133+, 4 |4n6u463 0|= |+5 0\/\/n? 0r 4 p3rv3r5|0n? / 133+, a language of its own? Or a perversion?

133+, 4 |4n6u463 0|= |+5 0\/\/n? 0r 4 p3rv3r5|0n?

by Marinda Darnell

|4n6u463 d3|=|n35. \/\/}-{4+ d035 |+ d3|=|n3 /\/\05+ /\/\|6}-{+ 45k? +}-{3 5|/\/\p|3 r35p0n53 |5 +}-{4+ |4n6u463 d3|=|n35 4 cu|+ur3; |+ d3|=|n35 \/\/}-{0 4 p3r50n |5. |n r34||+y |+ |5 /\/\uc}-{ /\/\0r3 c0/\/\p||c4+3d +}-{3n +}-{|5.

\/\/}-{3n 4 c}-{||d |5 b0rn, +}-{3r3 4r3 0n|y v3ry 5|/\/\p|3 c0/\/\/\/\un|c4+|0n 5k|||5 4v4||4b|3 |=0r +}-{4+ c}-{||d +0 u53. +}-{3 c}-{||d |5 5|/\/\p|3 |n +}-{4+ cry|n6, |0ud 0r 50|=+ v0c4| |55u4nc35, c00|n6, 4nd b0dy |4n6u463 4r3 4|| +}-{3 r350urc35 +}-{4+ }-{3 c4n u53 4+ +}-{4+ +|/\/\3. +}-{3 p4r3n+5 /\/\u5+ |34rn +0 d3|=|n3 4n "|'/\/\ }-{un6ry" cry |=r0/\/\ 0n3 0|= +}-{3 d|4p3r |5 |=u||. +}-{|5 |5 0|=+3n 4n |n3|=|=|c|3n+ /\/\4nn3r 0|= c0/\/\/\/\un|c4+|0n, 3v3n ||= +}-{3 p|3rc|n6 cry 0|= 4 n3\/\/ b0rn 4+ +\/\/0 4/\/\ |5 3n0u6}-{ +0 /\/\4k3 4 p4r3n+ ju/\/\p. 3v3n+u4||y +}-{3 |4n6u463 0|= 4 b4by 3v0|v35 45 +}-{3y b36|n +0 |/\/\|+4+3 +}-{3 /\/\0r3 4dv4nc3d |4n6u463 5k|||5 0|= +}-{053 4r0und +}-{3/\/\. \/\/}-{3+}-{3r +}-{053 |4n6u463 5k|||5 4r3 +}-{3 6run+5 0|= +}-{3 c4v3 /\/\4n, 0r +}-{3 }-{|6}-{|y d3v3|0p3d cr00n|n6 0|= +}-{3 |=r3nc}-{ |4n6u463, |+ |5 5+||| +}-{3 d3v3|0p/\/\3n+ |n+0 4n0+}-{3r |4n6u463.

45 4 c}-{||d 4635 4nd 6r0\/\/5, +}-{3r3 4r3 v3ry d|5+|nc+ 5+4635 |n +}-{3|r 6r0\/\/+}-{. 45 4 b4by, |+ |5 |n4r+|cu|4+3 cr|35 4nd |=4c|4| 3xpr355|0n5. +}-{|5 3v3n+u4||y |34d5 +0 +}-{3 u53 0|= 5|n6|3 \/\/0rd5, 4nd +}-{3n 5|/\/\p|3 53n+3nc35, 4nd |=|n4||y +0 c0/\/\p0und 53n+3nc35. 45 4 c}-{||d, \/\/}-{||3 5+||| +ry|n6 +0 /\/\45+3r 4 /\/\0r3 4dv4nc3d |4n6u463, c}-{||dr3n 0|=+3n cr34+3 +}-{3|r 0\/\/n }-{|dd3n, 53cr3+ |4n6u463 \/\/}-{3r3 0n|y +}-{053 \/\/}-{0 kn0\/\/ +}-{3 c0d3 c4n und3r5+4nd |+. 3v3n 45 c}-{||dr3n b3c0/\/\3 4du|+5 +}-{3 d35|r3 |=0r 4 53cr3+ |4n6u463, +0 b3 "3||+3," |5 0|=+3n 3xpr3553d. |33+ |5 0|=+3n u53d by |nd|v|du4|5 \/\/}-{0 \/\/|5}-{ +0 |=33| 5up3r|0r 0r ju5+ +0 |rr|+4+3 0+}-{3r p30p|3. 0r |+ c4n b3 u53d 45 |n +}-{3 c453 0|= +}-{|5 4r+|c|3 +0 /\/\4yb3 pr0v3 4 p0|n+. |33+ |5 4 |4n6u463 +}-{4+ \/\/45 |=|r5+ u53d by }-{4ck3r5 u5|n6 Bu||3+|n B04rd 5y5+3/\/\5, 4nd |5 n0\/\/ \/\/|d3|y u53d |n /\/\/\/\0rP65, 4nd 4|50 |n |n+3rn3+ c0/\/\/\/\un|+|35.

