What is Roleplaying?

Obvisiously...

And just as a side note. Here's a little exercise for you. Turn your head away from the computer monitor for a few seconds, let your eyes focus on something else. Then, look back, and glance at the following picture. Within the first glance, what 'pops out' to your attention?



When I do it, all I see is this:

T e i f l
Shikratia

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one with this result.

I never asked for it to be explained in depth. And yes, I can read your responses just fine. I am not an idiot. But because I am newer to this forum, I wish peeps would be a little more understanding. Though, I am not talking about you, or even this thread of mine. It was a simple question of what is roleplaying? I guess, what the topic should have been was, 'What is everyone's definition of roleplaying?' And I really didn't mean to sound so angry with the the very first post. It's just I had just gotten off the game, and I had an issue with it and was still very angry with it. When I was in the D, with Epouvantable of course, I actually had no problems there. So, I figured my RPing was just fine.

No problem!!!

It's very hard to roleplay, escpecially with Shikratia. She's rather vulger and has a very quick temper. I have simply asked people to just go away or something of that nature, but I do understand critizing is everywhere and noone would be anywhere without it, but the lengths people go to really bothers me sometimes.

Really? I'd be laughing all the way to level 50 if I ever had the pleasure of teaming with such an eccentric individual.

There is an excellent stickied guide to RP in the Virtue Forum.

Here's also a little tip I use: RP (especially online) is like dancing with someone. It's only going to be good if both of you are aware of what the other one is doing and are in proper step with them.

LOL! A Spelling Nazi, that's new and interesting! What's the Nazi's name?

...OP, you're pretty much RP cancer. You remind me of so many people I used to hate, oh, a good 8 years ago in AOL chat rooms and still do, to this day.

The use of s vs. z in certain words is one of the distinctions between American and British English (the best known one being words like "colour"). It is correct either way, depending on which side of the pond you're on.

I majored in English in college (because I liked it, not because it would get me a good job, and that was my mistake). I am biased toward people with good spelling, grammar, and use of punctuation, like myself. I don't go around correcting people in Broadcast or LFT tells who don't.

However, in a text-based medium, the kind of spelling, vocabulary, etc etc we use is how we present ourselves and our ideas to others - the ONLY way. You've already experienced this personally. How you communicate in text is how others form their first impression of you, like they would from your clothes and physical appearance in RL. It behooves you to make it a good one.

I'm constantly frustrated by people who assert that they don't "have to" worry about using accepted/formal/correct spelling, etc in their online presence, because "it's just the internet." Ironically, it seems to me that most of those who argue thus have never known a time when there was NOT an internet, and they were not immersed in it. The internet cannot be both unimportant and an increasingly large portion of our social and business lives at the same time. And if the internet does matter, then so does presenting yourself well on it.

I can barely imagine what it's like to only "dress up" (as if for a job interview) one's typing for certain things - school papers, perhaps. What you see here is my normal mode of "speech" online; I have to make an active effort to "dress down" when I wish to imitate and/or mock chatspeak.

One more thing: You mentioned that your character is vulgar and quick-tempered. A lot of people are going to have negative reactions to that, in-character AND out of character. So if that's the kind of character you choose to play, be aware that she (and you) may end up lonely and with very few true friends. If you're cool with that, game on.

I can't believe we're actually arguing on whether or not proper writing is optional.

English is not my primary language. But even I believe that correct use of grammar, spelling, and format plays a primary role in communication. I don't even think there should be a discussion on this.

If you wanna communicate like a 12-year-old girl texting on her pink cell phone, go right ahead. But don't expect people to have any desire in reading what you have to say, interacting with you, or consider you intelligent.