Spelling

What the hell has happened to spelling?
It has gone to crap and apparently not that much of a skill any more.  I will admit I am not a fantastic speller but I get by, my grammar sucks but I do ok with spelling.

For the past few months I have had to stop myself from correcting people's spelling mistakes on facebook, it's hard because sometimes the posts are extremely hard to read.  I have done it before and been thanked, I have done it to friends and family.  But the thing that is really pissing me off these days is TEXT TALK.

Is it really that hard to spell the damn words that you have to add numbers to make up for the shortfall?
Is before really that hard that it needs b4?
How about later? l8er
Way to go? w2g
Come on people we speak English not bingo.  And we wonder why spelling is going to hell it's because no one cares any more, Books with spelling mistakes BOOKS that are edited and re edited, newspapers, billboards.  Really people it's not that hard and if you aren't sure ASK SOME ONE.