|33+ |5 cr34+3d by r3p|4c|n6 |3++3r5 |n \/\/0rd5 \/\/|+}-{ 3|+}-{3r 5|/\/\||4r |3++3r5, 0r u5|n6 n0n-4|p}-{4b3+|c c}-{4r4c+3r5 +0 cr34+3 +}-{3 |3++3r5. 5p3|||n65 d0 n0+ 4|\/\/4y5 |=0||0\/\/ 4 53+ c0nv3n+|0n; +}-{3 54/\/\3 \/\/0rd /\/\4y b3 5p3||3d d||=|=3r3n+|y by d||=|=3r3n+ p30p|3, |nd33d by +}-{3 54/\/\3 p3r50n. +}-{|5 |5 5y/\/\p+0/\/\4+|c 0|= +}-{3 d35|r3 +0 3|ud3 c0/\/\pr3}-{3n5|0n by 0+}-{3r5 un|=4/\/\|||4r \/\/|+}-{ +}-{3 4r+ |=0r/\/\.

|=r0/\/\ 4 64/\/\|n6 p0|n+ 0|= v|3\/\/, |33+ r3pr353n+5 +}-{3 3x+r3/\/\3 0|= +}-{3 0n||n3 64/\/\|n6 \/\/0r|d. U5u4||y |+ |5 |/\/\/\/\4+ur3 +\/\/3|v3 y34r 0|d5 +}-{4+ +}-{|nk +}-{3y /\/\u5+ b3 b3++3r +}-{3n 3v3ry0n3 3|53 (+}-{0u6}-{ 4d/\/\|++3d|y +}-{3r3 4r3 /\/\4ny 4du|+5 \/\/}-{0 +}-{|nk +}-{3 54/\/\3 \/\/4y); +}-{3r3|=0r3 +}-{3y /\/\u5+ \/\/r|+3 |n 4 p3rv3r5|0n 0|= 4 |4n6u463 50 +}-{4+ 0+}-{3r5 c4n n0+ und3r5+4nd |+. +}-{|5 |n +}-{3|r /\/\|nd5 3|3v4+35 +}-{3/\/\ 4b0v3 +}-{3 4v3r463 p3r50n, 4nd |+ 5upp053d|y /\/\34n5 +}-{3y 4r3 b3++3r 4+ 4 64/\/\3 +}-{3n +}-{3 0n35 \/\/}-{0 c4n n0+. 45 4n 0n||n3 u53r n4/\/\3d |=r46b3r+ c0/\/\/\/\3n+5, "4+ b35+, |+'5 4/\/\u5|n6 ||= v|3\/\/3d |=r0/\/\ 4|=4r. 4+ \/\/0r5+, |+'5 |nd3c|p}-{3r4b|3 4nd |=ru5+r4+|n6 ||= +}-{3 p3r50n |5 +ry|n6 +0 5p34k +0 y0u 4nd c4nn0+ c0/\/\/\/\un|c4+3 3|=|=3c+|v3|y... 0r 45 | ||k3 +0 r3|=3r +0 |+ 45 ||++|3 |=r065, /\/\4k|n6 b|6 |=r06 n0|535 +0 |/\/\pr355 0+}-{3r ||++|3 |=r065."

