Latest Articles

Alexander McCall-Smith Engages Web 2.0

The Daily Telegraph is in the middle of a 20-week serialisation of an online book created by author Alexander McCall-Smith, his first such project. New Media Knowledge caught up with the organisers to discuss ‘Corduroy Mansions’.

more

Business Brief: Video Advertising Looks to Future

Google has announced it will incentivise advertisers on its video properties as well as launching research programmes into how Web users consume Internet video material. New Media Knowledge spoke to a number of industry players to gauge their views on where the video advertising market is going.

more

‘Virtual Home’ for Ex-Pats in London Established

A social network aimed at providing information for ex-pats living in London has been established. New Media Knowledge met the site’s co-founder to find out more.

more

• Rough Guide to: Social Media and the Law
• Record Visits for UK Blog Sites
• Clearing Congestion
• Rough Guide to: Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Opinion: What Happens to Newspapers?
• LinkedIn Adds Business Applications
• What Happens to Newspapers?

Related Articles

• Government Sets Out Vision for Digital Britain

  The UK Government has promised a report early next year containing recommendations of potential improvements which could be made in the country’s digital economy. New Media Knowledge asked the industry for its reaction. more

• iDesign - Working the Walk

  We’re delighted to say that Tuesday’s iDesign conference went down a treat. If you wanted to know where exactly this country is up to with interactive design,and where it’s going, then we think the Dynamo team nailed it with this event. more

• My Digital Life

  The AOP's report this month, My Digital Life, reveals striking generational differences when it comes to the extent and nature of internet use. more

• Digital Dialogues

  A study into the use of eDemocracy tools by the UK Government has published its interim findings. Simon Collister examines how far it's come. more

• Net Benefits of Digital For Print

  Digital publishing is delivering returns, with leading digital publishers predicting that by 2012 digital activities will contribute up to 40% of revenues, according to a new report surveying UK publishers from Deloitte and the UK Association of Online Publishers (AOP)... more

UK Teenagers Bilingual & Trilingual

Punctuation, symbols, abbreviations and emoticons make online language multi-dimensional, new research from UK-headquarteded online virtual community Habbo Hotel shows. Teens swimming in a river of digital and mobile technologies are shaping the changes...

Punctuation, symbols, abbreviations and emoticons make online language multi-dimensional, new research released 12th July 2006 from UK online virtual community Habbo Hotel shows. And teens swimming in a river of digital and mobile technologies are shaping the changes...

[Register and post your own comments on this article below...]

Online teenage communities, such as Habbo Hotel, one of the world’s largest teenage websites, are now almost incomprehensible to adults and people out of touch with teenagers. The online teen language uses so many symbols and imagery that to understand it you would need a “pictionary”, for instance (( )):** means ‘hugs and kisses’, or P999 is ‘parent alert’ and LMAO BBS is ‘laughing my arse off and will be back soon’.

The central premise of Habbo Hotel is to be a place where teenagers hang out safely, play games, interact and develop their self expression. Each user has a Habbo Console, which enables them to keep in contact with their friends through instant messaging without ever sharing personal details. A typical user is aged between 12 and 16 and born from 1990 onwards, the Habbos, as they’re known on the site, are part of the generation that’s grown up with email, instant messenger (IM) and mobile phones.

Speed and agility drive lingusitic fluidity

The Habbo chat system is open to multiple users and is instantaneous, so speed is of the essence. Users reduce words to symbols and whole sentences to abbreviations in order to keep up with the quick fire pace. Habbos are quick to find picture symbols to replace words. If a young male habbo wanted to befriend a female habbo he may offer her a rose: @--/---

A special feature on Habbo Hotel are the “altcodes” that enable users to communicate pictorially and access symbols. These altcodes allow Habbos to decorate their sentences with images such as love hearts, death skulls, fish, mobile phones and thumbs up and help them to express feelings in a simpler fashion. The result is language that is dynamic and multidimensional.

This evolution of online language started in the late 90’s when people reduced words such as “see” and “be” to the phonetic consonants. “See you later” became CUL8R and “be” B. People also began to use punctuation symbols in a creative way, adding smileys to sentences indicating moods. Even these have developed to >:D (mischief), :-x (no comment) and, :-& (tongue-tied).

