Why do gamers use terms like 'pwned' and 'n00b'?

Question

I know 'pwned' means 'owned', so why do they type it like that?

Answer 1

Two reasons, one is the shorthand used in chat sessions and text messages, text messages sent over the phone are usually billed by the number of characters sent, so it costs more to send whole words
and chat used to cost by the hour, as did all internet activity.

So you get stuff like rtfm meaning read the f manual, lmao or laughing my **** off.

the use of numbers as letters in a word is a fast way to remember passwords, and usernames. using the number 3 as an E. 2 as a Z or S....

Stronger passwords have more characters, and mixed lower case and UPPER CASE and numerals....

It gets to be a habit. and while I can understand it, I learned computers through doing Data Entry. To me accuracy is very important. Gamers by default would log onto many game sites, just to access the games. So now they use the peculiar language of the internet. If you have trouble recognizing a slang phrase, give a private message to the person who used it and ask. Most people are happy to answer a question. It makes one feel smart.

only a minority of them are true and honest D0rKb0yz and get snotty about it.
Ignore them, because they usually don't have much useful to say anyways.

Answer 2

Because people think it's cool to misspell words. Basically pwned is owned misspelled, yet people think it's cool to use it that way, so it became used more than own. Noob is a variation of the word Newb, which is a shortening of the word Newbie, which means beginner.

Answer 3

ok
i get my info from halo
1337 language(n00b laungage(they can be kewl depending on how they spell it with letters like if they waiste time to spell words like im metal retarded they arnt kewl)
and kewl faster from some reason to type cool
try it once u get used to it its wierd
um pwn can mean beat with easy pwned past tence of pwn
um o and if they only use teh words(teh the caught on by me oooo and if someone uses crackers to bleep out cr@p then they stole my SAYING :( o and if they say u dirty shiznewb (another of my words) meaning u newb that has to have to win but even wen u do u get pwned by MR SNUGGLES(my halo name) lol
o and to save time somtims in the case of lol

Answer 4

It's just a more.....cooler way of saying it. And to clarify, there are 2 meanings of the word "n00b"

n00b:a player who acts stupidly and annoys people by begging.
newb:a new player who is not good at everything

I hope people can sort this out.

Answer 5

well because they think it makes them look cool
there is a whole language known as "leet speak" that goes on in on-line gaming......ask me for i know it all
n00b = new person playing the game...or someone who has made a mistake that makes them look foolish.
pwnt, pwnd, owned = you were just killed in such a manner as to make you look foolish to the others playing the game. for example...someone was able to sneak up behind you in counter strike and knife the crap out of you with out you knowing......someone might say "you just got pwnt n00b!"
hope this helps//
jessica wabbit.....counterstrike female extraordinaire

Answer 6

i would to save time typing but it does'nt, thats quite annoying when they say newb and stuff like that, everyone is new to a game at some point. or there just big losers

Answer 7

Pawned is a military style term.
Noob is childish, but I guess it could go with rookie...wait...no it can't people destroyed the word.

Answer 8

Urh...
I don't quite know
But I think pwned sounds g@y...BUT! It's my presonal opinion!

Answer 9

mental retardation. it's sad

Answer 10

To show that their opponent is not even close to their skill level. Duh. Why do people use cuss words? Think about it...