Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Wingshooter on March 17, 2005, 09:00:36 AM

Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: Wingshooter on March 17, 2005, 09:00:36 AM
I see computer people occasionally type words like "pwned" "l33t" and such and it means absolutely nothing to me.  I'd never given it much thought until I read an article on password security and it specifically mentioned spelling items in such a manner so that the passwords couldn't be cracked by logical word progression.  Made sense and it piqued my curiosity.

What's the name for this language, I ask only because I'd like to read up on it and even understand what some of you guys are typing.  I also have some old high school friends that entered the tech field and every now and then we e-mail back and forth, and they also use the same disjointed dialect from time to time.  Perhaps even a website with some useful information?

Thanks
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: mfree on March 17, 2005, 09:24:37 AM
The name for the language, respectfully, is Moron.

It's script kiddie speak.
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: Sean Smith on March 17, 2005, 09:37:10 AM
Leet speak

And yes, it is moronic.

pwned = owned, as in, "you've just gotten your butt kicked."

1337 =  leet, corrupted version of "elite," meaning "cool."

Actually using any of these terms = wanker.
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: theCZ on March 17, 2005, 09:37:32 AM
Oh boy, I can't believe I know all this stuff.

-"Pwned" -> In Warcraft (don't remember if I or II), but one of the creators accidently did the dialog wrong for if the computer won in one of the maps.  It was supposed to say "Owned", but said "Pwned" instead.  So it's gotten out of control from there.

-l33t/Leet/L337/l337 - Came from calling yourself "elite", as in being really good.  Somehow it got shortened and changed around to that.  It annoys the heck out of me.

Other favorites: LOL, OMG, OMGBBQ, roflololol
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: wasrjoe on March 17, 2005, 09:47:08 AM
Oh god, make it stop! Make it stop! Oh god, CS kiddies everywhere! HELP ME!
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: Harold Tuttle on March 17, 2005, 09:49:00 AM
e-L33t! HaX0r padwan is a phone text derived pidgeon english
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: charby on March 17, 2005, 10:39:40 AM
I would go into explanation, but that might get this bored shut down. Just think about those folks who play Dugeons and Dragons, have no social skills to get a significant other and can be put in their place by a librarian. I think its their own little way to think they are better than you, but we all know that isn't true, yeah make your damn virus but when you shut the worlds computer's down my .357 is pretty low tech, so who is the better one. Grr, sorry the rant, I fix computers all day and I get pidgeoned holed into the typical geek sterotype, co workers don't know that when five o'clock comes I am about as low tech as they come, don't even have a computer at home.

Charby
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: Wingshooter on March 17, 2005, 10:51:33 AM
Cool,

Got it.  Sean, thanks for the link.  That explained so much to me.  I also didn't realize until I started reading that article that most of my junk mail is written in that same language.  To get around the filters, I knew that subconsiously... just never brought it to the forefront.

Interesting stuff.  Ironically, I was a geek that played D&D, Warhammer 40K, read all the fantasy novels, etc... but I had social skills.  Also played sports.  Guess that's why I never got sucked down that road, had more interest in life outside than the PC. Interesting how the smallest details can affect your life.
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: stevelyn on March 17, 2005, 11:23:19 AM
No wonder so many kids these days speak and write illiterately.
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: lwsimon on March 17, 2005, 08:49:35 PM
Its called "1337 8p34k".  Err... "Leet speak".  AKA Tokyo-something-or-other.  It was actually fairly interesting back in '91 or so, when it was rare.  I could type 20 WPM in leet at one point.  Now its just a stupid 12 year old thing, i suppose.
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: WhoKnowsWho on March 18, 2005, 03:58:09 AM


More than I would ever want to try to read, I read the first part.
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: jamz on March 18, 2005, 04:09:42 AM
THat comic is kinda funny Smiley

I sometimes use it because I find "1337 5p34k" amusing for some reason.


-Love, James
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: TarpleyG on March 18, 2005, 06:34:49 AM
What's funny is that I can read that entire cartoon and have never seen this 1337 crap before today...bet my wife sees it at school though.

Greg
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: EghtySx on March 18, 2005, 06:45:32 AM
It is American Cockney     smiley
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: Mabs2 on March 18, 2005, 07:03:20 AM
Tis leet speak!
I speak it often and casually, if you see leet in my post, chances are I'm joking!
And I absolutely hate CS!
Infiltration is the only game for me!!
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: uvakat on March 18, 2005, 07:55:14 AM
My head hurts from looking at that and I'm supposed to be one of the younger generation that understands that crap... Sad
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: jamz on March 18, 2005, 10:11:28 AM
You must now revoke your Younger Generation card, sorry.  Wink


Love, James
Title: What's the actual name for this dialect?
Post by: atk on March 18, 2005, 12:16:41 PM
Wingshooter,

Whatever article was saying that you should use leet spellings for your passwords was just plain wrong.  Any good password cracker will be able to check alternate spellings of normal words, rendering this completely useless (i.e. LC4 aka l0phtcrack).

For some good suggestions about more secure passwords, check out http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/securityguidance/articles/select_sec_passwords.mspx .  If you're really interested, search google for "two factor authentication" (and take Schneier's comments of "it's not a silver bullet" along with "but there is no such thing as a silver bullet").