Every time I see that obnoxious writing, I seriously die a little inside.

I know that it may have evolved from textspeak, but wasn't the goal of textspeak to simplify one's writing? Now, it seems that they're complicating their writing, because it would take much longer to write that than it would to write properly.

Every time I see that obnoxious writing, I seriously die a little inside.

I know that it may have evolved from textspeak, but wasn't the goal of textspeak to simplify one's writing? Now, it seems that they're complicating their writing, because it would take much longer to write that than it would to write properly.


As a teen, I can tell you nobdy really writes like that. We don't make it complex like that. Maybe younger kids are texting like that?

As a teen, I can tell you nobdy really writes like that. We don't make it complex like that. Maybe younger kids are texting like that?


Maybe I did exaggerate in the title a bit.  ::)

Of course, I attended a ghetto high school, and I saw lots of my peers writing like that.

I think people who text a lot,makes it simple for them.

Every time I see that obnoxious writing, I seriously die a little inside.

I know that it may have evolved from textspeak, but wasn't the goal of textspeak to simplify one's writing? Now, it seems that they're complicating their writing, because it would take much longer to write that than it would to write properly.




Since the late 90s I guess.  I know back then people would write "kewl" and "w8".

Also, UNIX and its followers write like this I think.

I think it started with AIM in 1997 (?)

I think it started with AIM in 1997 (?)



and that's when AOL Instant Messenger started,14 years ago.

I think it started with AIM in 1997 (?)


Something like that, but back then people used AOL Chatrooms. 

We usually had Internet by using up the 50 hours for free disk, get a new disk, and sign up with a different username/password.

Something like that, but back then people used AOL Chatrooms. 

We usually had Internet by using up the 50 hours for free disk, get a new disk, and sign up with a different username/password.


I remember going into chatrooms everyday but then after that I started using messageboards.

About mid to late 90's was when it started I'd say.

I see it a lot on Youtube!

About mid to late 90's was when it started I'd say.

I see it a lot on Youtube!


the comment section.

I mis chatrooms. Some of it like pwned came from constant typos. I had MSN back in the early 00's and MSN chatrooms where the start of alot of things. Sadly the internet is nolonger the same. I want my MSN dialup, MSN chat and groups back. Theres always teenchat but even thats not the same, nor is it as good now as it used to be. QAlot of it is now myspace/facebook speak thats fudgeing annoying. I refuse to read stuff that I need to put extra effort into reading.

I mis chatrooms. Some of it like pwned came from constant typos. I had MSN back in the early 00's and MSN chatrooms where the start of alot of things. Sadly the internet is nolonger the same. I want my MSN dialup, MSN chat and groups back. Theres always teenchat but even thats not the same, nor is it as good now as it used to be. QAlot of it is now myspace/facebook speak thats fudgeing annoying. I refuse to read stuff that I need to put extra effort into reading.


chatrooms were cool 10 years ago.

Since the late 90s I guess.  I know back then people would write "kewl" and "w8".


Since before that.  I know for a fact that The K-Rad predates 1988.  (The machine on which I downloaded the file for the first time didn't record time stamps, because it didn't have an internal clock, but the timestamp on my copy of the story says the wonderfully-sad day in 1988 on which I migrated my old textfiles from the original platform to an IBM PC/AT clone which did have an internal clock.  OK, you'll have to take my word for that, but it's more authoritative than anything I can find.  Anyone who was "Stephen King" or "The Silver Ghost", hey, post something dude!  Someone who never knew you... well, at least I remember your hilarious story, and I kept a copy of it for 22+ years waiting for you to delurk, never imagining that the day would come when it'd be easier to just google for it than to cut/paste my copy of it to a message board :)

Speaking of the k- prefix, the best I can find is a thread from 1994 in which it's linked to the C-64 warez scene (as opposed to the warez scenes for the other platforms out at the time...)  That would put its origin back to the mid/late 80s, which would be consistent with the date-earlier-than-the-timestamp that I can actually prove.


Also, UNIX and its followers write like this I think.


