Zoe sent me this link today, which, for those who can't be bothered clicking the link, is an article about the rise of the LOLcat and a discussion about how LOL language has stumped linguists.
I'd like to direct Andrew Ramadge, the author of this article, and anyone else who hasn't just gone 'DUH', to this link, which addresses the roots of LOL lingo. Zoe attached it to our flickr group Text on ur cat to provide a bit of interweb cred to our motives.
Cos, u no, we don wanna seem dum or nuffing. I'm sure there are other sites outlining the gaming roots of LOLtext, so why such a mystery, Andrew?
POSTSCRIPT: the author strikes back! See comments for more details. A gripping tale of remorse, rationalisation and forgiveness. I heart the interwebs.
10 comments:
And I found it via dr faustus at the killfile
ktnxbye
I don't really get LOLcats but I do haz a soft spot for l337
Because then I'd have to talk about Caturday on 4chan and NEDM and so on, and there wasn't enough space.
The most interesting thing about all the hate mail I've received over that article is that every internet subculture wants to claim LOLcats as their own. Perhaps I should start directing gamers' emails to 4chan users, and NEDM nostalgists' to icanhasacheezburger fans. Save me answering them.
And yes, I'm aware it was far from hard-hitting journalism. :P
It wasn't hate mail, Andy! You made yourself look so clueless, claiming that the roots of LOLspeak were such a mystery. In this age of quick Google searches, no-one need act dumb anymore. I was just trying to give you something to use. If you knew it already, you've got no right to get snarky with us.
I'm not a gamer, BTW, I just know people who like to research their fun :)
Thanks for dropping by, anyway, eh.
Oh, I didn't mean to be snarky.
I meant the *actual* hate mail I received.
:)
A few more thoughts...
It's hard sometimes being a geek and writing for a mainstream outlet. Hard to balance cred with traditional "newsworthiness" stuff (see: linguist's quotes).
Things I write have to go through editors who, in this case, had never heard of or seen a lolcat before.
At the end of the day, the whole thing was just an excuse to post something funny on a Friday afternoon - and from my point of view, something that wasn't Paris Hilton for a change.
Not Paris Hilton? Hooray! You're forgiven.
those poor lil editors, they've never seen a lolcat?? What kind of life would that be? :)
Obviously kept so busy that they don't get time to trawl...
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