I saw this on Steve Dembo’s Media Matters blog (from Discovery Educator’s Network) the other day. I had to stifle a chuckle when I saw it. Not so much that I thought it was funny, but that the fact I can understand the lingo. The website is called transl8it.com. It translates your words into IM speak for easy translations. My gaming roots has put me right smack dab in the middle of this new language. David Warlick discussed this in one of his sessions last Friday at the Tech Forum here in Orlando. He’s also discussed it in his “Connect Learning” podcasts on occasion.

You gamers out there, know what I’m talking about. What’s out there are several variations of this new language. You have your regular IM speak as we refer to it. For example: “Nd 2 bio. BRB”. Ok very basic and all I could muster on a few hours of sleep. But basically “I’m going to be right back because I need to use the bathroom.”

There’s also what’s called dOOd speak that’s out there. This is a hybrid version of IM speak that’s a little more difficult to translate or understand. It uses numbers in place of letters as well as inserting capital letters into words. Some examples would include:

• L33t – elite
• S3kr3T – secret (of course)

Again, that’s all I can muster in my head at this early in the morning, plus I’ve been out of gaming for about 6 months and they really aren’t coming to me as quickly as they used to.

Here’s the main difference between the two. The age brackets involved. Many of the older gamers, and this is going I would say from ages 18 -19 and up to even grandparent age (yes…I have a 70ish year old grandfather that plays in my guild). The dOOd Sp3aK as we like to call it comes from those 18 and under gamers that are usually associated with a guild of people of about the same age. My guild of 500 (The Syndicate) has restrictions on such stuff as we try to portray ourselves as a “Mature and Professional Guild”.

If you are having issues understanding this new language, it is definitely worth the visit to fiddle around on the website. Could also be a neat tool to use with your class to try and decipher a paragraph and have them rewrite it using regular language.

Translation:

I saw DIS on Steve Dembos Media m@Rz blog (frm Discovery Educator’s Network) d othR dA. I had 2 stifle a chuckle wen I saw it. Not so much dat I thawt it wz fune, bt dat d fact I cn undRstNd d lingo. d websIt iz caLd transl8it.com. It transl8z yor wrds in2 IM spk 4 EZ transl8nz. My gaming roots hz put me rght smk dab n d midL of DIS nu lngwij. David Warlick discuSD DIS n 1 of Hs sessNz lst fri. @ d tek 4m hEr n Orlando. Hes also discuSD it n Hs “Connect LernN” podcasts on ocasN.

U gamers out ther, knO wot Im talkin bout. wot’s out ther R sevrl variations of DIS nu lngwij. U hav yor reg. IM spk az we refR 2 it. 4 exmpl: “Nd 2 bio. BRB”. k v basic & aL I c%d muster on a few hrz of slp.

That’s the first two paragraphs of this post. I won’t bore you with the whole thing. You can get the idea from just reading that. Post your comments in IM speak if you wish and let’s see if we can understand what you are saying.

Seeking the Wisdom of the Ages…

Tom.