Since the advent of the internet and the birth of BDSM online there has been slash speak. Slash speak is a protocol established by online dominants for their submissives to decern who’s on top and who’s on the bottom. It’s said to be a form of respect for those online. For those of us who don’t know, here’s an example of what I’m talking about:
O/our relationship is full of surprises. W/we enjoy spontaneous conversation and play online in chat rooms where O/others can watch U/us play. When it really heats up W/we retire to private chat to that W/we can have alone time.
Now part of this way of speaking is the use of lowercase letters for submissive pronouns me, my, i, mine, and their names. I also sign my name with a lowercase l, which is what is left over from my online experiences. I guess it is one of the only things that stuck. Perhaps because it doesn’t drive me crazy!
Slash speak doesn’t make any sense to me mainly because the respect that you give others, even online can be visible in the way you speak, not the way you type out the words. If I want to show common courtesy and address to someone, I will be polite, respectful and display common sense. There is no need to display it in the way I type.
The novelty of this speech has caused a lot of disagreements online but worst is the name-calling. I’ve often heard that if you use online protocols such as slash speak that you aren’t real or that you are a player. It’s judgemental and stereotypical. We really do try to be an open-minded group of society but when it all boils down to it, people are the same all over. It’s unfortunate.
Do you use slash speak? What importance does it have for you and your relationship?
What kind of comments have you heard from others?