My thesis on Online communication

[--Pete]

Hi,

One would not be wrong in assuming that most gaming communities are targeted
at adolescents and young adults.

I saw something recently that indicated that the *average* gamer was in his thirties (and, yes, the average gamer *is* male). If you can track down a reference for that, you might shift the emphasis in this part of the introduction more from "elitist" to "catering to the ignored majority of mature players".

When it comes to gaming communities, the language of message boards can be
quite perplexing for the uninitiated. “OMG th@ts s0 kewl!!!11”  may appear
perfectly legible to the average gamer,

Do you intend to give some fair examples of the usage on other fora? Or at least links to the fora. Otherwise a reader without game forum experience might think you are exaggerating the case or might not realize the full extent of the 'problem'.

Because the Lurker Lounge is somewhat unique in its high standards of English
language accuracy, it warrants attention in a study on online communication.

I think that, for this statement to make sense, more emphasis needs to be given on what has become 'normal' online communication. And, to a linguist, I suspect that the evolution of online 'English' is much more interesting than the existence of a conservative (in terms of language) bastion. That the Lounge, an English speaking board, uses English is hardly surprising unless taken in the context of game boards in general.

. . . I'm not going to write up and down about Pete's rants . . .[right][snapback]87596[/snapback][/right]

Aw, shucks. :)

--Pete