Expanding Out By Dumbing Down
NBC Universal is changing the name of its SciFi Channel to SyFy based on a myriad of considerations including everything but proper use of the English language. In order to offer a “broader range of content,” and have trademark control of the brand, NBC Universal will make it easier for people to forget the proper origins of its (granted, abbreviated) name. Just as doughnuts became donuts and drive throughs became drive thrus, sci-fi will only bear a scant trace of its original foundations, science and fiction. Soon enough, SyFy will enter the lexicon of blogs, texting, and likely find its own dictionary entry. Make no mistake, this is entirely due to corporate policy, i.e. greed; the need for a brand to be “own-able, portable, extendable.” And I have to say that I agree that it makes perfect business sense, you should be able to control your own brand. But I have a problem with the collateral result of empowering a bunch of idiots who will have even further difficulty being able to spell properly.
I am not a fan of text-speak, questions beginning with contractions, or dumbed down abbreviations. Moreover, I don’t find corporate creations legitimate additions to the language. You will not ever see me describe something as gr8 when it is, in fact, great. Language is beautiful and sacred. It is organic and evolving. Lexicon changes based on oral expression, and further feed written language. This is why we, mercifully for the sake of time, no longer express ourselves like Geoffrey Chaucer. Just as “on the morrow” is replaced by the more direct “tomorrow”, slang terms like “trainspotting” and “hook-up” rightfully find their space in official dictionaries. But corporate constructs and laziness do not represent linguistic evolution. They serve to further devolve the language. Though the trend will continue and be inconsequential to most, I will be happy to voice my opposition.
http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE52F34W20090316
