Text Messaging Tips and Commentary

OK, it's all the rage these days! Text messages, or texting, as it is affectionately called, friends and family on smart phones has become an important tool in the high-tech communications kit-bag. To watch an experienced text message expert is nothing short of amazing!

Things You'll Need:
• Cell phone or PDA with text message capabilities.
• Rapid thumbs or fingers.

The need for abbreviating:
Since many cell-phone systems limit the number of characters in each text message, it is vitally important to get as much said in as few characters as possible!

Are there any rules?
Not really! With a text message, as with online chat rooms and similar forums, pretty much anything goes, as long as it is even remotely understandable.

Are there any best practices?
Maybe. Many words used in text messages or chat rooms have been more or less standardized, in that most people use the same abbreviations for certain words or phrases.

Some examples:
Some very common words and phrases have evolved into two, three or four letter abbreviations; such as "I don't know", which becomes "idk"; or "oh, my gosh (or God)" becomes "omg"; or "laugh out loud" becomes "lol".

And so it goes, attempting always to shorten and condense as much as possible so the text message is filled with meaning, and not extra letters or words.

Is English evolving to text-speak?
I suppose it is possible that the English language is actually in evolutionary growth, just as it has been since its inception. Indeed, read any Olde English document; it's quite clearly different from even standard English of today, let alone from text-speak; or is that txt-spk?

How can it be used?
I imagine text-speak can be used just as ordinary language, since the intent is the same: To convey or acknowledge a message or thought or other communication between parties. Thus, as long as the message gets adequately conveyed, does the spelling or even grammar really matter?

Try this one:
"i plj alejns 2 th flg, of th untd sts of amrca. n 2 th rpblc 4 whch it stnds; 1 ntn, ndr gd, ndvsbl, wth lbrty n jstc 4 all!"

Or, how about this one:
"4 scr n 7 yrs ago, r 4 fthrs brot 4th 2 ths cntnnt a nu ntn; cncvd n lbrty n ddctd 2 th prpstn tht all mn r crtd eql..."

These are just my own versions; others might put them a little differently, but I think the point is made. I'm not sure I'd want to see our Pledge of Allegiance or other similarly sacred writing reduced to this kind of text message slicing and dicing.

However, if a message is important enough to convey, and a text message is the most practical means of conveying it, I say go for it! It's the message that is critical, not the spelling! In this particular case, since the writing is likely to be familiar to anyone I might attempt to convey it, I can take even more liberties with abbreviating, since I know the other party will get it.

Some simple advice:
- Leave as many letters out of words as possible.
- Might even leave out some words, if feasible.
- Vowels are easiest to omit, though some consonants clearly do not need to be included.
- As you progress and learn the commonly used abbreviations, it is best to stick with those so others understand more readily.
- Think txt-spk, not text-speak.
- Trythskndoftxtmssgng2! Leave out spaces as well, which lets you cram even more into each text message. Not quite as easy to understand, thus trickier to compose. You have to be sure the message comes through without a lot of wasted time by the reader.
Tips & Warnings
• Watch out for numb-thumb, from too much text messaging!
• Watch for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms.