Thursday, November 17, 2011

Flow-Speak

Flw-Spk = txt spk 4 CHSADKs

It consists of leaving out letters, using an excessive amount of symbols, and tons of abbreviations. I kind of feel bad for people who try to read my flowsheets. Especially my debate partner. I'd be shocked if he could read my handwriting, let alone my shorthand. I'm trying to get better about that.


Some of my abbreviations make sense, like "rev gen'd" which every 2011-2012 Stoa Policy-er should get. Many would probably not make sense to an innocent bystander. I don't even know what they all mean. "Fl tx," I get that one. (Flat tax) This phrase is weird: "-capply respons to DA2- don (no sign) ↓." It took me a minute, but that one says, "Cross-apply response to Disadvantage 2- do not reduce." It made sense at the time. Pretty exciting, I know.

Before I was a debater, I refused to flow rounds. I was convinced I didn't know how. Debaters have their own special language that I couldn't understand. Now I get it. It's not really a special language. It's whatever you manage to get on the page before the next argument comes along, in as many symbols and abbreviations as possible, occasionally leaving out critical vowels so you get an unpronounceable mess that you still somehow understand. 


Impressive.


Ur hmscled. R u gd @ flwing?

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