Acronyms, Abbreviations and Text speak..!

[schizoidwoman]

Let me just say that this like button is amazing, I had to stop myself from liking too many of your posts! It's become like heroin to me.

And BM, I could not agree more! I'm even seeing this in my students writing at school. It drives me crazy. I've mentioned many times for them not to use acronymns, abbreviations and text talk in their writing, yet I see it time and time again. There are so many mispelled words. Part of me oftentimes wonders if they know how it's even supposed to be done.

Now, when I send a text to a friend, I sometimes use lol but it's very rare as it drives me crazy when I receive back a response with lol as the only response. Maybe I'm too picky.

I work in a university and we get a fair bit of formal correspondence from students and applicants that uses text speak; it very occasionally crops up in essays but I'm pleased to say this isn't something that happens very often (yet). It grates on me when I see it; you would think you'd want to present yourself in the best possible light when dealing with more formal matters!

[Beckys_Mom]

Kind of. If it comes down to someone writing Supreme Court instead of 2 letters in its place, or me having to do some research into figuring out what they are saying; come on.

You got it in one I agree with you on that...Sitting googling up all the new abbreviations and long winded aycromyms is a waste of ones time... I would much rather read the full words and get it over with.. Not google silly letters to see why the perosn was too lazy to post them ..A lot of people just make them up as they go...

I usually get heckled by even my older friends because I'll text full sentences complete with punctuation. Commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, I've even used the colon and semicolon before.

Most of the time here at UM I'll use contextual acronyms like BF or Biff for Bigfoot or ETH for extraterrestrial hypothesis because most people understand those, especially when the topic deals directly with the acronym. Any other time though I don't usually use them. And if someone is texting directly to me then I'll flat out ignore them for using text speak. My daughter does all of that when texting or on facebook with her friends but with me she texts complete words, if not complete sentences. (it's still a work in progress ) I just think it makes people look dumb and lazy although I may just be getting too old.

I hear ya..every word.. and I have to say you are quite right ..... Long winded and new made up acronyms are there for a reason.. the reason is - bone idleness and for some, not bright enough to know how to spell correctly.. so they like to cut corners and make up their own acronyms and use their own style of made up abbreviations.. wearing them out thin.

My OP is clear, it clearly does not speak of all acronyms and it doesn't speak of all abbreviations... only the ones that are long winded and newly made up, that can have so many letters written that could stand for anything... Googling them would waste your time ..It is easier to read the words in full and to add the sentences in full... Especially when we see so many new ones that have letters that could mean anything..

Granted we know of business and firms even in the medical profession will use abbreviations, but they use old ones that most of us know by now... They do not sit making up new ones and cut corners to shorten sentences etc

When I was at school, we never used them like you see kids today doing now...

If you took most of the kids who are lost in the land of text speak and made up abbreviations and long winded acronyms back in time to a time where the internet was not really heard of, cell phones ( mobiles ) not available...It would frighten them... They would have to learn how to write words out properly and use proper sentences.. ..It would be nightmare for them... I would imagine so ...

Edited May 1, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Keel M.]

Well, as I said, acronyms exist for a reason.

You're right there. They exist due to LAZINESS. I remember watching the video Saru had provided for the SOPA issue a few months ago and the guy talking on the video bemoaned the fact that Americans use so many acornyms. The internet has just made it worse and just when you think it couldn't be topped, cell phones came along and wiped the English language off the face of the planet. Typing is a heck of a lot quicker than writing something out by hand, yet people are still too lazy to do it properly.

Every child who cannot write a paper properly using standard English should fail. End of story. Instead they are coddled along because parents these days don't want their child to experience failure of any kind.

[Beckys_Mom]

I substitute and tutor high school aged teens. I had one bring me a paper to read over one time that was nothing but text writing (abbreviations, contractions, acronyms, and crap i don't even think there is a classification for!) I wrote him a note on the back in red ink that stated: "Are you serious? If I were your teacher and you turned this into me not only would you get a zero (just for clarification, that's long hand for '0') I would also initiate a process for you to be either moved to remedial English and every English teacher you have had since second (again that's '2nd') grade called in for review, or suspended. Do it over and remember that real English is K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid)!"

I agree with you ..

