How Jeff Bezos Pwned Publishing

[Xenophon]

Originally Posted by Alphapheemail

You make a good point. Since I see it everyday, it's almost like a english dialiect. But you're right one should modify thier language in respect to thier target audience. But because one person does not understand what is said does not make the "language" invalid or non existant. The reality is that words like pwnd are here to stay since the internet community becomes larger and the "net lingo" is seeping into the "meat lingo". ( meat being real life)

Speaking as one who has been "on the net" since the net had three(!) nodes, I rather object to it being called "net lingo." It seems to me to have arisen from a combination of kids who can't type and texting on devices that don't have real keyboards. The first of these two has a simple solution (learn!); the second seems likely to be overtaken by technology.

I text back and forth with students and younger colleagues all the time (by way of various IM programs on the Internet, not via cell phone). My observation is that a person who can type gets out complete sentences with punctuation, capital letters, and decent grammar in far less time than the kiddies take to pwn their txt.

But then, there's a reason my title here is "curmudgeon."

Xenophon

[Shaggy]

I think the origins of it have more to do with online gaming than they do with cell phone keypads.

[Xenophon]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

I think the origins of it have more to do with online gaming than they do with cell phone keypads.

That would be the first of my two origins -- people who can't type.

Xenophon

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Xenophon

That would be the first of my two origins -- people who can't type.

See the discussion about filters. I think the misspelling is intentional, it's not a typo.

[Elsi]

It's an interesting discussion about deciphering the written language and writers modifying language to meet their audience.

My daughter and I share a lot of books, with one big exception -- she won't read science fiction books. This frustrates me no end, because I adore SF and she really enjoys SF television and movies, but won't read the books. So when we started talking about it, she explained that she can't understand the story when the start using made-up words. I said, "well, yes, but 'phaser' is a made-up word and you understand that." And she explained that she understands it because when the word was first encountered, she could see the actor pull a gun-like object from his belt, aim it, and fire an energy beam. But had she encountered the word in text, she would not have been able to build the comprehension based on similar words or context.

My daughter has a language processing disability. She's gifted, has a degree in Mathematics, and teaches math in a local school. The disability originally caused lots of problems for her in school because the two language centers in her brain -- spoken language and written language -- do not have the normal cross connections. For example, she cannot write what she hears, so taking notes in a class is impossible. She's developed a number of coping mechanisms and the disability now doesn't cause many problems. But she's highly dependent upon a dictionary if she's going to be running into words she hasn't yet learned. And the SF author rarely includes a glossary in the back of the book!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, what does "Pwned" mean?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwned

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I know all about kiddies trying to make up their own words because they made a typo. It originally came into being because of a typo. And it's not a real word. never will be.

All words in the English language were not real at one time. Heck, even the language was not real at one time!

Language is a kind of contract. On the one hand you do have to stick to the rules to be understood. But on the other hand the rules often change as needed (or not needed ).

[catsittingstill]

I thought it was pronounced like "spooned" without the s.

I don't know about other people, but I'm now using it in meatspace. "Pwned chicken" is a chicken that has been roasted, served as the backbone of one meal, then had the remaining accessible meat sliced off for sandwiches, and the bones/inaccessible meat boiled for soup or stew. I can get four meals for 2 out of a chicken that way, even if it is a fair amount of labor :-)

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I know all about kiddies trying to make up their own words because they made a typo. It originally came into being because of a typo. And it's not a real word. never will be.

D'oh!

[Moejoe]

Anybody read the article I linked?

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Anybody read the article I linked?

I was just thinking the same thing!

I had already read it, DearAuthor is a good blog.

[JSWolf]

The article left out something very important in the Amazon timeline. It left out when Amazon first got into eBooks and then when they callously abandoned them and their users.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Anybody read the article I linked?

There was an article?

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Anybody read the article I linked?

I did. I will soon be osting a rebuttal.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Anybody read the article I linked?

Oh, did you want this group to stay on topic or something?

Perhaps someone can start a topic about the "word" pwned in the Conservatory. Seems like people have alot to say about it.

BOb