Why they talk in such strange ways...

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

Sachiko13

at the risk of sounding stupid...what exactly is "1337?" i have no idea what anyone's talking about when they say that, and it's really irritating me.

It's elite or "leet" speak, the use of numbers and symbols in place of letters. It was originally done to codify chats that the hackers didn't want the government to be able to read or censor.

In leet, my user name would be 5|-|!||06! 1977 instead of Shinobi 1977.  

[talkintree]

I don't think it's for attention
I use 1337/leet for fun with my boyfriend, friends and others.
I don't agree this time

I like 1337/leet

It doesn't bother me. mrgreen  

[talkintree]

metalmalzan

It is to:
Look cool,
Gain attention,
Fit into a group,
and/or
Look idiotic. rolleyes
Pick the one(s) you like.

I disagree.
Then again I personally don't use it for attention, but that doesn't mean somebody else will not use it for those reasons.  

[ZigguratII]

Sachiko13

at the risk of sounding stupid...what exactly is "1337?" i have no idea what anyone's talking about when they say that, and it's really irritating me.

7h15 15 1337
(This is leet)

'1337' or leet is merely a new alphabet of characters in which numbers and symbols play a key role. It originated as a method by which hackers could publicize their services or abilities without being caught by filters or search engines. Since then it has outstayed its welcome.  

[Obito Sharingan Uchiha]

I like typing in darkblue. It makes my feel important. I'm suuperised nobody commented on my sig (yet.)  

[Dulak]

I think you're all wrong, go search "Leet speak" on Wikipedia, teens and kids used it to plan things so only they could translate it and not the parents. rolleyes  

[Lily-Anne-Marie]

Oh gods yes. I have noticed this quite a bit. What is funny is that another guild I am part of, sets aside a day specifically dedicated to 1337 speak. Even my boyfriend does it just to get on my nerves. My usual thought is, "take some time to actually TYPE it out!"