Dear Mr. Boss,
Gud morin. I write 2 let u kno I won’t be able 2 make it 2 wok today. I’ve had a tiring weekend, I waz sick
n been in n out of hospital. Doc says it’s a case of food poizning. Pls, I would lik to request 4 some dayz
off so I can recuperate. 10ks for ur understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Ms Subordinate.
Mr. Boss replies
Dear Ms Subordinate,
You are fired. Please pick up your check at the accounts when you are fit and ready to.
Best Wishes.
Mr. Boss.
Why did he sack her? Because she called in sick? No! He sacked her because she has just identified herself as one not fit for the professional environment. Period!
Textese or textspeak as the 21st century chat language is called may be cool for teenagers but would never be suitable for serious business. And in my honest opinion, I do not find it cool. Mr. Boss and I are in unison about these features.
Textese may have reduced the effort of the writer, it strains the reader. You have written your thoughts in cool gibberish and your boss is left to interpret. He hasn’t signed up for the ‘cool language class’ yet, you wasted his time, strained his mind and had him do a chore that you could have done well. That’s officially not acceptable.
Plus, you have convinced the boss that there is no professionalism about you. Your boss and I concluded it’s lack of seriousness of purpose to write mails in such language, and we do not take such people serious. Mr. Boss thinks it’s poor manners and lack of etiquette; I can’t agree less.
His friend also stated the obvious, he said this ‘cool’ language in an official mail to one’s boss is a self-identification program for idiots. I also think it identifies you as one who would cut corners on a job. If you won’t take time out to write an email, what other act is needed to proof that you may never be thorough on your assignments? You like short routes, we don’t.
You see, your textspeak may not be as bad as this. It may just be that ‘u’ has displaced ‘you’ in your semantics, but your boss is likely not born in this millennium and he’s definitely not trying to adapt the language. Safe yourself the prejudice, speak the language that is approved. You are judged immature and unprofessional when you write ‘u’ instead of ‘you’. It may be a chat language accepted by your friends and colleagues, keep it away from people whom you want their respect. Personally, sending me a broadcast message with a chat language simply reads to me ‘don’t take me too serious’; because whatever message you are passing across is taken lightly by me.
Have you noticed that when you type like this you get into an informal state, a free-fall mood? Your thinking becomes less professional. And writing to your boss in this state, you may not know when you type ‘I don’t give a damn, or ‘get d hell outta here’.
People who bring chat language to the office and are pardoned are the casual workers or back office staff. They are pardoned and excused because their education is said to be poor.
If your education isn’t poor, prove it. Leave the chat language for the 21’st century illiterate.