Aplus.net Blog

Aplus.Net Blog readers, we want to know: What are your thoughts on “leet”?

The term may be new to you, but rest assured, you’ve encountered it before. “Leet” refers to the tendency in Internet communication (and text messaging, to a much bigger extent but less relevantly here) of shortening words and phrases into the shortest form possible — even if the new word doesn’t really make sense.

(For just a brief example, the word hate is written as h8, and b& indicates the word banned.)

It’s been around forever (well, since the ’80s, anyway), so it’s nothing new. Yet, as more and more people get online, and text messaging becomes a preferred means of communication, it’s become something of an epidemic — difficult to avoid, and harder and harder to understand.

It may be all well and good for text messaging and online games, where space is limited and speed is desired, but this language has infiltrated the business community itself, with many emails, message boards, and blog comments crammed full of this confusing argot. Needless to say, in the business world, sloppy communication can lead to some very bad results.

But then again, maybe all this shortening is saving time? Perhaps we’re more efficient if we use fewer words, and to heck with proper grammar? There are plenty of folks who might agree with that sentiment.

So, what do you think? Had enough LOLs? Fed up with the OMGs? Still trying to figure out what the heck a haxor is? Sound off in the comments and let the world know!