Hi Billy..

So I read the article, and I said in my blog I still think that it did add more problems for those who teach English. More students are getting used to Netspeak at a younger age, and it becomes a matter of habit for them to this kind of language.

And it is interesting that the defenition of what is now called "Cyberstyle" says that it is characterized by one of the following features: "frequent use of abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon; "street" slang (e.g., using "cuz" instead of "because"); typos, misspelled words, and a general inattention to grammar and sentence structure; a rambling, stream-of-consciousness style". (http://horizon.unc.edu/projects/monograph/CD/Internet_Glossaries/lingo.asp)
So, doing a large-scale corpus study of Netspeak will be defenitely worth it, at least to be able to make a good case whether Netspeak is doing good more than harm to language or not.

In relation to that, I receivd the following email today with the title "Typoglycemia":

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch taem
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia :)-

Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt."

How about having that in students' essays?!!!

Mai