/\/\ | ( |2 0 $ 0 |= 7 | $ 1337

Microsoft always seems to amaze me. They have a guide for parents to teach them what leet speak ( 1337 $|>34|< ) is and what some of it looks like so parents would understand their child's in game demonic tounge. What is leet speak exactly? It's a way for online gamers to "work around" the language filter. You can't say stuff like cock or piss in some games so you have to say ( 0 ( |<> | $ $.

When playing World of Warcraft, it's a way for people to communicate with players of the opposing faction because when they type something to us it gets translated. Instead of seeing

Venkors: LOL! I got you!

they see

Venkors: [Orcish] KEK! Lok tomo tookie!

so we say

Venkors: 1 0 1! | 6 0 7 '/ 0 |_|

Back to the write up. I think Microsoft did a poor job when making this guide because it is very incomplete and very misleading.

Case in point

Leet words possibly indicating illegal activity:

warez" or "w4r3z": Illegally copied software available for download.

"h4x": Read as "hacks," or what a computer hacker does.

"sploitz" (short for exploits): Vulnerabilities in computer software used by hackers.

"pwn": A typo-deliberate version of own, a slang term that means to dominate. This could also be spelled "0\/\/n3d" or "pwn3d," among other variations. Online video game bullies or "griefers" often use this term.

First off when someone says "pwn" to someone they are not doing anything illegal and they are not bullies or griefers (people who do things to bring grif to someone). By telling parents this, if they ever hear their child say "pwned," they will automatically think their kids are doing something naughty and that they bully people.

This is not the case.

When I play games with my friends, I always say things like "Wow, that guy just pwned me," or "Did you see me pwn that guy?" We do use it in the context that we dominated a player or we were dominated in some way. Is there anything illegeal about it? Are we bullies because we went against and defeated a player who lacked any skill at all and they handed us an easy win?

Microsoft seems to think so.

Also, haxors is the more common word used and it's not h4x but whatever.