50 \/\/||| | u53 |33+ 0r 0+}-{3r 5p3c|4| |4n6u4635 \/\/}-{3r3 /\/\05+ p30p|3 c4n n0+ und3r5+4nd |+ \/\/}-{||3 64/\/\|n6? Pr0b4b|y n0+. |+ c4n c4u53 c0n|=u5|0n, |=ru5+r4+|0n, 4nd d0\/\/n r|6}-{+ |rr|+4+|0n, 35p3c|4||y \/\/}-{3n |+ |5 n0+ n33d3d. 50/\/\3+|/\/\3 dur|n6 +}-{3 /\/\0n+}-{ 0|= Ju|y, | \/\/45 4++3/\/\p+|n6 +0 c0/\/\/\/\un|c4+3 \/\/|+}-{ 4n0+}-{3r c}-{4r4c+3r |=0r 53rv|c35. }-{3 5p0k3 3n+|r3|y |n |33+. 4|=+3r +}-{3 |=|r5+ |=3\/\/ +3||, | }-{4d +0 45k }-{|/\/\ ||= }-{3 5p0k3 3n6||5}-{, 0r d|d | }-{4v3 +0 |=|nd 4n0+}-{3r p3r50n +0 +4k3 /\/\y cr3d|+5 |=r0/\/\ }-{|/\/\. |+ +urn5 0u+ +}-{3 p3r50n \/\/45 4r0und |=0ur+33n y34r5 0|d, 4nd d|d n0+ r34||y kn0\/\/ }-{0\/\/ +0 5p34k 0+}-{3r\/\/|53 |n 64/\/\3 (0r 4+ |345+ pr3+3nd3d n0+ +0). | |=|n4||y 3nd3d up 45k|n6 +}-{3 k|d ||= }-{3 run5 4r0und |n r34| |||=3 54y|n6 "1 p4\/\/n3d j00" +0 p30p|3. +}-{|5 \/\/45 |=0||0\/\/3d by 4 5+r|n6 0|= \/\/0rd5 +}-{4+ c0u|d 0n|y b3 +3r/\/\3d 3xp||c|+, 4nd +}-{3n c4||3d 4 n00b 4nd \/\/45 +0|d }-{3 p4\/\/n3d /\/\3 464|n. 4+ +}-{|5 p0|n+ | ju5+ r0||3d /\/\y 3y35, +0|d }-{|/\/\ \/\/3|c0/\/\3 +0 /\/\y |6n0r3 ||5+, 4nd /\/\0v3d 0n +0 6|v3 /\/\y n|c3 5}-{|ny cr3d|+5 +0 50/\/\30n3 3|53. +}-{|5 \/\/45 4 p3r|=3c+ 3x4/\/\p|3 45 +0 \/\/}-{y | c0u|d n0+ br|n6 /\/\y53||= +0 u53 |33+ und3r /\/\05+ 53++|n65. 45 |=r46b3r+ 54|d, |+ |5 |=ru5+r4+|n6, 4nd |nd3c|p}-{3r4b|3 by +}-{3 4v3r463 p3r50n.

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Copyright 2004-2005 The Lady Gamer. All rights reserved.

133+, a language of its own? Or a perversion?

by Marinda Darnell

Language defines. What does it define, most might ask? The simple response is that language defines a culture; it defines who a person is. In reality, it is much more complicated than this.

When a child is born, he possesses only the very simplest of communication skills. To communicate with the people around him, he is limited to crying, random loud or soft vocalizations, cooing and the use of body language. It is then up to his parent to distinguish between an "I'm hungry" cry and a "my diaper is full" cry. While the piercing cry of a child at 2 AM is enough to make a parent jump, it can often prove an inefficient form of communication. Over time, the language skills of the child evolve as he imitates the more advanced skills of those around him. Whether those language skills are the grunts of the cave man or the highly developed crooning of the French language, it is still a development into another language.

As a child ages and grows, there are very distinct stages to their growth. As a baby, it is inarticulate cries and facial expressions. This eventually lead to the use of single words, followed by simple sentences and finally, compound sentences. Children, while still trying to master a more advanced language, often create their own secret language, only understandable to those who know the code. Even as children become adults, there remains the desire for a secret language, to be "elite." Elite or "l33t" is one such special language used by individuals who wish to feel superior or just to irritate other people. 133t is a language that was first used by hackers using Bulletin Board Systems, and is now widely used in MMORPGs and the internet community. In this article, 133t will be used to prove a point.

l33t is created by replacing letters in words with either visually similar letters, or using non-alphabetic characters to simulate the letters. Spellings do not always follow a set convention; the same word may be spelled differently by different people, indeed even by the same person. This is symptomatic of the desire to elude comprehension by others unfamiliar with the language's conventions.

From a gaming point of view, l33t represents the extreme of the online gaming world. Usually, it is immature twelve year olds who think they must be better then everyone else (though admittedly there are many adults who think the same way); therefore, they must write in a perversion of a language so that others cannot understand it. This, in their minds, elevates them above the average person, and it supposedly means they are better at a game then the ones who cannot. As an online user named fragbert comments, "At best, it's amusing if viewed from afar. At worst, it's indecipherable and frustrating if the person is trying to speak to you and cannot communicate effectively... or as I like to refer to it as little frogs, making big frog noises to impress other little frogs."

So will I use 133t or some other incomprehensible special language while gaming? Probably not, as it can cause confusion, frustration, and downright irritation, especially when it is not needed. Sometime during the month of July, I was attempting to communicate with a character who spoke entirely in l33t. After the first few tells, I had to ask him if he spoke English, or did I have to find another person to take my credits from him. It turns out the person was around fourteen years old, and did not really know how to speak otherwise in game (or at least pretended not to). I finally ended up asking the kid if he runs around in real life saying "1 pawned joo" to people. He replied with a string of words that could only be termed as explicit, called me a "n00b" and then told me he pawned me again. At this point I just rolled my eyes, told him welcome to my ignore list and moved on to give my nice shiny credits to someone else. This was a perfect example as to why I could not bring myself to use l33t under most circumstances. As fragbert said, it is frustrating, and indecipherable to the average person.