h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know that it is a hobby horse of mine, and cannot be reversed (progress!), but I continue to be frustrated at people who will not use English correctly. We have numerous ways of using our richly expressive language to impart our thoughts and feelings.

So it is even more regrettable when the young ladies in the office across the corridor answer " Good morning, how are you?" with " Hi I'm good", when they mean that they are well.

Equally annoying is the BBC usage of "upcoming" instead of forthcoming.

I know I am whistling into a storm force wind here, but apart from this casual usage of language, I wonder how the advent of mobile 'phones with text facility will further decimate our English. Will the next generation only be capable of communicating with words which have letters missing, or are reduced to single letter versions?

My daughter and I send punctuated, full texts to our friends. Pointless I know, just making a stand.

Novo

The "Hi, I'm good" is just natural evolution of the language. Not wrong, just different.

Textspeak will die away. I remember the fuss about CB radio and "10-10", "10-4", "Smokies" etc. It's just a fad.

Who knows, a future generation of phones might have full speech-to-text and get rid of the need for all that fumbling about with keys.

I hope so SWL, Arthritic fingers don't help!

Novo

txtspk is entirely a figment of a very specific technology, and will die out as soon as that technology is superseded. Remember that text messaging was only ever included as a feature on phones in the first place because it's possible - not because it's desirable. It's slow and awkward, but it became popular for two reasons - economic, and social.

Economically, it is much, much cheaper to send a text than it is to make a call. Children and the impoverished therefore clutched texting to their hearts. But they did so only because of the artificial situation created by the mobile phone providers' tariffs. Cheaper or free calls would reduce the number of texts sent.

Socially, texts are discreet and quick and prevent one getting into a conversation one might not want. "Gonna B l8" costs 10p, is painless and takes seconds. Having to explain why, and what time you're likely to be there, and what your excuse is, and why that's a rubbish excuse, and so on, is not only expensive, it's painful. For that reason, texts will have to be replaced with something that has similar advantages.

There was an article the other day in some paper where the writer mused that when he wanted his daughter to come into the house after playing in the street, he would tap his wrist, as though touching a wristwatch, so indicate "It's time to come in". He mused further that in a very few years, that gesture will be almost entirely meaningless to a generation, because so few people wear watches any more.

I shouldn't worry about txtspk.

What I'd worry about is whatever linguistic tic we're all going to have to adopt in order to be understood by automated voice recognition systems.

SoRB

That's an interesting point.

I wonder if having widely used voice recognition systems, which implicitly use a fixed reference for decoding, would have an effect on the language? I can see the corps maintaining them not wanting to change them too much.

"What I'd worry about is whatever linguistic tic we're all going to have to adopt in order to be understood by automated voice recognition systems."

That made me lol out loud when I read it!

Recently the voice recognition software I've encountered over the phone had no trouble whatsoever recognizing my clear, non-accented northeastern US voice. But I wonder if that is b/c there is someone in India actually listening...

Novo, I've actually started trying to remember that I should be saying "I'm doing well". My motivation is that since I have to write for my profession occasionally, it would help me in the long run (save on corrections) if I speak english correctly.

>My daughter and I send punctuated, full texts to our friends. Pointless I know, just making a stand.

I do the same - though I must admit that my 13 year old daughter does not exactly A little better standard to me than to her friends, but still not correct Danish.

I have made the demand that in "full" writing such as school work, E-mails, letters and such she does write correct language to her best ability (which, indeed, is good). When she's texting and MSNing with her friends, I stay out of the melee

I read an interesting article some time ago (all tracks lost, sorry) where a researcher argued that the kids actually do have or very quickly get the ability to distinguish between settings and use the appropriate version of the language and that using e.g. the "reduced" language in texting did not make their general language use worse.

Oh, and I have used the "I'm good" - but with a nasty little emphasis on "good". And only for fun, to play arrogant for a sec

Hi Arnie,

<< Novo, I've actually started trying to remember that I should be saying "I'm doing well".

Now that IS interesting : in general English usage when we say " how are you?" we are actually enquiring (briefly) about someone's health. We don't expect a medical history, but perhaps " Very well, thank you"

Whereas your version is actually closer to the right answer if you were asked in other European languages which phrase the question as "How is it going/doing with you?"

I wonder where the Brits diverged......?

Novo

Afternoon SoRB

An ecellent post, and I loved this bit

<>

Very scary, and it reminded me of a comment on BBC R2 this morning to the effect that the government is proposing to 'examine' children at various stages of their growth to try to determine possible future criminal behaviour> I cannot vouch for it, but if true , how Orwellian?

The next stage will be to be asked for "Your Papers?" when stopped in the street. ( Or perhaps " Your biometric Identity Card"

Novo

Hi Novo

I think it's interesting that you take the stance of "diverged" rather than perhaps the US, with its initial mixing of many different European languages, just incorporated the European mode. I didn't realize this until lately, but my family always says "gesundheit". Even though we've lived in the US for many generations.

I'm not sure if Britain diverged or just didn't get mixed as much.

It seems more efficient to me for everyone to carry their own voice recognition chip, which would have been trained to how they speak. This would then either pass its settings on or do the translation itself when you encountered a public machine.

>>I read an interesting article some time ago (all tracks lost, sorry) where a researcher argued that the kids actually do have or very quickly get the ability to distinguish between settings and use the appropriate version of the language and that using e.g. the "reduced" language in texting did not make their general language use worse.<<

Children are extremely adaptable and flexible in their use of language - we see that all the time with kids who use one sort of language and style of speech with their peers than with their parens. It's also very pronounced in bi-lingual children. So it's not beyond the bounds of anything that they do it with texting too.

I quite like it - as long as I get proper English when they text me.

>> It seems more efficient to me for everyone to carry their own voice recognition chip, which would have been trained to how they speak. This would then either pass its settings on or do the translation itself when you encountered a public machine. <

Concept!

Sadly, it's also completely irrelevant


Soon, everyone's biometric data will be stored on the global 'New World Order' enforcement network controlled by the multi-national corporate overlords...

Recently one of our taxi companies installed voice recognition software (to save on having real staff to answer calls.) There were then news items about people who do not speak standard New Zealand English being unable to order taxis. The system had been programmed with the standard Kiwi, Taranaki farmer nasal vowel-mangling whine.

Poor immigrants!

Vicky

I bought a book today called Between You and I. I've forgotten the name of the author, but the foreword was by John Humpheries. I think you'd enjoy it, Novo.

TRiG.

Found it: http://books-by-isbn.com/1840466057

The one that has raised my hackles of late is the *It (he, she) was so fun* I hear over and over. Ah well, I must just be so old.

Thank you very much Trig,

I will look out for a copy this weekend.

Kind of you.

Novo

For read . arthritus in the right hand !

Novo

'arthritus'? Old folk these days, I ask you..

Language evolves, you'll just have to deal with it my friend. Txtspk does annoy me on hootoo, but not when I get a txt message.