash dash dash

dot dot dot

Elle-Louise are you all right? Or were you starting to call "Help!"

(Above is SOS in Morse.)

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to helvella

helvella, it’s funny you mentioning morse code, when my husband and I were engaged (1971) we used to write to each other in morse code every day.

The reason being his mother had found my letters and had read them, so we had to devise a way of keeping them private.

When I was working one of my colleagues was a woman who had used written morse in the army during the war.

She had talked about her experiences and taught me how to write morse down. I thought it would be the perfect way of corresponding so I showed my fiancé how and our code was born.

Actually the ‘dot dot dot’ comment was so that you could imagine my head spinning round fast enough to come off.

Noshrinkingvoilet profile image
Noshrinkingvoilet in reply to greygoose

Greygoose, are you a teacher?.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Noshrinkingvoilet

I was, yes. Retired, now. :)

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to greygoose

...sometimes when you press the full stop for more than one - then more can appear - do you always have the strength to modify ? - I don't ! Maybe this only happens on the PC and not my phone x

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Marz

As I don't have a phone, I can't compare. But, no, that doesn't happen with my dreadful keyboard! Half of the letters I do type don't appear. But, yes, I would have to go back and correct because I'm obsessive/compulsive about these things. If I notice a spelling mistake in one of my replies a year later, I have to correct it! lol But, that's just me. No, the person I was talking about, did it quite deliberately, even though they couldn't explain why.

Off topic: I remember a Cilla Black character from an episode of "As Time Goes By." Is it the same Cilla Black?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to

Had no idea what you were talking about - then found this in Wiki:

39 6 "At Death's Door" Sydney Lotterby Bob Larbey 11 February 1996

When Penny needs minor surgery, she claims to be at death's door. Steven stays with the family while Penny is in the hospital. Things are made more unsettled by Penny's premonition and an addled room-mate who claims Jean is Cilla Black. Lionel once again tells the joke about the parrot that nobody gets. We never hear any of it except the 'punch' line.

This is the late Cilla Black's website: cillablack.com/

in reply to helvella

Sorry. As Time Goes By is one of my favorite british series. Have my own copy of all the seasons. I never knew there was a real person-will checkout website.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to

Yes - I know the series - just not the Cilla Black reference.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to

Cilla Black, the pop star. Never heard of "As time goes by" except in Casablanca.

in reply to Angel_of_the_North

Google "As Time Goes By," the long running very popular British TV series starring Dame Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, the late Joan Simms, Philip Bretherton, Frank Middlemass, Moira Brooker, Jenny Funnell, Moyra Fraser, Paul Chapman, Janet Henfrey and other well known British actors. A very well known series even across the pond. Sorry, not up on my pop stars!😥

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to

Cilla Black en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilla...

in reply to Angel_of_the_North

Thank you. I already looked up the website 4 hours ago when Londinium very kindly explained to me who she was.

in reply to Angel_of_the_North

I'm surprised living in the UK you never heard of the series "As Time Goes By".

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to

Yes Irina, it was a very popular series. For those who don't know en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Ti...

in reply to RedApple

A little off topic but maybe not really. I have my own set of dvd's and occasionally 'binge-watch. For me, music and certain types of tv shows relax my mind especially when the world around me adds to my anxiety. I don't enjoy reality , violent tv as there is enough of that in our day-to-day lives. ATGB (As Time Goes By) is such a normal household with normal people just trying to do their best with everyday life. Refreshing!. I know it's just a tv show but sometimes I think it would be nice to have them as neighbors! I believe we all need to find ways to pull our minds away from the real world at times when life seems overwhelming. Even just for a few hours. The shows I really have stayed away from are medical dramas. Having been a nurse, for me they are like carrying coals to Newcastle. (An American expression-probably shows my age.)🐹

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to

Coals to Newcastle is not just an American expression, we (of a certain age too maybe) use it in the UK! I like the way you describe the use of programmes like this to "pull our minds away from the real world at times when life seems overwhelming". So true.

Valarian profile image
Valarian in reply to

I’m pretty sure the expression is of British origin - Newcastle was at the centre of the NE England coal trade, and a major coal export port.

However, I think Australia also has a coal port called Newcastle.

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to Angel_of_the_North

I went to see Cilla in concert in Coventry many decades ago. Afterwards queuing for her autograph, I will never forget the size of the diamond in her engagement ring, it was HUGE!

StitchFairy profile image
StitchFairy

Pardon my ignorance, but is text speak the same across all languages? In other words, do people whose first (or only) language is not English still use English text speak abbreviations?

Carew profile image
Carew in reply to StitchFairy

Ho ho.

The Welsh word “lol” actually means “nonsense”.

The below are purported Welsh txt-spk - but deeply questionable as to whether they are a) correct; b) ever used:

BrB (Be right Back) = GLL (Gyda Llaw)

M8 (Mate) = C (chychwior)

OMG (Oh My God) = OMDD (o 'm dduw)

TVM (Thanks Very Much) = DDIL (ddiolch iawn lawer)

BFF (Best Friends for Ever) = ECF (Enilla Ceraint Forever)

BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer) = CCHAB (Chyrch 'ch addef Bir)

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to Carew

I have a lovely Welsh friend who sends me (((cwtches))) :)

in reply to StitchFairy

Interesting question. I would guess no because all languages have their own humor and ways of expressing slang statements. I have cyrillic alphabet stickers also on my keys. Wouldn't that make us all nuts!

