Why do people "leet" speak?

I really don't get it. In my opinion, leet speaking sounds really stupid, and well, childish. Don't get me wrong, I'm no grammer Nazi I'm not the type of poster who thinks that he or she is an english professor and harps on someone over and over for grammatical or spelling mistakes. But at the same time, I really don't understand why some people leet speak. To me, it seems very stupid, loserish even. For example:

"I didn't really enjoy the game, it was kind of boring to me"
"OMG dat game is pwnage you n00b!! Grafics are KICK ASS!!! etc etc"

So, I'm interested in hearing from all of you, especially those who do it often: why do it?

Ugh... I hate it so much, especially when they use almost all numbers

something like this: l33t or l33t5p34k it's really annoying

On the subject:

I think it's more useful when on keyboard an you're not using teamspeak. sry for tk is just easier than sorry for teamkill. That's about the only times I use it. In normal text I find it rather irritating.


geitenvla

In game I can understand it and would never chew someone out for it, but here on a forum there is really no excuse.

In game I can understand it and would never chew someone out for it, but here on a forum there is really no excuse.

Yeah, I have this one idea for a short film: two people are having a conversation completly in leet speak. So instead of laughing at a joke they would say "LOL", I mean literaly spell it out. I don't know, it could be good.Jade_Monkey

I really don't get it. In my opinion, leet speaking sounds really stupid, and well, childish. Don't get me wrong, I'm no grammer Nazi I'm not the type of poster who thinks that he or she is an english professor and harps on someone over and over for grammatical or spelling mistakes. But at the same time, I really don't understand why some people leet speak. To me, it seems very stupid, loserish even. For example:

"I didn't really enjoy the game, it was kind of boring to me"
"OMG dat game is pwnage you n00b!! Grafics are KICK ASS!!! etc etc"

So, I'm interested in hearing from all of you, especially those who do it often: why do it?

khuut

It started back in the early '90's when real hackers would chat on message boards but didn't want people tracking their conversations, so they would make up approximations of the words so they would know what each other was talking about but law enforcement would have a really really hard time finding them. It somehow de-evolved into this gibberish, nonsense, pseudo-language that 16 year old nerds living in their parents basement use because they think it makes them sound cool, even though they sound like morons and the actual usage is totally wrong and pointless.

Its sorta like people speaking gheto, when they arent gheto. Its annoying. People who speak leet is usually little kids new to gamming who think they are awsome. When they suck. It usually happens like this.

*begging  of round in COD2*

"OMG noobs! Im gunna own u A1l."

*10 seconds pass*

*BOOM headshot*

"OMG!!!11!!11!!!!!El1even!! HaKcsssss"

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sexy porn = s3xypr0n.mpg. mom will never find my downloaded video stash now. 

Yeah, I have this one idea for a short film: two people are having a conversation completly in leet speak. So instead of laughing at a joke they would say "LOL", I mean literaly spell it out. I don't know, it could be good.Jade_Monkey

IDK my BFF Jill? It's been done.

ill sometimes use the normal internet acronyms: (jk, brb, lol, afk) But never do I l337 sp3@k 1i3k th1s

When I leet speek, its just to be funny. I never use it as a form of communication.

They think it makes them look cool.

It could be me, but I spend more time deciphering leet to read than I do typing something in the midst of game, sure, I'll shorten something, skip a capital letter here or there, or even mispell something, just so I can get back to the game, but like others have said here, using ABBREVIATIONS OR ACRONYMS like rofl, tx, ppl etc., is okay, but, I just do not see the speed advantage of substituting numbers for letters, anyone who uses a keyboard regularly will have to agree to this.

And as far as sms messaging (texting on phones) all I have to say is WTF is that all about (see another good use of "leetspeak", getting around the censors), I don't know about you, but don't you have to dial the number you are texting to?? And if so, would it not be just as easy to leave a voicemail? Sorry, but I have never really gotten the point of a text message except for maybe sending an address or time and date, you know that kind of stuff.

pce