1337 |*\/\/|\|5 ,|00

5() \/\/[-]47 7|-|3 #311 |]035 7[-]|5 ,|(_)|\/|813 0|= 13773|25, |\|(_)/\/\83|25, 4|\||)   5\-//\/\8015 4[7(_)411\-/ /\/\34|\|? Although you may have not realized it, that long line of seemingly random number and letters actually forms a proper English sentence. At this point, you may be thinking to yourself, “How the hell can you form a sentence out of that?” If you are thinking just that, you are clearly not trained in the ways of the leet, or 1337, its proper name. Now you may be asking yourself yet another question, “What the hell is 1337 and where did it come from?” First of all, the above sentence in 1337 actually translates to, “So what the hell does this jumble of letters, numbers, and symbols actually mean?” 1337 is just that, a form of written English that uses combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols to spell out words. While this form of English may seem totally pointless and tedious to type out, the language is actually the “elite” form of writing and spelling words in the English language.

So what exactly is 1337? According to an online dictionary, 1337 is a “novelty form of English that is characterized by the use of non-alphabet characters to stand for letters bearing a superficial resemblance, and by a number of quasi-standard spelling changes of words.” While this definition provides a sound basis for the understanding of the elite 1337 language, it fails to provide much necessary information. When thinking of 1337, many common internet-goers and AIMers (those who use AOL Instant messenger) may get it confused with the inferior form of the language known as AOL speak. Common to this language are phrases such as “lol”, which stands for laugh out loud, and “jk”, which stands for just kidding.

 While AOL speak mainly uses the common alphabet to make up “words” and is generally just a shorthand form of English, 1337, which is also known as l33t, uses various symbols and numbers to create words and it also contains different spellings of normal words and entirely new words. Two common 1337 words are \/\/4|23z (warez) and |*\/\/|\|3[) (pwned). \/\/4|23z is used to describe bootleg computer software that can be downloaded illegally and |*\/\/|\|3[) is a verb that is used in place of the word owned. In online first person shooter games, such as the ever-popular Counter-Strike, it is common for the wining team to tell their |\|00|3 (noob - comes from the word newbie, meaning someone who is new to a game and not very good) opponents that they were |*\/\/|\|3[), which basically means they were badly beaten. In the realm of online games, it would be improper and silly to use conventional English, and the use of the inferior AOL speak is looked down upon as 1337 is the only accepted means of communication by elite gamers.

While 1337 is now mainly used by members of the online gaming scene, it originated a long time ago before the gaming community really existed. Not surprisingly, the term 1337 originally came from the word elite. The word 1337 most likely originated on online bulletin boards in the late 1980s, before the internet existed in full force. On the bulletin boards, having an elite status, which was obtained through loyalty to the board and frequent posting, allowed the user to access special areas reserved only for the elite members. With the elite status, one would gain access to areas where files could be downloaded and illegal information obtained. The language of 1337 may have originally been used in these online communities to bypass the text filters that were meant to stop the discussion of illegal activities such as cracking. Since the text filters were created to stop normal English words that were deemed inappropriate, creating a new system of spelling allowed the filter to be bypassed. Over time, however, the hackers and crackers (people who crack software codes) who originally developed 1337 stopped using the system, as they now prefer to use proper English. Only recently as online gaming communities have appeared in full force has the language really become widespread and popular, as gamers worldwide have adopted it as their primary means of communication on the internet. 

1337 is clearly not just a “novelty form of English” as the online dictionary described it. Rather, it is a sophisticated language only to be used by those who are not computer |\|00|35 (anyone who owns a Gateway, Dell, HP, or any other pre-made computer is a n00b. In addition, anyone who uses AOL as his or her primary ISP is a n00b. Lastly, if you don’t know what an ISP is and/or do not understand some of the more technical words in this essay, you are a n00b). While many are familiar with the common AOL speak and silly terms such as “ily” (I love you), only a select few are well versed in the ways of the 1337 and are proficient in the language. What originally evolved from a means of bypassing text filters on online bulletin boards years ago, has now become a full language so complex and made up of so many characters that truly only the 31|73 64/\/\3|25 (elite gamers) and [-]4><0|2z (hackers) who spend so much of their time their computers can master the language of the 1337.