Date: February 15, 2009
[Amendment: I’m going to offer a brief concession, here…since the word “Kool”, technically does exist…as the name of a brand of cigarettes. I still feel the same way, however, about this general trend of spelling words, any way you feel like spelling them, and then leaving the reader forced to decipher them.]
My only true grammar annoyance (aside from people who refuse to use proper punctuation and spacing) are people who think it is “cool” to intentionally misspell a glaringly large fraction of their words.
If I visit a website which is strewn with such wording, I just close the browser window. Anyone with a worthwhile message, needs enough better judgement, in order not to force their audience into annoyance and second guessing, as to what they are trying to say.
In other words, speak “our” language.
This is not about people who are just sincerely bad spellers…but, instead, it is about those people who invent and use a personal vocabulary, that is intentionally a highly bastardised version of the English language…for no other reason, than “I’ve got to be me”…
Personal identity is fine, but if you are trying to communicate with other people in the world, it goes a long ways when putting in the effort to present something which others easily, and quickly, recognise.
Making them jump through mental hoops, just to translate your grammar, is a needless obstacle…and you are only hurting your own chances, of communication and influence.
You are not going to overhaul the English language, by chronically replacing every “c” with “k”, and every “i” with “y”…etc, etc, etc…
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