If you are one of those that love using chat words, when having a first-time conversation with anybody be formal. Use chat words only with people you are very, very, very familiar with.
The following conversation was a chat I had with a graduate of a Nigerian university just after he sent me a friend request which I accepted.
Me: Hello (Name), Thank you for the friend request.
Him: The pleasure is my sir.
Me: *mine not my. (Correcting his wrong use of “my”)
Me: May I ask how you got to know about me?
Him: Alrite, typing error. (Deflecting the problem. A very common tactic):
Me: *All right not alrite. (Correcting his wrong spelling of “all right”)
Him: While surfing Facebook. (Answering my earlier question of how he got to know about me)
Him: Lolz, dats sort form for chatting sir. Examiner no dey mark chatting grammar. (Responding to my corrections to his wrong spellings)
Me: *That's not dats. (Correcting his use of “dats” for “that’s”)
Him: Na wa oooo. Are u a teacher or educationist?
Me: *You not u. (Correcting his use of “u” for “you”)
Me: I asked you how you got to know about me. You are yet to answer.
Him: Facebook suggested for me and see somthing interesting in ur time
Me: Sorry, what is "ur time"? (Trying to ignore the five errors in his last sentence)
Him: Since u know u will pose a numerous questions to me like this, u ought to av agree. Same questions that u asked a lady dat she failed to answer.
Me: OK. Sorry, when you are ready you can resend the friend request.
Dear reader, if you are a graduate and you chat like the example above, you need to understand that it presents you in a very bad light. The excuse that this is social media is a very lame excuse.
When chatting with someone you don’t know personally, always be formal. Don’t ever use chat words.
Thank you.
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