language and the internet - netspeak - finding identity
DESCRIPTION
Review of "Finding Identity", the 3rd chapter of David Crystal's "Language and the Internet"TRANSCRIPT
Language and the Internet
CHAPTER: THREE
Finding an Identity
Chap 3
*Nadia Amaghou*Abdelhamid Bousaadi
HOW IS THE LINGUISTIC IDENTITY OF NETSPEAK UNCERTAIN ?
a) WHAT IS PERSCRIPTIVISM ?
b) WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVISM ?
c) WHAT IS BEST ?
WHAT COUNTS AS ACCEPTABLE IN NETSPEAK ?
a) WHAT ARE THE “HACKER ETHICS” ?
b) WHY AREN’T THEY APLICABLE ?
Nadia
WHY DO WE NEED A CHAPTER ON IDENTIY?
?
“Language is a central feature of human identity. When we hear someone speak, we immediately make guesses about gender, education level, age, profession, and place of origin. Beyond this individual matter, a language is a powerful symbol of national and ethnic identity. (Spolsky, 1999, p. 181)”
LANGUAGE???
Finding an identity
- The uncertain identity of Netspeak is reflected in the confusion of the users of the internet .
- As a result, people look for guidance.
- This leads to some kind of prespectivism which has started to emerge.
What is prescriptivism ?
• « The view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others . »
What is descriptive ?
• discribes the variations on an even ground.
Refers to the structure of a language as it is actually used by
speakers and writers
Refers to the structure of a language as certain people think it should be used.
Descriptive Prescriptive
Prescriptivism vs descriptivism
• An interesting comparison: Samuel Johnson's dictionary and Wired Style
Two Online Dictionnaires
?
• Wired Style: « when does jargon end and a new vernacular begin?
• Samuel Johnson’s dictionary: «no lexicographer shall imagine that his dictionary can embalm his language, and secure it from corruption and decay. »
CONCLUSION
• « Most of the netspeak authors are aware of the importence of grounding their work in descriptive reality. »
• What counts as acceptable Netspeak ?
Internet users are very creative. The rate at which terms are being Coined has no parallel in any language.
Coining words has at least two objectives: overcome the limitations of the electronic medium and entertainment.
The hacker ethic
• The belief that information-sharing is a powerful positive good.
• The belief that system-cracking for fun and exploration is ethically OK.
« If real internet communities are relatively small-scale, they will demonstrate their solidarity by evolving measure of identity, some of which will be nonlinguistic and some linguistic in character »
Shared Values
Jargon
OUTSIDERS
?
The future of the Netspeak is bound to..
1- the extent to which hacker-originated language has developed a sufficiently stable identity for internet useres.
2- the users’ production of new fresh linguistic directions, evolving norms of stylistics usage which owe nothing to hacker origines.
Making the rules explicit
Abdelhamid
Some features of Netspeak
One of the most obvious features of Netspeak is the lexiconthat belongs to the internet.
CRYSTAL (2001: 81)
internetlexicon
Binary, Computer, Cable, disk, bit ???
jargon of science
and technology
=> Internet restricted situations
Software options and commands Software Error messagesComputer hardwareThe Population of the internet
“Any style guide which promotes one variety of language at the expense of another is prescriptive”
David Crystal
-1- Software options and commands Look at page bellow
-2- Software Error messages
Error
Illegal Operation
-2- Software Error messages
-2- Error messagesForbidden
protocol
-2- Error messages404 Not
found
-3- Computer Hardware
Windows 95
-3- Computer Hardware
Windows 95
-3- Computer Hardware
Windows 7
-4- Population of Internet users
NetizensNetters
Nerds
Surfersboz
os
Wizards
mouse click+ = mouseclick
mouse + pad mousepad=
through+click clickthrough
click+per+cost
=
= Cost-per-click
A-Compounding
Creating Internet neologisms
B-AffexationPrefixese + mail =
cyber
+
link
hyper + text
Creating Internet neologisms
e book
hyper +
sex+
=
=
=
=
E-bookHypertext
Hyperlink
Cybersexcyber + squatter = Cybersquatter
hardware winnitude
-ware -itude
geekitude
-ity
Suffixes
Creating Internet neologismsB-Affexation
software
brevity
obviousity
Suffi x extending
C-Blending
data
Information + net
program
Internet etiquette
Internet citizen
datagram
infonet
netiquette
Netizen
Creating Internet neologisms
+
+
+
=
=
=
=
You want a ride? Then answer this
Meet me at:*%@ street,
24$//x 2 near d McOm @C u 2n8
Creating Internet neologismsD-Acronyms
http Hypertext Transfer Protocol
lol Laughing out Loud
btw By the Way
Some features of Netspeak
Another feature of Netspeak
is . graphology
CRYSTAL (2001: 87)
Capitalization
punctuationBicapitalization
Emotional expressions
Capitalization anb Bicapitalization
emphasis
Don’t drink it! It’s bad
Punctuation and Emotional Expressions
Exercice
Conclusion
THANK YOU