Can you imagine trying to read an essay or book report from a student in English class, and it was full of that crap? Especially if you had to warn them before hand not to do it?.....If they kept it up, It would be pinned up on the walls to be made an example of... With a note saying - You too can be this bad with words IF you are not careful !! With a bit fat - ZERO in red next to it as it's grade

You're right there. They exist due to LAZINESS. I remember watching the video Saru had provided for the SOPA issue a few months ago and the guy talking on the video bemoaned the fact that Americans use so many acornyms. The internet has just made it worse and just when you think it couldn't be topped, cell phones came along and wiped the English language off the face of the planet. Typing is a heck of a lot quicker than writing something out by hand, yet people are still too lazy to do it properly.

Every child who cannot write a paper properly using standard English should fail. End of story. Instead they are coddled along because parents these days don't want their child to experience failure of any kind.

I agree with every word of this post...

Edited May 1, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Beckys_Mom]

It took me under half a dozen clicks and 10 seconds to look up the meaning of DH, though from the context in BM's post

Did you really? Well that was a waste of multi clicking and time, when my first post that speaks of it, tells you exactly what it meant like the quote from the OP below..

- My DH.. I had no idea what on earth was their DH's ? Until Gary told me it meant - Darling Husband ...

So even when I had it typed out in full, in bold and in color.. you still went off to multi click and kill time to look it up? ......I see !!

Who's the lazy one?

The person who skipped out the typed out meaning for all to read in my post at the very start, when they note they saw it in my post...... Only to go and multi click and kill time to look it up.... Too lazy to read it in the post to begin with ..It was there for you

To add it was a medical site, and I figured at the time like the majority of the abbreviations used were medical words... Not darling husband !! ....DH could have meant anything ... No time is killed if it is typed out in front of you.... It's smarter and quicker !!

Edited May 1, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[rashore]

I use abbreviated language sometimes. I use LOL or LMAO as often as tee-hee, hahaha, and giggle. I do say WTF, BFD or FOBAR if there are ears around that shouldn't hear me swearing since all those phrases contain the F bomb. I use OMW (on my way) a lot in texting. I have a rule about not handling the phone while driving, so I will shoot that one off right before I put the car in gear. My bad one is the smiley face geez, I have an over fondness for that emote.

It doesn't bother me too much when people send me messages from their texting devices and they use all the goofy language. Fortunately, most of the people I know type fully like I do in texts. It does kind of bother me when it's overused and I know darn well the person is really likely to have access to a full keyboard, like in a forum or an email.

Never seen DH before. It made me giggle, sort of reminded me of when I was in school and you called your boyfriend your BF or your best friend BFF.

[_Only]

Never seen DH before. It made me giggle, sort of reminded me of when I was in school and you called your boyfriend your BF or your best friend BFF.

Hmm, I guess it's either dear husband, or designated hitter.

Possibly both, depending on the relationship.

[Beckys_Mom]

Hmm, I guess it's either dear husband, or designated hitter.

Possibly both, depending on the relationship.

Or .....Demanded Helper...As it was on a medical site it could have meant - Darn Haemorrhoids !!!

Edited May 1, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Beckys_Mom]

I use abbreviated language sometimes. I use LOL or LMAO as often as tee-hee, hahaha, and giggle. I do say WTF, BFD or FOBAR

I still use - LOL.. only because it is very common and when posting I do not want people to think I am being serious... I also would add the smilie to make sure they don't take it seriously.. Because people can be rather touchy !!

What does - BFD mean?

The Acronyms I was speaking of where the ones that are not commonly used and newly made up... Many for long sentences..I think why bother?

[rashore]

I still use - LOL.. only because it is very common and when posting I do not want people to think I am being serious... I also would add the smilie to make sure they don't take it seriously.. Because people can be rather touchy !!

What does - BFD mean?

The Acronyms I was speaking of where the ones that are not commonly used and newly made up... Many for long sentences..I think why bother?

BFD is Big F-g Deal

[Keel M.]

I use DM (dear mother) when I talk to my friends about my mother as a bit of sarcasm. Most of my made up text speak and abbreviations I use with friends only because they get it or they're quick to figure it out.

I love the site icanhascheezburger.com, but it took me a while to get beyond the cringe-inducing way that language used on that site. But I have come to terms with it and its one of my faves.

[arenee]

Goodness you guys! Watch your mouths!

Edited May 1, 2012 by arenee

[Apollyon3000]

I agree that there is a time and place to use acronyms and abbreviations. I work in the healthcare industry. My position, however, has me dealing extensively with both state and federal government agencies dealing with both Safety and Emergency Preparedness. I write a lot of policy and procedure documents. I am constantly running into this problem. When I need to relay something to my employees from the government I have to be careful not to use the acronyms and abbreviations the government uses because hospital employees will either not understand them or they will mistake them for an those that are used inside the hospital, and vise-verse. For example: people who are familiar with Emergency Prep with know what ICS stands for. Those not familiar would not know that an organizational structure for handling an emergency was being referenced or that it stands for 'Incident Command Structure'. Likewise those that do not have a medical background would most likely not know what an 'EHR' is.

