Yes, I know what a string is. I do have a Ph.D. in Computer Science.
My point is the total bandwidth usage of strings is quite small, compared to the data for positioning and combat. The canned text from encounters and abilities are stored in the client and aren't transmitted across the network each time they appear (some formatting does occur; the "%s" and the like you see in datamined messages are where variable parts like character names are plugged in.)