Am I the only one who doesn't think that converting whatever someone says into pseudo-leet isn't that catastrophically devastating a blow to their argument?

Case in point:

After playing it and with a little prior experience in gaming, I think Valve's Half Life 2 is a flawless work of art.

becomes

OMQ HLAF LIEF 3 R BEST GAEM EVARRR!!!!1111oneonetomatoez

It's like preschoolers repeating each other in stupid voices to make whatever the other person said obviously stupid. Outgrow it.

Similarly,

While I admit that Half Life 2 has considerable merit and a great deal of effort was put into its development, some shortcomings haven't left me thinking it's perfect.

becomes

OMQ I HAET ALL VIDEOGAMES AND AM SPITEFUL TO TEH WOERLD!

I believe that you must consider an argument in its context, and if you wish to contend to the contrary, should rationally justify your counterargument. Smearing the argument of the other party merely discredits yourself as much as you think it will discredit your opposition.

Go ahead, convert all this to OMQ I HAV HAD IT UP TOO HEAR W/ TEH LEET CONVERSHUNZ.

THE NAZIS HAD RATIONALE FOR THEIR ARGUMENT AND LOWER CASE LETTERS AND NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT LEET SPEAK. I WIN BECAUSE I AM NON-NAZI, GOOD-BYE.

It's just a good indicator of how we view these people. Imbeciles whose opinions are worthless. The best way to destroy someone's argument when you're too lazy to find facts, or don't have any, is to portray someone as one of them. Or sometimes when you view someone as an imbecile with a worthless opinion, you automatically translate it in your head.

Some people who do that usually exaggerate and overly-emphasize their beliefs to make it seem that their opinion has more "power" to it. Saying, "Half-Life 2 ROCKS and iz a PRODUCT FROM GOD!!"allows the person to gain a good amount of attention. Often, that person wants the "final word" and lasting impact on the person who he/she is speaking to. And, by doing so, destroys any potential arguement from rising.

But, that doesn't really destroy their argument, it just makes you look immature. -edit- <-that was in response to Mikus, damn Echoman posting slightly faster then me. -edit-
I'm definitely with Lord_Grismath on this one.

'tis the season of complaining
fa la la la la la la la la
of other people's ways of posting
fa la la la la la la la la

An a big fat :p slapped on to this post!

I don't care either way -- I just skip over the crap I can't read. :\

Maybe thats how it works over there, but on this side of the pond you don't need merit to you arguements, or a point, or a plan or the ability to put on pants. You just have to throw more mud on the other guy.

You and I might see right through it, but there's about a million other people who eat that crap up.

It worked for Bush.

It worked for Bush!

WHAT!><!?!?!?!? I CANT UNMDERSTAND U CUZ OMG U DONT HAVE ENOUGH EXCLAIMATION POITNS!!!!!!!!!!11111 K THX BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

What's even worse are the people that consider you to be "*****!!!!111" by the guy that did it.