Page 8 February 2009 OPINION

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©) ROGERS

PANTHER POST

Ur Grammr sux onLIne

By Kate VanGerven Panther Post

*m sure we’ve all done it at one point

in our lives. You’re typing on MSN, Facebook or in a text and all of a sudden “your” becomes “ur”, “you” becomes “u” and before you know it you’re find- ing the same mistakes in a paper. This generation is one of shortcuts and abbre- viations. Text messages have replaced phone calls, e-mails have replaced snail mail, Facebook has replaced healthy human relationships. Yes, I’m an avid Facebook user, I love the invention of e-mail and I text as if my life depended on it. However, I appreciate the English language and it includes grammar and punctuation! Pico Iyer, a brilliant essay- ist once wrote that “punctuation gives us the human voice, and all the meanings that lie between the words.” Too true Pico, too true.

The very popular YouTube.com is a breeding ground for ridiculous comments with little to no punctuation or proper grammar. “Ur video sukd sOoQoO0O bad ur prolly fat uggly wit noooooo

| My annoyance with YouTube was de-

creased ever so slightly today after I watched a video entitled “Yo Comments are Whack”. The video focuses on the exact YouTube comments I despise so much. The two girls in the video wrote their own lyrics and put them to the mu- sic of “Baby got Back” which worked amazingly. Their witty rhymes make this video highly amusing.

To those of you who took the time to read this, thanks. You’re either going to agree with what I’m talking about, or write an angry comment about how “im so dum i shuld prolly go dye”. Either way, Letters to the Editor/Panther Post are always welcome, as is punctuation.

Kate VanGerven is the sports editor for the Panther Post