Gabe Henry

Well, we are living in the digital world, and the digital world moves fast. And generally speaking, the internet breeds shorter and quicker content, shorter and quicker communication, just to meet our pace of life. And historically, a lot of these simplified spellers had the same motive. Efficiency, speed, a more direct... one-to-one correspondence, more direct one-to-one communication.

If you can shorten that time it takes to communicate an idea to someone, that's probably the best, most efficient form to communicate with them. So a lot of the simplifications we see today in texting and in social media, words like though spelled T-H-O, through spelled T-H-R-U, these were initially proposed hundreds of years ago.

If you can shorten that time it takes to communicate an idea to someone, that's probably the best, most efficient form to communicate with them. So a lot of the simplifications we see today in texting and in social media, words like though spelled T-H-O, through spelled T-H-R-U, these were initially proposed hundreds of years ago.

If you can shorten that time it takes to communicate an idea to someone, that's probably the best, most efficient form to communicate with them. So a lot of the simplifications we see today in texting and in social media, words like though spelled T-H-O, through spelled T-H-R-U, these were initially proposed hundreds of years ago.

and the irony is that these words never caught on when it was some kind of elite class imposing it upon the population but when it came from the bottom up when it came from texters and social media users and people typing it out with their thumbs for an informal conversation these did start to catch on so

and the irony is that these words never caught on when it was some kind of elite class imposing it upon the population but when it came from the bottom up when it came from texters and social media users and people typing it out with their thumbs for an informal conversation these did start to catch on so

and the irony is that these words never caught on when it was some kind of elite class imposing it upon the population but when it came from the bottom up when it came from texters and social media users and people typing it out with their thumbs for an informal conversation these did start to catch on so

In a way, the simplified spelling movement has these downstream effects in today's world, but the difference is no one is trying to turn it into the authoritative way of spelling, the way that those reformers tried to do.

In a way, the simplified spelling movement has these downstream effects in today's world, but the difference is no one is trying to turn it into the authoritative way of spelling, the way that those reformers tried to do.

In a way, the simplified spelling movement has these downstream effects in today's world, but the difference is no one is trying to turn it into the authoritative way of spelling, the way that those reformers tried to do.

Every generation has had these gatekeepers, these language purists, and they tend to see simplified spelling or texting shorthand as some loss of tradition or maybe the downfall of English as we know it. They're the purists that try to hold the language in its place. And then there are

Every generation has had these gatekeepers, these language purists, and they tend to see simplified spelling or texting shorthand as some loss of tradition or maybe the downfall of English as we know it. They're the purists that try to hold the language in its place. And then there are

Every generation has had these gatekeepers, these language purists, and they tend to see simplified spelling or texting shorthand as some loss of tradition or maybe the downfall of English as we know it. They're the purists that try to hold the language in its place. And then there are

the people who look at these changes and they see it as a natural evolution, a kind of reflection of how language tends to bend toward that natural simplification that takes place when you have a more interconnected, fast-paced society. I tend to fall into that latter category.

the people who look at these changes and they see it as a natural evolution, a kind of reflection of how language tends to bend toward that natural simplification that takes place when you have a more interconnected, fast-paced society. I tend to fall into that latter category.

the people who look at these changes and they see it as a natural evolution, a kind of reflection of how language tends to bend toward that natural simplification that takes place when you have a more interconnected, fast-paced society. I tend to fall into that latter category.

It does. And the reason it seems that way to us is because we have authoritative dictionaries. We have Webster's, we have Oxford English Dictionary. But these dictionaries are adding new words all the time, new spellings. OMG and LOL are now in these dictionaries, other digital additions like binge watch and selfie. And you're right that we see mostly additions of words and not

It does. And the reason it seems that way to us is because we have authoritative dictionaries. We have Webster's, we have Oxford English Dictionary. But these dictionaries are adding new words all the time, new spellings. OMG and LOL are now in these dictionaries, other digital additions like binge watch and selfie. And you're right that we see mostly additions of words and not

It does. And the reason it seems that way to us is because we have authoritative dictionaries. We have Webster's, we have Oxford English Dictionary. But these dictionaries are adding new words all the time, new spellings. OMG and LOL are now in these dictionaries, other digital additions like binge watch and selfie. And you're right that we see mostly additions of words and not

Respellings of words, but I think over time what these dictionaries are trying to do is reflect language as it exists in its current state and as long as