...but its not usually non-native speakers who are using these stupid cutesy abbreviations. I think it comes from folks using short messages on mobile phones- there it isn't 10msec to type a character, more like 10 secs. Therefore every letter counts and a special shorthand has developed FOR THAT APPLICATION. Its like assembler, we wouldn't REALLY want to use it full time, but there are times when we have to use it.

I agree totally with Erik, many speakers here are NON native speakers and we can make life much more pleasant by sticking to standard English (or even American English)

Steve