E-MAILS, CHATS, AND DUMBED-DOWN ENGLISH
How not to write in Online Forums
Copyright © 2005-6, Henry J. Sage

If you are a younger student who has grown up in the computer age—and that includes a lot of you—you probably have a great deal of experience in online communication: instant messaging, e-mail, chats, blogs, and other areas in which you communicate freely with your friends.  In those communications you use an efficient language with symbols, emoticons :-), shortcuts and other devices that have little to do with content.  Your friends know the language and understand what you mean.

The good part about this phenomenon is that the fear that computers would somehow reduce the amount of human contact people enjoy turns out not to be; in fact, the opposite seems to have occurred.  Although being physically in the presence of other people is still nice, the increasing sophistication of computers and mobile devices means that visible communication often accompanies the audible and the written.

What doesn't work so well is the fact that the habits adopted in using these rapid communication tools do not work in more formal environments.  In the education and business fields, papers and reports still need to be composed in standard English, and even the use of email in a work environment needs to be stepped up from the chat room style, if for no other reason that older folks—including your teachers and bosses—may not be comfortable with the new rules, or lack of them.

Besides that, it’s just not good practice.  Casual clothes may be fine for parties and weekend activities, but they don’t usually go in the office.  Neither does casual language. To demonstrate, let me pose an example.

Suppose you aspire to enter the real estate business. And suppose as a test case that a potential home buyer goes online, finds a property, and e-mails a query to a real estate agent.  Here are two possible responses:

1. i got your mail and think u will like the property. it contains 3 brs, 2 baths and has real neat nite lites outside so you u cn see the swimming pool.  the kitchen has a cool fridge, and tho the stove is old, it works ok. the garage has rm 4 2 cars and u can open it from outside. call me.
2. I got your message and think you will like the property. It contains three baths, two bedrooms and has attractive night lights outside, making the swimming pool visible.  The kitchen has an excellent refrigerator, and although the range is old, it works well.  The garage holds two cars and can be opened from outside. I look forward to hearing from you.

The content of the two messages is virtually identical, but which agent to you think will be more reliable, better prepared and satisfying to work with?  Apply the same notion to an email responding to a job ad: If you were seeking a job and responded to an announcement with chat-room English, do you think the person doing the hiring will call you in for an interview?  This writer surely would not, but I’m an old fogey.  Problem is, a lot of people who run companies are old fogeys, as are their clients.

Within the work place, if a message went from a supervisor to a work group asking for input, which format would get the more useful response?  Which response would get more attention?

What comes across in the first format is a person who is perhaps careless, lazy, or maybe just doesn't know any better.  What's behind the structure is not important; what matters is that it's a turnoff for people who have been educated with standard English.  What comes across in the second response as a person who is careful, respects the dignity of the exchange, and will take pains to make sure that things are done properly.

The fact that “everybody does it,” meaning the use of chat-room English by all your friends, doesn’t cut it.  You’re not going to find that kind of writing in a newspaper, magazine, or book, and while it may happen that someday it will be acceptable to use shortcuts such as “u” for you and “4” for for, were aren’t there yet.

If some of your teachers have accepted dumbed-down, sloppy forms of writing, they haven’t done you any favors.  (Maybe they haven’t gone looking for a job lately.)  Sure, it’s more work to take pains with writing, but who said that education was supposed to be easy?  For most of you, the problem is probably not one of ignorance, but one of habit or practice.  You have been communicating that way a long time and perhaps don't understand that it is inappropriate for some environments. 

How we use language is what separates us from our fellow creatures. Good writing separates one from the herd. Take the time to do it properly.  The payoff will be large.

History 121 | History 122 | Updated November 18, 2005