StitchFairy profile image
StitchFairy in reply to

I would guess no too, which is surely a jolly good reason not to use text speak on a forum that has members from lots of different countries. I get really fed up too with people who use abbreviations for diseases that most people are unlikely to ever have heard of. It's one thing to say UAT (under active thyroid) here on a thyroid forum, but really not fair at all to use it on other forums. We should not expect others to have to work hard to understand what we're saying, simply because we're too lazy to type things out in full.

in reply to StitchFairy

I was a nurse and even I don't understand some of the medical abbreviations I've seen. Many are not only pertinent to a specific disease or country, they can be very specific to a smaller area. True story. I once worked part time in an emergency room. On one wall there was a large erasable board listing brief information about what patients were where and a little about why they were there. This was so staff could get patient info at a glance. One abbreviation was 'FLK'. Turns out it meant 'funny looking kid'. Don't know who came up with that one but I can't imagine any situation where it would have been appropriate.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to

Yes same here!i work in law and it uses lots of abbreviations, it was mind boggling when i 1st started 18 years ago 😨

in reply to Rmichelle

Legalese and Medicalese are like having to learn another language aren't they? And, at least in medical terminology, it seems that over the years many shortcut initials have taken on more that one interpretation. It's very confusing. I remember, when charting, we were not allowed to use initals or short-cut terms. Too unclear and confusing about meanings especially from a legal standpoint. I have a friend who is a nurse and an attorney. Boy does she have a lot of terminology to keep straight! I'm glad I'm retired! I try to keep up with new medical info but if I need help I call my sister. She is a medical transcriptionist and understands all the new-fangled terms.😊

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to StitchFairy

Certainly not the same in French! Here, text speak is abréviations of French words - can't give example, sorry, it's a mystery to me. But, the French do use 'lol'. They even use it verbally! lol

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to greygoose

Well, you have "le picnic" and so on, don't you?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Angel_of_the_North

We certainly do. But, I don't suppose many ados talk about picnics in their text messages. lol

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to greygoose

Argh I can't stand it when people say 'lol' in actual conversation! That's definitely one of my pet hates.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to ShinyB

Doesn't bother me, but it does sound rather weird.

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to greygoose

Took me a long time to get used to it online but now I use it happily. LOL ;-) I just find it totally bizarre in real speech.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to ShinyB

Yes, it is. Fortunately, not many people use it. My granddaughter uses it when she's being sarcastic. She says 'Oh, lol!' with a sneer on her face. I find that funny. lol

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to greygoose

Ha, yes that's funny!

Someone said 'BRB' to me in a face to face conversation once, as he went off to the loo. Ugh!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to ShinyB

lol That is very funny! How long did it take to register? lol

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to greygoose

He had to explain it to me on his return, duh!

Way before text-speke came in, someone signed off a letter to me with BCNU. Took me weeks to work that one out. Put me right off him LOL!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to ShinyB

No idea what that means!

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to greygoose

Be Seeing You. Ugh!

He didn't see me after that, haha.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to ShinyB

OMG! lol

alchemilla12 profile image
alchemilla12 in reply to ShinyB

Only people of a certain age -way before computers, never mind texting - a disc jockey called Jimmy Young used to sign off his radio station with TTFN - ta ta for now. Seems that nothing much is new under the sun!

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to alchemilla12

ha, true! lol

in reply to greygoose

Maybe it adds emphasis to the old 'roll your eyes' technique our kids, especially as teenagers can carry to a fine art.😊

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Oh, definitely, yes! :)

in reply to greygoose

And let me not forget my mother's standby comment to me on more than one occasion: "Get that look off your face, young lady!" 😠

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

My mother used to say 'wipe that look of your face, or I'll wipe it off for you!' lol

in reply to greygoose

And I'll bet you changed expressions as fast as I did. LOL

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Possibly. But not certain!

alchemilla12 profile image
alchemilla12 in reply to greygoose

or the wind will change and you'll stay like that !

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to alchemilla12

Ah, no, that's was a different mood, not quite as threatening. lol

in reply to greygoose

That was saved for when we made faces. lol

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

TC is Top Cat. The indisputable leader of the gang.

(Would often have put an emoji here but will instead express that this is meant to be a light-hearted, even jocular, response.)

StitchFairy profile image
StitchFairy in reply to helvella

👍 :D 🐱

Valarian profile image
Valarian in reply to helvella

An smiling TC next to his bin would have been fine !

in reply to helvella

Here's an emoji for you.😊 I'll take responsibility for it.

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to helvella

haha, love your humour!

Got it. Will look up her music on youtube.😊

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Ha, not to me!!

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56

I did not know where to begin when you changed it to text speak, and would not have the patience to work it out. Thanks for stating this helvella .

greygoose profile image
greygoose

I think aka is fairly standard, isn't it? Used in police reports?

