I don't know if it affects anyone else but I'm going crazy reading posts with abbreviated English,for example 'u' for 'you' 'ur' for 'your' or even worse 'you're'! This is 'text(sms) speak' and whether it can be understood or not has no place on a language forum. I don't think that Turkish speakers trying to improve their written English find this helpful.

Thankyou Libralady-I thought I was the only one but having read numerous posts today I was about to blow a fuse.

using abbreviations is quite a normal thing for us cause we do it in our language and it sounds more natural to me this way... And when we look at the translation forum, most of the texts asked for translations are abbreviated. English abbreviations can be bad for Turks trying to learn English, but similarly, dont u think these threads on translation forum could be a problem for Turkish learners too? I see no harm in that... People should learn both formal and informal language. As far as the grammar is correct, why should a "u" for "you" be a problem? Everybody knows what it means anyway... We arent here for academic reasons... I'm a senior student in ELT and even we had a course on English abbreviations in our junior year The lectuter was British and he thought the abbreviations would be benefical in authentic use of language

I expressed my opinion-you are entitled to yours,incişka.
But it still drives me crazy!!

Well said!!!!

I hate to see chat/text language in normal messages! Sorry to say but I think using it is a lack of communication!

I have to admit I'm guilty of using the "u" form in IMs and text messages but only because it saves time and space. I hate seeing people post in forums using this language. "U" is the smallest problem, "any1" "B4" or "RU" drive me mad!

İ agree its destroying the English language,specially between the youth who get used to it and become lazy to use the formal forms of the language specialy that English is a world wide language so still everyone will understand him/her,so why bother !
İ remember a year ago i gave a British member here a link to English dictionary so she would be able to use the right words !
İ got that dictionary by googling mean while she didnt bother to google because she knew she will be understood.
But still its driving me crazy that i had to check every word i doubt it before posting it,mean while an English native speaker make many spelling and grammar mistakes,and feel ok about it.
Also sometimes you find mistakes in the Turkish translations because the English ones were not correct,and we have to check it,and rewrite the English sentence correct first then recorrect the Turkish one
İts annoying really specially coming from natives !

As a non-native speaker I hate abbreviations and (English) chat words. Sometimes I even don´t know the meaning. Using them when texting is ok, it can save money but here on the forums? Are people using them so lazy?

Quoting libralady

Quoting incişka: using abbreviations is quite a normal thing for us cause we do it in our language and it sounds more natural to me this way... And when we look at the translation forum, most of the texts asked for translations are abbreviated. English abbreviations can be bad for Turks trying to learn English, but similarly, dont u think these threads on translation forum could be a problem for Turkish learners too? I see no harm in that... People should learn both formal and informal language. As far as the grammar is correct, why should a "u" for "you" be a problem? Everybody knows what it means anyway... We arent here for academic reasons... I´m a senior student in ELT and even we had a course on English abbreviations in our junior year The lectuter was British and he thought the abbreviations would be benefical in authentic use of language

I am just an old fashioned sort who cannot stand the use of text language in more formal writing. Keep text language to the text message, chat room or informal emails etc! As for yor professor - sack him I can tell you using text talk (not abbreviations as they are different and recognised in English) causes a problem in business as youngsters used to using text talk cannot communicate in letter, emails properly and professionaly.

 I totally agree...Using tex talk to me is a form of laziness.

From today´s translation forum " could sum1 please help.........." AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!

I guess we have to admit it is a generational thing.

I am now one of the "old fogeys" which means I can understand or 2mrw in English and kib or kanka in Turkish, but anything more advanced leaves me wondering what on earth they are talking about!

 2mrw???? What on earth are YOU talking about, Marion? I´m a foreigner in English, remember?

I do admit to using text speak when I text (sms). Mind you,some of my friends´ messages are so abbreviated it´s quite a challenge just to understand them.

 Tomorrow.  Yes: it´s real bad, isn´t it!

 I couldn´t have guessed it.

Maaaan!!!!This makes me feel really guilty!!!!

I htougth everyone got them......

i´m sorry

Well, I wouldn´t say it drives me crazy, but it is annoying crass and inelegant.....but they will probably grow out of it. When you are young you try to be very in the "now".

My fear is that the users of this type of speech will never learn to spell properly.

 i dnt no what u r talkin bout!

 Yes,doudi you´re guilty but ur gr8 2 !! 

thx sonunda ur da best!!lol

 Ok just to be sure,

gr8 2 ...is great too ,no ?

 Yes!

 I don´t agree. U is an obvious one, but once we allow everybody to use abbrevations it will go from bad to worse. Sometimes there are posts that I have a hard time to understand, it only makes me understand that the person who wrote it is probably sixteen and writing hAlfLy CapİtAlS on her msn account. I use abbrevations in sms too (because its cheaper ), and sometimes a U or an nd may slip, but there are people who type their entire posts with abbrevations. It is rather tiring to read, and annoying for people who arent fluent in English, or who come here to learn. No, we arent here for academic reasons, but have a look at people´s reason to use TC. Many Turks have the reason to ´Help other people with Turkish and to learn English´.

We don´t ask for flawless, perfect grammer, schoolbook English.

What about Turkish speakers who do E-T translations using no Turkish characters/letters giving the excuse of not having a Turkish keyboard or saying ´it doesn´t matter´. It drives me mad!

i too agree with you sonunda..but its getting so common using this way ..i admit that i too had used those ways time to time..but as you said its not helping neither english language nor english learners..

I have confess I was terribly lazy and never used Turkish characters (and it only takes one mouse click for me to switch over )  I learned my lesson when I typed a particular word with i instead of ı and promptly offended the heck out of friend.  I use text talk for SMS because I know my friends understand it.  Posts on a forum, business writing bla bla, my audience is unknown and it defeats the point of communication when the reader has to parse out my meaning. 

It became a habit of me I want to get rid of. But you should understand this. People always prefer the shortest way to express themselves. Because of that for example maybe a hundred years  later  "u" can take the place of "you" in written language.

I agree-but thankfully I won´t be around then!  (just turning in my grave)

IMHO your posts would be vastly improved if you used upper case ´I´ where required tunci.

 Bad bad habit! So get used with me to correct your "we turks" mistakes everytime when I see them. 

2mrw is tomorrow hehe

 Is the "I " word also an abbreviated form of an old English word?

before 900; Middle English ik, ich, i; Old English ic, ih;  cognate with German ich, Old Norse ek, Latin ego, Greek egṓ,  OCS azŭ, Lithuanian aš, Sanskrit ahám

Reduced to i  by 1137 in northern England, it began to be capitalized c.1250 to mark it as a distinct word and avoid misreading in handwritten manuscripts.

Italian io, Spanish yo, Russian ya, Turkish ben, Persian men, Mongolian mi, Finnish mina, Hungarian en, Arabic enne ...