Glossary for n00bs, newbies and the otherwise “new to the ‘net”.

I think this site is one of the best things to happen to Coronado in a long time! Information is power and when we share that information/knowledge in a forum like this, the benefits increase exponentially. Our numbers continue to grow by the day which is awesome! As witnessed by a few of the questions I’ve seen posted in response to articles or comments on articles (like: “What does ‘IMHO’ mean?”), it also struck me that this online forum is attracting more and more folks with . . . even a bit more gray hair than I. For some of these members this site might be their first real foray into computer/internet based communication. But one of the many really cool things about eCoronado is not just that it is instant, interactive, and intellectual, but that it mixes a wide age spectrum in the same forum and we all play nice together in Steve’s sandbox. For those of us who have grown up with computers we’re used to employing certain abbreviations or acronyms which can speed up written communication. Some of these might be lost on those for whom this is all new and this can sometimes be confusing until we all learn the “lingo”. Almost all of us know many common ones (especially if you’ve had military experience): “aka”, “ASAP”, “ETA”, “RSVP”, “RADAR”, “AWOL”, “SNAFU”, “FUBAR”, but the computer and use of online communication has evolved literally thousands of new ones. Some you might have already learned like “FAQ” (frequently asked questions), but there are more that many of us might not recognize immediately. There are some that are used primarily in a “chat” application (short responses going back and forth in real time), texting on your phone (especially by kids) or in an online gaming environment. These are more like discussions and their abbreviations don’t really turn up in a forum like this, such as: TTYL – talk to you later BFN – bye for now TTFN – ta ta for now BFF – best friends forever AFK – away from keyboard BRB – be right back POS – what you might think, or depending on context: parent over shoulder LOL – laughing out loud LMAO – laughing my arse off ROFLMAO – rolling on (the) floor laughing my arse off WTF – What The F***? (expression of shock, surprise or consternation) Then there are the attempts to put a more human face on the written word or to indicate the feeling with which the text was offered, say to take the edge off of a comment that could be otherwise misconstrued: or the one writing the message is grinning, also 🙂 or (very big grin) the one writing the message is smiling, also 😀 the one writing the message is smirking, also :-/ the one writing the message is winking, also 😉 Some computer language shorthand has even slipped in: “/” meaning “end” (a change in whatever direction the preceding text was going, i.e. “/rant[ing]”) The even younger folks who grew up texting and now twittering have shortened common words even more due to the 140-160 character limit per message so you see words shrink like: “Thank You” to “Thanks”, to “Thnx”, “Thx”, “10q”, or even just “tx” “Okay”, to “OK” or just “k”. “To”, “too” and “two” all become “2” and context fills in the meaning Similarly, “four” and “for” become “4” and “you” becomes “u” “Just Kidding” to “JK” or “j/k” Or what still jangles my nerves: “ur” for “you are”, “you’re” or your” There are many online communities which develop their own site-specific acronyms after time and some develop preferences based on the members’ demographic, like BF/GF (boy friend/girl friend), SO (significant other), or my personal favorite: SWMBO (she who must be obeyed, by fans of the Rumpole of the Bailey series referring to his wife Hilda). There are many acronyms which cross over due to their frequency of use and which we might see popping up here as posters go back and forth between online communities and might not even be aware that they’re using non-standard English. So, as a public service (as I am one of your public servants), I offer the following glossary of more common ones for easy reference: .02 – my two cents worth . . . isn’t it always just your .02? 😉 AFAIK – As Far As I Know BTDT – Been There Done That BTW – By The Way DAMHIK – Don’t Ask Me How I Know (an embarrassed admission of guilt or experience with the subject at hand) FWIW – For What It’s Worth FYI – For Your Information HTH – Hope That Helps IANAL – I Am Not A Lawyer (but) (A disclaimer which is usually followed by a legal opinion) IIRC – If I Recall Correctly IM(H)O – In My (Humble) Opinion IMNSHO In My Not So Humble Opinion IOW – In Other Words JM(H)O Just My (Humble) Opinion OP – Original Poster (the one who started the thread/discussion) OTOH – On The Other Hand RT(F)M – Read The (freakin’) Manual TIA – Thanks In Advance WRT – With Regard To, or With Respect To YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary (or your experience could be different) A “Google” search ( www.google.com ) will turn up hundreds of more obscure ones, but the above have become so ubiquitous that my guess is that they will be found in a dictionary some day as an actual neologism (if they’re not already) . . . and likely within my lifetime. 😉 Oh, and don’t be a troll. (1) (1) . . . google it, INYFSE – (I’m Not Your Freakin’ Search Engine)