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to greygoose

You are right, i have wrote it many times on our court files, aka or alias.😊

UHelga profile image
UHelga

I completely agree with the ‘no text speak’ suggestion. It’s so much harder for non-native English speakers like me to understand the meaning of some messages here and on other forums.

However when it comes to emojis I have to disagree. I need them, not to communicate my mood, but, for example, when I want to soften the meaning of a sentence in case I’ve been a little too direct.

Also, what can be a funny comment in one language may not be at all funny in another. So I find that emojis play an important role in helping people like me to get their point across.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to UHelga

From your reply, I would never have suspected you were not a native English speaker.

UHelga profile image
UHelga in reply to helvella

Oh thank you helvella, that put a smile on my face this morning! I’ve lived in the uk for a long time but often find it hard to get my message right when I’m tired or ill. x

Sometimes, we may be judging someone for something we do ourselves, or have done. Look at your own behaviour. We are all strangers here looking for advice and guidance, not judgment on our educational backgrounds.

StitchFairy profile image
StitchFairy in reply to

You've lost me there. I don't see that asking people not to use text speak on this forum is making a judgement on their educational background.

in reply to StitchFairy

Look at comments made by certain members, which I won't name.

StitchFairy profile image
StitchFairy in reply to

Ah ok, I just let that sort of thing go whoosh over my head. Not worth getting het up about. On the other hand, education doesn't have to stop when we leave school. Life long learning can make our educational 'background' a thing of the past.

in reply to StitchFairy

Agreed, yet most do not seem to learn, just judge others thoughts and opinions. Just take a moment to reflect on your last postings. No emojis.?Your job doesn't divine you as a person. Enough said!.

Noshrinkingvoilet profile image
Noshrinkingvoilet in reply to

True, some have shown that educated snobbery attitude here.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to Noshrinkingvoilet

I quite agree, not everybody has the same level of education and to be quite honest i would still try and help someone who had bad puncuation or no caps or bad grammar but text speak i do not understand?😊😊

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB

May I put in a plea for people to use new paragraphs instead of writing a great long block of text?

I often pass over posts with no breaks in them, as I just can't focus on what's being said.

Ellie-Louise profile image
Ellie-Louise in reply to ShinyB

I just posted in reply the very same thing. I do so agree with you.

Rockingdog54 profile image
Rockingdog54

I really wish i was as healthy as you lot and haddddd the stammmmina to check messages

Dear me poor new members 😣😣😣😣😣LOL

Mamapea1 profile image
Mamapea1 in reply to Rockingdog54

EXACTLY!!!! I have had messages from people in despair ~ and they're not even new members! Just nervous and ill, saying they don't feel like posting anymore! 😳

MoonbeamXX1 profile image
MoonbeamXX1 in reply to Mamapea1

I'm not remotely surprised to hear that. I read this thread with incredulity then mounting horror.........…

I can see perhaps the need for the original post but not the direction it quickly took.

I was under the impression that this was a forum specifically for those suffering from thyroid related conditions; I didn't think it was an English grammar site where you would expect members to be fastidious in their prose.

People grouping together to blatantly discuss/criticise/nit pick about how others - on the same forum! - post...….REALLY??!! Like some sort of Grammar Police?

Isn't there a well known word for that kind of behaviour?

It would appear that if you don't post, in a perfectly grammatical form; then your post won't get read and valuable help and advice will be withheld...…

REALLY??!!

I sincerely hope the people most in need of help, advice even compassion sometimes (if you are very lucky); DON'T STOP posting. And I include myself firmly in the group - so note to self.

Please do not allow the content of this thread to stop you trying to improve your health.

I also hope that the people who sprinkle their posts with smiley/grumpy faces/friendly bees, lots of exclamation marks, paragraphs that are too long, don't have the correct punctuation and God forbid, way too many full stops in your ellipsis; also DON'T STOP posting.

Please don't allow the unfortunate and largely misplaced content of this thread; to affect how you post nor dampen your natural personality.........

I'm sorry if my posts are difficult for you. For me my difficulties involve computer use-very hard and I consider just being able to use one an achievement for me. So my way of posting will remain what works for me. They don't have to be read by everyone. In the scheme of things my opinions just are not that important. If they are difficult for you just bypass them and move on.

No more long paragraphs, no more posts. Will continue to read forum because I like the helpful info here. irina1975

Mamapea1 profile image
Mamapea1 in reply to

I hope you haven't allowed this thread to put you off posting! I've replied to your recent one....x

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB in reply to

Don't you dare stop posting! I like your replies :) I think the point of this thread is for people to be aware of trying to post so that their words are easy to understand, but it's not a law and it should never stop people posting. xx

ShinyB profile image
ShinyB

To anyone reading this thread who feels put off posting again - please don't be put off!

Yes, be mindful of trying to make your post/questions easy to read (it's to your advantage as more people are likely to reply if it's easy to read - many people with thyroid problems can have low concentration or brain fog, so do be mindful of this).

But do not be put off posting for any of the many reasons mentioned in this thread. They are all just people's opinions about things, and they are NOT rules :)

It takes all sorts of people to make up a community, and each person's contribution is valid and welcome :)

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