Not really - UNIX has its own slang, but it's pretty separated from what went around in the microcomputer/BBS scene of the mid-80s to the mid-90s. And even in the 8/16-bit world of BBSes, people who spoke more d00d than English were regarded with suspicion.  You could easily write a program to translate English to l33t, but by the mid-90s, things like this were written largely as parody, not as actual content.  (And they were written in English and passed through a shell script that did the conversion...)  The only place on the present-day 'net where leetspeak is acceptable is the warez (be it software, music, or movies) scene.  Anywhere else, it's lame.

Exactly how it crossed over from the warez scene to widespread usage among nontechnical users / social networking sites is still a mystery - and the central one to this thread.  

Since before that.  I know for a fact that The K-Rad predates 1988.  (The machine on which I downloaded the file for the first time didn't record time stamps, because it didn't have an internal clock, but the timestamp on my copy of the story says the wonderfully-sad day in 1988 on which I migrated my old textfiles from the original platform to an IBM PC/AT clone which did have an internal clock.  OK, you'll have to take my word for that, but it's more authoritative than anything I can find.  Anyone who was "Stephen King" or "The Silver Ghost", hey, post something dude!  Someone who never knew you... well, at least I remember your hilarious story, and I kept a copy of it for 22+ years waiting for you to delurk, never imagining that the day would come when it'd be easier to just google for it than to cut/paste my copy of it to a message board :)

Speaking of the k- prefix, the best I can find is a thread from 1994 in which it's linked to the C-64 warez scene (as opposed to the warez scenes for the other platforms out at the time...)  That would put its origin back to the mid/late 80s, which would be consistent with the date-earlier-than-the-timestamp that I can actually prove.

I'll take your word for it.  In google, there are group files that predate 1984 I think, and people then used "lol" : post.  I wouldn't be surprised if the type of lingo existed way back further.


Not really - UNIX has its own slang, but it's pretty separated from what went around in the microcomputer/BBS scene of the mid-80s to the mid-90s. And even in the 8/16-bit world of BBSes, people who spoke more d00d than English were regarded with suspicion.  You could easily write a program to translate English to l33t, but by the mid-90s, things like this were written largely as parody, not as actual content.  (And they were written in English and passed through a shell script that did the conversion...)  The only place on the present-day 'net where leetspeak is acceptable is the warez (be it software, music, or movies) scene.  Anywhere else, it's lame.

Exactly how it crossed over from the warez scene to widespread usage among nontechnical users / social networking sites is still a mystery - and the central one to this thread.  


I know that UNIX write programs in different words(I think forgetting the 'i' in words.  The only warez scene I know of is from IRC.

I'll take your word for it.  In google, there are group files that predate 1984 I think


Oh, there are.  It's hard to find them.  Like I said, I know that the K-Rad story goes back before 1988.  It's just the earliest date on the filesystem to which I migrated my copy of it.  If it was popular enough for someone to make fun of in 1988, it probably does date back to the mid-80s BBS scene (83-88), which would have been where I downloaded it.

Stumbled across this thread tonight, haven't been around in a while. This shorthand definitely has gotten out of control...I guess I can understand it when one is texting, hell I use it when I'm texting my friends!! However, when I receive an online application/resume for a potential employee and you're answering questions "like dis, wen ur talkin wit ur peeps" that application quickly finds its way into the circular file in my office. yeesh!!  :o

Stumbled across this thread tonight, haven't been around in a while. This shorthand definitely has gotten out of control...I guess I can understand it when one is texting, hell I use it when I'm texting my friends!! However, when I receive an online application/resume for a potential employee and you're answering questions "like dis, wen ur talkin wit ur peeps" that application quickly finds its way into the circular file in my office. yeesh!!   :o


Sometimes you cannot even understand what they're trying to type. ::)

l8 90s!

l8 90s!


I don't understand that?  ???

I don't understand that?  ???
l is 'L' and 8 is 'ate', therefore l8 is 'late'!

I hate that type of writing. I find it so annoying. 8-P

I hate that type of writing. I find it so annoying. 8-P
I hate it too, and that will be the only time you will find me using it.

l is 'L' and 8 is 'ate', therefore l8 is 'late'!


Ok I see just didn't understand it for a second there.