Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2005/09/07/mobe_poll/

Stop using the word 'mobe'!

Well, should we?

By Team Register

Posted in Bootnotes, 7th September 2005 15:46 GMT

Poll There have been a few complaints recently (well, two actually) about our increasing use of the word "mobe":

I really hate the word "mobe". What does it mean? Mobile phone? A mobile phone with a camera?

I know you're UK-based and I do understand most of these English oddities that appear in your articles, but the word "mobe" is just plain annoying. It's actually annoying to read, and I have never ever in my life encountered a word I hate to read (ok, Harry Potter books have some pretty annoying words like Squigglesworth or something, but they don't count).

So please, STOP USING THE WORD MOBE!

Yours,

Juho

The perpetrator of the outrage is our own Lester Haines, who appears to have picked up this street-hip term for mobile phone while hanging around the 'hood with his crew. For example: "NY subway perv busted by mobe snap" declared a recent headline, much to the chagrin of another US reader.

Well, in the spirit of democracy for which Vulture Central is rightly famous, we're going to let you, our beloved readers, decide whether or not "mobe" should in future be proscribed.

Lester says he will abide by the decision, as long as he is not obliged to substitute the barbarism "cellphone". Fair enough - let the people decide:

Should El Reg prohibit the use of the word "mobe"?

Yes
No