GEEK Shorthand for the rest of us

The Next Generation of Online Shorthand<br />By DAVID POGUE of the New York Times.<br /><br />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.)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />So here, with my compliments, are a few proposals: an updated list of online acronyms.<br /><br />(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!)<br /><br />* GI -- Google it<br /><br />* MOP -- Mac or PC?<br /><br />* FCAO -- five conversations at once<br /><br />* IIOYT -- is it on YouTube?<br /><br />* DYFH -- did you Facebook him/her?<br /><br />* BIOI -- buy it on iTunes<br /><br />* CMOS -- call me on Skype<br /><br />* GGNUDP -- gotta go, no unlimited data plan<br /><br />* WLF -- with the lady friend<br /><br />* JUOC -- jacked up on caffeine<br /><br />* 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")<br /><br />* SML -- send me the link<br /><br />* RHB -- read his/her blog<br /><br />* MBLO -- much better-looking online<br /><br />* KYST -- knew you'd say that<br /><br />* NBL -- no battery left<br /><br />* CTTC -- can't talk, teacher's coming<br /><br />* TWD -- typing while driving<br /><br />* CMT (CMF, CMM, CMB) -- check my Twitter (Facebook, Myspace, blog)<br /><br />* CYE (CYF, CYM, CYB)--check your email (Facebook, Myspace, blog)<br /><br />And a few just for iPhone owners:<br /><br />* SPLETS -- send pics later; Edge too slow<br /><br />* CSVUI -- can't send video, using iPhone<br /><br />* BPWMI -- boss playing with my iPhone<br /><br />* SIK -- sorry, iPhone keyboard<br /><br />* OOM -- out of messages (for iPhone users who haven't upgraded their AT&T "200 messages a month" plan)<br /><br />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:<br /><br />* WIWYA -- when I was your age<br /><br />* YKT – you kids today<br /><br />* CRRE -- conversation required; remove earbuds<br /><br />* WDO? -- what are you doing online?<br /><br />* NIWYM -- no idea what you mean<br /><br />* NCK -- not a chance, kid<br /><br />* B2W -- back to work<br /><br />* AYD? -- are you drunk?<br /><br />* LODH -- log off, do homework<br /><br />* DYMK? -- does your mother know?<br /><br />* IGAT -- I've got abbreviations, too<br /><br />* IMHO = In My Humble Opinion; BRB = Be Right Back; AFK = Away From Keyboard

GEEK Shorthand for the rest of us

The Next Generation of Online Shorthand By DAVID POGUE of the New York Times. By now, everybody, I hope, knows what LOL stands for. Most peo...

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