Editing Leet (section)

==History==
Leet originated within [[bulletin board system]]s (BBS) in the 1980s,<ref name=mitchell>Mitchell.</ref><ref name=bbc>An Explanation of l33t Speak.</ref> where having "elite" status on a BBS allowed a user access to file folders, games, and special chat rooms.  The [[Cult of the Dead Cow]] hacker collective has been credited with the original coining of the term, in their text-files of that era.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mello|first=John P.|url=http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/Google-Expands-Bug-Bounty-Program-81668.html|title=Google Expands Bug Bounty Program|date=February 2, 2015|website=E-Commerce Times}}</ref> One theory is that it was developed to defeat [[wordfilter|text filters]] created by BBS or [[Internet Relay Chat]] [[system operators]] for message boards to discourage the discussion of forbidden topics, like [[Software cracking|cracking]] and [[Hacker (computer security)|hacking]].<ref name=mitchell/>

Once reserved for [[Hacker (computer security)|hackers]], crackers, and [[script kiddie]]s, leet later entered the mainstream.<ref name=mitchell/> Some consider [[emoticon]]s and [[ASCII art]], like smiley faces, to be leet, while others maintain that leet consists of only symbolic word obfuscation. More obscure forms of leet, involving the use of symbol combinations and almost no letters or numbers, continue to be used for its original purpose of obfuscated communication. It is also sometimes used as a scripting language. Variants of leet have been used to evade censorship for many years; for instance "@$$" (ass) and "$#!+" (shit) are frequently seen to make a word appear censored to the untrained eye but obvious to a person familiar with leet. This enables coders and programmers especially to circumvent filters and speak about topics that would usually get banned. "Hacker" would end up as "H4x0r", for example.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A guide to leetspeak|url=https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/social-media/what-is-leetspeak/|access-date=2021-12-17|website=IONOS Digitalguide|date=17 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Anzeigen(Displays).jpg|thumb|Various [[display device]]s showing 1337]]

Leet symbols, especially the number 1337, are [[Internet meme]]s that have spilled over into some culture. Signs that show the numbers "1337" are popular motifs for pictures and are shared widely across the Internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/opinion/10-classic-internet-memes/index.html|title=10 classic memes that owned the Internet|first=Ben|last=Huh|website=[[CNN]]|date=March 12, 2014|access-date=April 23, 2013}}</ref>

=== Algospeak ===
{{main|Algospeak}}
[[Algospeak]] shares conceptual similarities with leet, albeit with its primary purpose to circumvent algorithmic [[Internet censorship|censorship online]], "algospeak" deriving from ''algo'' of ''algorithm'' and ''speak''. These are [[euphemism]]s that aim to evade [[Content moderation|automated online moderation techniques]], especially [[Machine ethics|those that are considered unfair]] or hindering [[free speech]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lorenz |first=Taylor |title=Internet 'algospeak' is changing our language in real time, from 'nip nops' to 'le dollar bean' |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=8 April 2022 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/04/08/algospeak-tiktok-le-dollar-bean/ |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://theconversation.com/what-is-algospeak-inside-the-newest-version-of-linguistic-subterfuge-203460 |title=What is 'algospeak'? Inside the newest version of linguistic subterfuge |date=13 April 2023 |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonytellez/2023/01/31/mascara-unalive-corn-what-common-social-media-algospeak-words-actually-mean/?sh=634d52092a08 |title='Mascara,' 'Unalive,' 'Corn': What Common Social Media Algospeak Words Actually Mean |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandralevine/2022/09/16/algospeak-social-media-survey/?sh=37d539855e10 |title=From Camping to Cheese Pizza, 'Algospeak' is Taking over Social Media |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |chapter-url= https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3543873.3587355 |doi=10.1145/3543873.3587355 |chapter=How Algorithm Awareness Impacts Algospeak Use on TikTok |title=Companion Proceedings of the ACM Web Conference 2022 |date=2022 |last1=Klug |first1=Daniel |last2=Steen |first2=Ella |last3=Yurechko |first3=Kathryn |pages=234–237 |isbn=9781450394192 |s2cid=258377709 |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref> One prominent example is using the term "unalive" as opposed to the verb "kill" or even "suicide". Other examples include using "restarted" or "regarded" instead of "retarded" and "seggs" in place of "sex". These phrases are easily understandable to humans, providing either the same general meaning, pronunciation, or shape of the original word. It is furthermore often employed as a more contemporary alternative to leet. The approach has gained more popularity in 2023 and 2024 due to the [[Gaza war|rise in conflict between Israel and Gaza]] with the topic's contentious nature on the Internet, especially on [[Meta Platforms|Meta]] and [[TikTok]] platforms.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nix |first=Naomi |title=Pro-Palestinian creators use secret spellings, code words to evade social media algorithms |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=20 October 2023 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/20/palestinian-tiktok-instagram-algospeak-israel-hamas/ |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-pro-palestinians-using-algospeak-dodge-social-media-scrutiny-disseminate-hateful-rhetoric |title=How pro-Palestinians are using 'Algospeak' to dodge social media scrutiny and disseminate hateful rhetoric |website=[[Fox News]] |date=23 October 2023 |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref>