By Chris Wales
November 23, 2004 - 12:34 AMSee Also: 'Three Generations Are Enough' Episode Guide Hello World! I thought I'd open this week with a pet peeve of mine and it's implications on society.
Hands up who spotted the deliberate mistake in that sentence.
It's a sad by-product of the digital generation, it seems. But whether you blame it on a distracting lifestyle, falling education standards, cultural change or changes in communications technology, one thing is for certain – correct, well-formed English is becoming a very rare animal indeed.
The biggest offender and evil of them all seems to be the ever-popular text messaging. When forced to contract meaningful messages into 160 characters of space, abbreviations are a necessary evil. Unfortunately, mastering one language is too much for many in society. So the concept of using another, more appropriate form of English, seems entirely beyond some of the younger generation. I have decided I will call them "illiternets".
The rise of instant messaging has led to this laziness being transferred to the computer. Learning to type is vastly unimportant when you can express what you wish with a few random acronyms, words omitting vowels, contrived abbreviations and so forth. Not that this can't be the funniest thing since... well, a very funny thing indeed. Anybody who hasn't already ought to read the Instant Messenger handbook should do so. Now. IMHO. OTOH, if u av red it, plz fEl 3 2 skp ths lnk.
And then on to the rest of the Internet, where a haven for bad English has been set up. Unlike the producers of these humorous works, the illiternets who make the worst mistakes are the worst offenders. I mean, some people ought to have a licence to speak English. Yes. The English police should be able to pull you over and give you a spot spelling and grammar test. Failure to comply leading to said licence being revoked, and your right to abuse the English language with it.
My personal biggest pet peeves: "could of" or "would of" (just take the meanings of those two words in your head and put them together. Makes about a much sense as a parrot with vertigo), and my all time recent hate, "rediculous". Ladies and gentlement. People are not subject to "redicule".
What worries me most about all this? Cos yes, I am a complaining, grumpy old fart. And yes, I am an old school writer. I'd say my own vocabulary and spelling was good enough, but even now and then I have to check words that slip my memory. What is it like for kids growing up where everyone uses their own versions of words (oh, think of the children! The children!)
Got any pet peeves of your own? Spelling and grammar get you down too? Is Chris just old and grumpy? Send your comments into Mogh's Mailbag! Talk CSI Files threads Below are some of the topics currently being discussed at Talk CSI:
- Have you ever found yourself expecting to see a visual reconstruction of a crime in other crime shows?
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More topics can be found at the Talk CSI! Poll Results Below are the results of the most recent CSI Files poll:
How would you rate the recent feature length 'CSI: Miami' episode 'Crime Wave'?
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9-10 |
 42.5% - (279
Votes) |
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7-8 |
19.3% - (127
Votes) |
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Didn't want to see it |
15.5% - (102
Votes) |
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Wasn't able to see it |
8.3% - (55
Votes) |
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5-6 |
6.4% - (42
Votes) |
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1-2 |
4.5% - (30
Votes) |
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3-4 |
3.2% - (21
Votes) |
Total Votes: 656
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Was the latest CSI: Miami episode "Pirated" a swashbuckling success, or lower than Davy Jones' locker? Cast your votes below! | Why can't the CSIs get dates? | | |
Today's Television Listings Wednesday's CSI: New York outing, "Three Generations Are Enough" will air 10:00pm. The episode summary is as follows: "Mac examines the mysterious disappearance of a stock brocker while Stella investigates the murder of a woman thrown off the roof of a church. Panic ensues on a New York trading floor when a briefcase is left behind with no owner. The briefcase’s contents are traced back to a stock broker who mysteriously disappeared after investigating another broker’s illegal trades. Meanwhile, Stella investigates the death of a pregnant counselor found next to the church where she worked."
On Thursday at 9:00pm the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Mea Culpa" will air. According to TV Guide, "After a murder trial is reopened to explore new forensic evidence, Grissom discovers a previously undetected fingerprint on a piece of evidence during his cross-examination. This oversight is an opportunity for new assistant lab director Conrad Ecklie to put Grissom and his nightshift team under the microscope."
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