I Am Totally Curious!

[Slate]

I can certainly see where most of you are coming from. Mixing different languages in on a server with a designated 'main' language can be helpful, as in Shikari's case, but used frivolously it's usually just a communication deterrant, and people are gonna get annoyed.

That said, there are a couple sensible reasons people would do it. ('Sensible' here is probably largely subjective, but I consider these pretty valid.) For one, it's an easy way to identify like-minded individuals. Dialect is important in language; people are more comfortable around those who talk similarly to themselves. That's why there's leetspeak, that's why there's internet acronyms and memes, and that's why we're seeing this happen too. If these guys toss around their slang enough they'll find people who are familiar with it, and thus who probably have other things in common with them. As a sidepoint to this, there's a lot of overlap between the gamer and otaku demographics, so this could also be a case of mistaken assumptions. Some people will have come from a group that uses the typical internet/MMO slang -and- 'otaku' speech aspects, and seeing us use one, they might assume we're familiar with the other.

The second reason I can think of, and probably a more debatable one in terms of validity, is that these guys want to stand out. Keep in mind that while there are some who prefer to blend in with the crowd, the average person wants to stand out and be known amid their social circles. A distinctive speech style is a good way to do that, and these people either aren't aware that it's starting to grate on some people, or they're willing to forego relationships with those who are annoyed in favor of their personal identity. It's probably okay if Kirk doesn't like your company as long as your shirt isn't red; anonymity means you're expendable to your social group.

Beyond the annoyment factor, it's not such a big deal. In most cases, if you're not fluent in a language, you can still get the gist of what's being said if it's just smatterings amid a string of something you -do- know, and if not, you can clear it up with a simple 'what's that mean?'. If they're replacing crucial words, especially when talking to each other, it's also pretty likely they don't want other people knowing what they're saying. I see people speaking in non-english languages here all the time, and while it bothers me a bit (nosy guy that I am) I can usually restrain the urge to break out a translator, because they might not appreciate my eavesdropping. In the case of people who -do- want you to know what they're saying, if you're really having trouble understanding or are finding it too irritating to deal with, I don't think they'd mind switching to something more standard if you just ask 'em.