Petition for the owners to ban leet speak - Page 4

Skanky Burns · October 15, 2003, 00:48

But unlike 1337, it does not even impress 13 year olds.

DrSpike · October 15, 2003, 05:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
But unlike 1337, it does not even impress 13 year olds.

But it does impress some 23 year olds

Arnelos · October 15, 2003, 17:27

I had to see why on god's green earth this thread was still alive at 4 pages...

Though I think this topic has already been talked to death, I'll add my two cents by agreeing with what has previously been stated on the topic regarding "who care?"...

GhengisFarb™ · October 15, 2003, 22:27

What is this?

The Energizer Bunny of Spam threads?

Asmodean · October 18, 2003, 04:18

In the light of recent posts in this thread, I hereby officially request that this thread be closed.

Asmodean

St Leo · October 18, 2003, 14:33

shall|be(thread(this), open(forever), );

Sarxis · October 19, 2003, 01:25

The 1337 speak isn't that prevalent.

When people start threads in all 1337 speak, then yeah, I hope those would be closed just like any other non-English thread.

vovan · October 19, 2003, 01:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Anun Ik Oba
I hope those would be closed just like any other non-English thread.

Well, admitedly, I haven't read the forum rules, assuming they are just common-sense stuff about not flaming, insulting, abusing, blah, blah, blah... So, question: if someone started a thread in a language other than english, could it be closed based on that, in accordance with the rules, or is there no such rule?

Or should that sentence be understood in a sense that you would like any non-English thread to be closed, as opposed to "any non-English thread will be closed"?

Just wondering, because wasn't there a series of threads in the OT in Finnish or something?

In general, it's an interesting question: whether the non-English threads should be prohibited... On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with them on the first sight. But on the other hand, a thread in a language none of the mods can understand would obviously post a feasible threat, since they would not be able to figure out if the posters actually break any posting rules about illegal materials, an insults, and such...

Any way, just wondering if there's an explicit rule against non-English threads?

Skanky Burns · October 19, 2003, 01:56

Finnish threads are allowed based on the fact they existed before the language rule was put in place.

Spanish threads are allowed in the Spanish forum. No idea why.

Every other thread must be in English, lest the mods send it to an ignoble end.

rah · October 19, 2003, 04:15

Pretty much sums it up.

vovan · October 19, 2003, 11:29

Aha. So, I'm curious, just for historic purposes, when was the rule put in and why?

DrSpike · October 19, 2003, 12:18

I would presume to stop a proliferation of foreign language threads on a predominantly english-speaking site.

Skanky Burns · October 19, 2003, 19:31

That, and moderation is a pain when the moderators don't know a word of these other languages.

vovan · October 19, 2003, 19:36

Right, so, pretty much, as I guessed in one of the above posts.

Then I wonder, if leet speek qualifies as foreign language.

I suppose not, since the english-speaking people can actually understand it, normally.

Urban Ranger · October 20, 2003, 12:25

Of course it is a foreign language. It needs translation.

Ben Kenobi · October 20, 2003, 14:45

It's possible to post a reply in a foreign language so long as you provide a translation.

Lafayette and I prefer to use his French if possible.

Asmodean · October 20, 2003, 15:31

Well as for leet being understood by english speaking people...

It really depends on what language you use as the base for your leet, doesn't it?

Technically, leet can be based on any language.

Asmodean

vovan · October 20, 2003, 15:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Asmodean
Technically, leet can be based on any language.

I've never seen leet being based on anything other than English, though, hence my assumption that English-speaking people should be able to understand it. In fact, I am fairly confident that leet is an English-based phenomenon. From what I understand, the thing took start around the same time as automatic censors appeared. So that the people would essentially be able to circumvent the censors by changing their a's to @'s, i's to 1's, etc, so as to not be kicked from a chat room, or banned from the forums, and such. And seeing how back then the Internet was mostly a US thing (well, I can't speak for western Europe, but in Russia, where I lived till recently, from all of my friends, only one or two had an Internet connection up till a couple years ago), I still think it is a fair assumption that leet is based on english. Though I suppose it is true, that any latin alphabet-based language can technically be a base for leet.

Asmodean · October 20, 2003, 16:31

Quote:

Originally posted by vovansim

I've never seen leet being based on anything other than English

Neither have I, but technically it could be

Asmodean

Snowflake · October 20, 2003, 16:39

I got a new question. Most languages can be spoken, right? Can one actually talk in 1337 (except for reading the numbers out)? I have a hard time to call 1337 a language myself. It's like misspelled words. You can still understand it (some times easier other times harder), but that doesn't mean it's actually a language, foreign or non foreign.

rah · October 20, 2003, 17:06

Hmmm isn't spoken 1337 English?

Skanky Burns · October 20, 2003, 17:23

If you use a very loose definition of English.

CapTVK · October 20, 2003, 17:46

In the 8/16-bit era crackers & demo groups tried to do their best to come up with coherent and readable sentences in english. Maybe those classic text adventures had something to do with it. How else would you be able to play Zork?

Leet (1337) - speak certainly didn't originate from the hacker scene, more from the outer fringes surrounding it. The wannabees/beginners were often called "lame" or "lamers" a popular definition at the time.

CapTVK · October 20, 2003, 17:56

Quote:

Originally posted by vovansim
Right, so, pretty much, as I guessed in one of the above posts.

Then I wonder, if leet speek qualifies as foreign language.

I suppose not, since the english-speaking people can actually understand it, normally.

There's a reading test you can perform. try to scramble the letters in every word except for the first and the last letter and see if you can still understand it. We tend recognize words by the first and last letter even when the rest is garbled up.

The sentence listed above would become:
Trehe's a tset you can prerofm. try to scmlrbae the ltertes in erevy wrod epcext for the frist and the last lteetr and see if you can sltil usnertdand it.

Now try it with leet-speak.

vovan · October 20, 2003, 18:27

Quote:

Originally posted by CapTVK
Trehe's a tset you can prerofm. try to scmlrbae the ltertes in erevy wrod epcext for the frist and the last lteetr and see if you can sltil usnertdand it.

']['|2343'$ 4 7537 j00 k4|/| pr3r0ph|\/|. 7|2y 07 $cm1rb43 t3h 173|273zz 1|\| 3r3vee '//|20d 3pc3><7 4 73h 1 & te|-| 1@$7 17347r & c if u c@n 517i1 u$|/|3r7dA|\|d ti!!!1! j00 n00b

Sweet.

CapTVK, I certainly didn't say leet speek originated from the hacker scene.

It originated from the kids that wanted to swear and not be kicked off from the chats. At least that's the impression I got.

Urban Ranger · October 21, 2003, 03:05

CapTVK,

To paraphrase Big Cruch, Captain Cnut will not like to have his name scrambled the way you suggested

alva · October 21, 2003, 03:26

What's happening here? Has Ming lost his key or something?!?!?

rah · October 21, 2003, 08:47

I am surprised as well.