With 1 million monthly unique users a month and up to 40,000 teens playing everyday, Ashley Harris, Habbo Hotel’s UK Country Manager, has a better grip on deciphering the teen talk than most adults.

Teen language resembles a code to adults

“Teenagers on Habbo are highly creative," Harris said, "and use a kind of four dimensional language made up from words, abbreviations, symbols and the specially created Habbo Altcode emoticons. To adults it reads like a code that cannot be broken. In fact non-teenagers can be easily identified by the way they chat in full sentences.”

Every conversation and written comment in Habbo Hotel passes through a filter before it appears on the screen. This filters out swearing, racist and sexist terms, and other unsuitable words for teens. The filter also covers the users' names, room names, and descriptions. A moderation team manages the Habbo Hotel 24 hours around the clock, updating filters daily to ensure new methods of swearing, flirting and fighting, all of which are popular teenage pursuits, do not make it through the filter.

So no need to worry about your children’s linguistic ability - they are already bilingual, with a high fluency rate in the online language. Possibly it is you, the adult, who needs to become more versed in the new language sweeping the online teenage world – to help out we have included a sample glossary to start you off!

About Habbo Hotel:
Habbo Hotel is an online game environment for teenagers. It's a place where teens can meet up, play games and develop their self-expression. Habbo Hotel provides a rich and positive game environment, but it's the teens themselves who write the script to the game. As "Habbos" they create their own character, room and virtual world by interacting and playing with others. Playing Habbo Hotel is free and buying premium services is voluntary. Habbo Hotel is owned and operated by Sulake, an interactive entertainment company. Currently there are Habbo Hotels in 16 countries and over 7.1 million unique browsers visit the hotel or Habbo Hotel sites monthly. At the moment over 63 million Habbo characters have been created. www.habbohotel.com

About Sulake:
'Everyone Can Play®' Sulake Corporation is an interactive entertainment company. Sulake specializes in developing, publishing and distributing multiplayer online communities and games, like Habbo Hotel. Sulake was established 2000, and it has more than doubled its annual revenues each year and this growth is expected to continue during 2006. Sulake has headquarters in Finland and currently the company employs more than 230 people worldwide. www.sulake.com

GLOSSARY EXAMPLES:

Word: Talk to you later
Abbreviation/Symbol: Ttyl

Word: You Telling theTruth?
Abbreviation/Symbol: YTTT

Word: Thank you
Abbreviation/Symbol: Ty

Word: For goodness sake
Abbreviation/Symbol: Fgs

Word: Welcome back
Abbreviation/Symbol: Wb

Word: Parent Alert
Abbreviation/Symbol: P999

Word: Be Right Back
Abbreviation/Symbol: Brb

Word: On the phone
Abbreviation/Symbol: OTP

Word: Laugh out loud
Abbreviation/Symbol: Lol

Word: See you later
Abbreviation/Symbol: CU

Word: Rolling on the floor laughing
Abbreviation/Symbol: rofl

Word: Laughing my arse off
Abbreviation/Symbol: Lmao

Word: What the heck?
Abbreviation/Symbol: Wth

Word: Be back soon
Abbreviation/Symbol: Bbs

Word: Happy
Abbreviation/Symbol: :D

Abbreviation/Symbol: BF
Abbreviation/Symbol: Boyfriend

Word: Bothered
Abbreviation/Symbol: Meh

Word: Your Welcome
Abbreviation/Symbol: Yw

Word: Angry
Abbreviation/Symbol: >:(

Word: Age sex location
Abbreviation/Symbol: Asl

Word: Rose
Abbreviation/Symbol: @--/---

Word: Boyfriend / Girlfriend
Abbreviation/Symbol: bf / gf

Word: Tongue tied
Abbreviation/Symbol: :-&

Word: Disconnected
Abbreviation/Symbol: DC / DC’d

Word: Confused
Abbreviation/Symbol: :S

Word: Crying/ Upset
Abbreviation/Symbol: :’(

Word: New user
Abbreviation/Symbol: N00B / Newb

Word: Whatever
Abbreviation/Symbol: w/e