I like email. I email a lot. Seriously. A LOT. For example, yesterday alone I sent out 63 emails (according to my "sent items") in an 8-hour period. And yesterday was just an average work day. During really busy days I probably send out even more than that. As a result of all this emailing and writing that I do, I type pretty fast. The last time I did an official typing test I believe it was somewhere around 75-80 wpm. Therefore, I do not think it takes any extra time to type out an entire word versus an abbreviation of that word -- especially when the word is already short to begin with. Maybe it will take a millisecond longer to type out the word in its entirety, but if you don't think you have that kind of time you seriously need to take a deep breath and slow down!
Example: I frequently send emails to my boss with items she has requested, documents for her review, etc. Her response is usually this: "Thx!" Excuse me? Thx? What is that? Was my article that I just spent several hours writing not worth enough to you to put forth the extra millisecond it would take to type the 3 extra characters in "thanks"? Are you really that busy? Every time I get her "thx" I try to come up with some justification for it in my head, but I just can't. In fact, I just timed myself and it actually took me a half-second longer to type "thx" as opposed to "thanks" because it's such an unnatural "word" to type that I had to put more effort into it. Seriously, thx? What lazy person came up with that?
Okay, that's all. It's Friday. You know it's a slow day at work when you've only sent out 21 emails. Thx for letting me vent!
I agree! I even hate LOL too. Grrrr....
ReplyDeleteWe use instant messaging at my work (I know, I feel like we're all 15). I've run in to a plethora of annoying abbreviations there too.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you!
That is funny! Have you ever read the book Eats shoot and Leaves? I think you would really like it! I love it and I think if she wrote another book it could include a chapter on your point (:
ReplyDeleteSo true!! It's much harder to think of the darn abbreviation and how to spell it than it is to just spell it out. Of course, I have to admit that I pulled something similar in elementary school when I would go up to the teacher's desk and stand in line behind other students just to ask if I could abbreviate something. There's nothing like wasting time to save a little writer's cramp.
ReplyDeleteOh great, now I am going to have to re-read all of our emails and see if I did that! I probably did a few times, oops! My friend is the worst! Her texts drive me crazy. For example "N E thing U need 2 know," I think that was the best one.
ReplyDeleteBrittany, you're hilarious!!! I now know that I move at snail pace compared to your email accomplishments - I'm lucky to get 5 out in a day! Do you text as fast?? Missed you at Book Club. How's the pregnancy?? Take care!
ReplyDeleteO sister, UR so funny!
ReplyDeleteAMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI get the same thing at my job too. oiy vey!