"What We Need More Of Is Science"

[V-Adore]

Why do webcomic people say "pr0n" instread of "Porn"?  It weirds me out.

As I understand it, it's a (mildly lame) vestige of gamer/"l33t" slang, which is used a lot by webcomics like Penny Arcade that go out of their way to appeal to people who play lots of Quake.

At least they don't write the whole script that way...

[jough]

What the hell does "leet" mean?

Anyway, people spell it "p0rn" because many filters will reject e-mail that use the word "porn."  

I tried to switch to the word "smut" which I like better anyway, but some filters screen that out and bounce my e-mail too.

It's usually some corporate thing that tries to filter these things out.  I guess they consider their employees to be akin to children who need to be protected from the nasty nasty world.

Oh yeah, the word "nasty" is often filtered, too, leading to such phrases as:

"Man, I watched some he11a na5ty p0rn last night..."

[slink]

What the hell does "leet" mean?

Evil gamer slang for elite - spelt 31337, or thus 1337.
It makes me want to drive my head through solid objects at marginally sub-sonic speed.

[jough]

I figured it was slang for "elite" - but I don't know how it could be used.  It's not a disparaging term, so those "evil gamers" would have to use it to refer to themselves, right?  The "cool" people would be "l33t"?

I also don't understand "w00t" although I imagine it as sounded like the bark of a retarded dog.

[CortJstr]

leet is also why you so many people type teh [sic]. As in "Cathy sux teh coq" or "Family Circus is teh suk"

Although I'm pretty sure that pr0n just started as a way to defeat spam filters. Although the hip thing now is to add html comments in the middle of key words. So you see "Viagra" but the filters only see "Vi<!-- 1321313 -->ag<!-- 21lkj32ljk -->ra"

leet primer : http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030110.html

[slink]

I figured it was slang for "elite" - but I don't know how it could be used.  It's not a disparaging term, so those "evil gamers" would have to use it to refer to themselves, right?  The "cool" people would be "l33t"?

I also don't understand "w00t" although I imagine it as sounded like the bark of a retarded dog.

Indeed. As in - I 4m teh 133t h4x0r!
I played so much Quake online my brain was etched with this drivel for years...

I also have never really understood w00t. All I can see, from the people around me who now use it who may be using it in an entirely different sense to it's original meaning, is that it's a cry of excitement or satisfaction.
I think however you are entirely right, and it does remind me of my retarded dog barking, particularly in his sleep.