Simply put, they are abominations to the English language. They do nothing but encourage people to be complete idiots all the while giving them the illusion that they're on the leading edge of some internet trend. I pity them.

Txt Talk
What is text talk, you ask? I'm sure this isn't the most common term for this problem, but the name gives you a pretty good idea as to what it is. It is the trend of leaving out vowels in their words, replacing words with numbers, or several other and annoying ways of butchering the English language.

Example: i don't know who u think ur are but ur not bn funny so do us a favor and get over urself and act ur age not ur shoe size k? thanks!

That was from an old IRC log that I found the other night. People who talk like that need to be shot. What is worse is that people feel inclined to type even worse than the above example. It literally hurts my head trying to read what some of these people write. It's as if they've never stepped foot into English class.

People come up with poor excuses for this kind of typing. They claim that it is for speed purposes only, and that they actually save time by typing incorrectly and looking like a fool rather than typing like they have a decent understanding of spelling and grammar. They also come up with the excuse that it's still readable, so it shouldn't matter.

Writing this way does not increase the speed in which you type your responses. Even if it did, does it really make that much of a difference that it's actually WORTH butchering the English language over? I'd rather take 20 extra seconds to type a response with correct grammar and spelling (for the most part) rather than making myself out to be an illiterate fool who doesn't have the slightest grasp of the English language.

As for it being just as readable; that's complete and utter crap. In fact, I find myself struggling at times trying to read over what these people are trying to communicate because they can't spell a word out in its entirety. I can read those chain mail letters about how only the first and last letters of a word need to be in place for it to be readable better than some of these things that people type while using "txt talk". That's how pathetic it truly is.

Leet Speak
Now, I'm sure that most of you know what this is. It's a internet-based trend of replacing letters (or words) with letters, numbers, and special characters.

Example: W@t r j00 ta1kin b0u+, n00b??????

That example I stole from Wikipedia's entry for "Leet". I feel that Wikipedia explains it quite well, so I'll leave it to you to read it at your own leisure.

This has been spread over the internet for a few years, and I haven't been seeing it as much, but it still deserves an honorable mention. Leet speak can be just as confusing, if not more confusing, as the "txt talk". It is overused and should be avoided. It doesn't not make you "elite", "leet", or "1337". It just makes you look like a poor trend whore from years gone past. You are no longer a part of the "elite" internet users/gamers. Get over it.

ASL (or A/S/L)
This is probably the most annoying of all AOLisms. It's meaning, as we all know, is "age/sex/location". This is a cheap and annoying way to figure out if they care to talk to your or not. In an IRC channel, this should never be used, and it is rarely used. However, in teen chats and other hook-up chatrooms, this makes up a bit of the actual content. Pathetic? Of course, it is.

If you want to get to know people, try talking to them first? As if the only people worth talking to are those that you are sexually attracted to (generally, the opposite sex). I find myself to be quite annoyed everytime I am asked "asl". I am not going to be willing to give you my "asl" information simply because you're trying to figure out if you care to talk to me or not based on my age or gender. People are not limited to talking to only the opposite sex. Get over your horomones and contribute to the main channel's conversation rather than private messaging everybody inquiring them for their "asl" information.

Though, I have found that by noticing those who DO you use "asl", I can effectively ignore them, as they generally are of a sub-par intelligence level. Granted, I've talked to, at least, one person who has shown to have intelligence although asking "asl" in a private message to me. This also hasn't happened in a while, so I can't say it still applies.

In other words, don't use "asl", especially if you're in a legitimate chat channel where it's evident that nobody is there to talk only to the opposite sex. We don't like it, so don't use it.

Your/You're
Okay, this is something that annoys me to no end. It's the improper usage of the word "your". "Your" is posessive. If you can use "you are" in what you are trying to say, don't use "your". Instead, you want to use "you're". It's not that difficult, nor is it any more time consuming than typing "your".

Incorrect usage: Your supposed to take out the trash tonight.
Correct usage: Your dog is well behaved.

Also, if you're going to insult someone by calling them stupid, an idiot, a retard, or anything else insulting their intelligence, make sure you use the proper word, else you'll just look like a hypocritical moron, and nobody wants that, right? That's what I thought.

AlTeRnAtInG cApItAlS
This is mainly used by females. I don't quite understand the appeal to this, but it is a useless and annoying way of typing. It serves absolutely no purpose, and has no good qualities about it. It, inevitably, slows down your typing speeds and makes you look like a ditz.

Luckily, this isn't used for general chatting. It's usually found in profiles of girls on sites or their profiles on instant messengers.

CAPITALS
Capital letters should be used sparringly. Preferrably for the beginning of sentences and proper nouns. However, there is nothing wrong with using capital letters for emphasizing words or phrases, as long as you don't go overboard. I use capitals to emphasize certain WORDS, but I won't use the Caps Lock key.

Instead, you have these morons who think that it's cool to have your caps lock on all the time. THEY END UP LOOKING LIKE A RETARD BECAUSE ALL THEY CAN DO IS USE CAPS, AND THEY THINK IT'S COOL. THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT it really is an annoyance. Use capitalization sparingly. It really IS that simple. You don't need to shout 100% of the time, so don't use capitals 100% of the time.

In Conclusion
All of these problems just further drive the internet and its users into mass stupidity. Do yourself a favor and stop being a moron. You are neither cool or trendy by using any of the above. Learn the English language. Know the English language. Love the English language.

Your opinions mean jack to me if you can't explain it. If you have something to say, you better make sure that there's a reason behind it. I'm sick and tired of people having an "opinion" but having absolutely no basis for it. Sure, you have every right to have that opinion, and I shouldn't have any say about that, but have a reason for it. I mean, you seriously can't be that blind, can you? Sometimes people make me wonder.

Everybody has the right to their own opinion. Everybody is not going to agree on everything, and it's ludicrous to think otherwise. However, you should have a reason for thinking differently. If you don't agree with something, you obviously have a reason for it, don't you? It seems that a lot of people don't have any reasons for their opinions. It's THEIR opinions. They SHOULD have reasons for it. They seem to follow things so blindly that they don't actually have any real reasons for thinking that way. Are people really this stupid, or is this some agenda of the media to brainwash people into being a tool for their cause. I'm thinking it's a mixture of both with their sheer stupidity leading the two.

I couldn't care less if you don't like my music selection, shoes, or political views. However, if you have no reason for disliking them because it's your "opinion", then you're a fool. There's no way to get around that fact. "A wise man speaks because he has something to say. A fool speaks because he has to say something." I love that quote. It speaks volumes in this issue.

Hiding behind the fact that it's your "opinion" is just pointless. We understand it's your opinion. You don't need to state that. It's come out loud and clear when you state your opinion. However, just because it's your "opinion" doesn't make your statement any more sensical.

Don't be a fool and speak because you have something to say. Form an opinion using reasoning, not emotions. Your opinion isn't going to be respected simply because it's your "opinion". You have to give people a reason to respect it by having a basis for your opinion. It's not that difficult.

Try it. I dare you.