beyond lol

[Dr. Marlena Corcoran]

I'm hoping David Pogue is flattered by having today's column reposted on this blog. It had me LOL:

- From the Desk of David Pogue -
----------------------------------------

The Next Generation of Online Shorthand
By DAVID POGUE

By now, everybody, I hope, knows what LOL stands for. Most
people probably recognize IMHO, BRB, and AFK. (If you don't
know these, you can always Google* them.)

Online shorthand like this arose, of course, because it's so
hard to type full English words on a cellphone's number
keypad. And it's tedious to type the same common phrases
over and over again in chat rooms or instant messages.

The problem with these online abbreviations, however, is
that they're absolutely ancient; entire generations of
teenagers have learned and outgrown LOL and OMG. The world
desperately needs a new set of acronyms more relevant to
today's online chat participants.

So here, with my compliments, are a few proposals: an
updated list of online acronyms.

(In hopes to keep the list relevant to the youthful target
audience, I invited my more recent summer interns, Zach
Brass and Bart Stein, to write a few. Their suggestions,
along with some from my occasional research assistant Emma
Story, appear here along with mine. Thanks, dudes!)

* GI -- Google it

* MOP -- Mac or PC?

* FCAO -- five conversations at once

* IIOYT -- is it on YouTube?

* DYFH -- did you Facebook him/her?

* BIOI -- buy it on iTunes

* CMOS -- call me on Skype

* GGNUDP -- gotta go, no unlimited data plan

* WLF -- with the lady friend

* JUOC -- jacked up on caffeine

* 12OF -- twelve-o'clock flasher (refers to someone less
than competent with technology, to the extent that every
appliance in the house flashes "12:00")

* SML -- send me the link

* RHB -- read his/her blog

* MBLO -- much better-looking online

* KYST -- knew you'd say that

* NBL -- no battery left

* CTTC -- can't talk, teacher's coming

* TWD -- typing while driving

* CMT (CMF, CMM, CMB) -- check my Twitter (Facebook,
Myspace, blog)

* CYE (CYF, CYM, CYB)--check your email (Facebook, Myspace,
blog)

And a few just for iPhone owners:

* SPLETS -- send pics later; Edge too slow

* CSVUI -- can't send video, using iPhone

* BPWMI -- boss playing with my iPhone

* SIK -- sorry, iPhone keyboard

* OOM -- out of messages (for iPhone users who haven't
upgraded their AT&T "200 messages a month" plan)

Finally, it occurred to me: Why should the convenience of
online shorthand be the province of teenagers and
twentysomethings? There ought to be a list that we, their
parents and employers, can use, too. And now there is:

* WIWYA -- when I was your age

* YKT - you kids today

* CRRE -- conversation required; remove earbuds

* WDO? -- what are you doing online?

* NIWYM -- no idea what you mean

* NCK -- not a chance, kid

* B2W -- back to work

* AYD? -- are you drunk?

* LODH -- log off, do homework

* DYMK? -- does your mother know?

* IGAT -- I've got abbreviations, too

[Dr. Marlena Corcoran]

Hey, Sunny--you're so rarely AFK and so helpful on all the lists that I suggest the best abbreviation for you is a classic:
:)
With appreciation for all you do on GS and on XING,
Marlena

[Sunny Cervantes]

Sigh. I can't keep up with this. I just discovered what AFK meant. Hahaha!