I was taught that in a written environment if acronyms are going to be used they should only be used after having been first identified. For example: OP. The first time I saw OP I did not know what it stood for. However, after seeing it posted a few times I was able to figure it out based on the context in which it was used. It is common for the site so there is no problem. But DH is probably completely foreign for most users here. However, because it was spelled out in the OP a reader should be able to follow the conversation without problem, and if they do forget there is a reference one can go back to quickly if needed.

My point being, that in closed environments where everyone is mostly familiar with the acronyms and abbriviations used it is ok and can save time. However, in open environments (such as UM) where you have people from all sorts of backgrounds the use of acronyms and abbriviations my not be as appropriate.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Apollyon3000

[Beckys_Mom]

BFD is Big F-g Deal

[Beckys_Mom]

I agree that there is a time and place to use acronyms and abbreviations. I work in the healthcare industry. My position, however, has me dealing extensively with both state and federal government agencies dealing with both Safety and Emergency Preparedness. I write a lot of policy and procedure documents. I am constantly running into this problem. When I need to relay something to my employees from the government I have to be careful not to use the acronyms and abbreviations the government uses because hospital employees will either not understand them or they will mistake them for an those that are used inside the hospital, and vise-verse. For example: people who are familiar with Emergency Prep with know what ICS stands for. Those not familiar would not know that an organizational structure for handling an emergency was being referenced or that it stands for 'Incident Command Structure'. Likewise those that do not have a medical background would most likely not know what an 'EHR' is.

Interesting points raised here...I agree those who do not have a medical background wouldn't have the first notion what a lot of them stood for... It would be the same for other professions, depending on the situations

I was taught that in a written environment if acronyms are going to be used they should only be used after having been first identified. For example: OP. The first time I saw OP I did not know what it stood for. However, after seeing it posted a few times I was able to figure it out based on the context in which it was used. It is common for the site so there is no problem. But DH is probably completely foreign for most users here. However, because it was spelled out in the OP a reader should be able to follow the conversation without problem, and if they do forget there is a reference one can go back to quickly if needed

I recall the first time I saw the abbreviations - OP on the forum..it took me a little time to figure out what OP was...I recognised it soon enough because someone had written to another - In my OP I noted that this was this and that was that, you could have read that at the beginning... <-- the key words that made it clear to me were - you could have read that at the beginning.. So that told me the OP must stand for - Opening Post

I guess the most commonly used acronyms and abbreviations on a forum that we seem to post regularly, will not bother us as much, we understand them and there are not too many ...This was never my problem to begin with...My problem was the not so common ones used that you can fit any meaning to them...and scratch your head at the newly made up long winded acronyms ..

I gave a brief example of one that had me stumped - Someone wrote up in a post - IDK this and that.. and I was scratching my head wondering if It meant they DO know? Or Don't know? Because their sentence at the time was vague ...Turns out it stood for both, but if their sentences are going to be vague, it is still harder to figure out what they are really saying..

One abbreviation I saw used a lot on the Spirituality V's Skeptics board when I first joined was - NB....It took me a while to figure that one out I saw some people post up - I am NOT a religious perosn, nor am I an atheist, I do not do labels..I consider myself an NB.. <-- I sat there reading and thought - What on earth is an NB? .... I said nothing at the start, but saw it written most often and thought - That's it I have to ask... Turns out it stood for - Non Believer ..So the person who was really Atheist just didn't like the term Atheist and used what atheist stands for - Non Beleiver aka NB...

That is kind of like a relgious person saying - I do not like being called a Christians.. or a theist... I do not do labels...I am a - FBIC = Firm Believer In Christ .. ( I just made that up this sec lol )... When that is what fits the term - Christian..Or they could say- FOC... = Follower of Christ.. again just can be summed up as Christian... But see disliking labels can cause people to make up their own abbravitions and acronmys and it can be confusing

My point being, that in closed environments where everyone is mostly familiar with the acronyms and abbriviations used it is ok and can save time. However, in open environments (such as UM) where you have people from all sorts of backgrounds the use of acronyms and abbriviations my not be as appropriate.

I agree, because UM is an open environment and people from all over can come on and have a list of their own that many of us will not get .... I stick with the commonly used ones.. like LOL.. that is used everywhere... I used to use - IMO and a few others. but I stopped that .. LOL and abbreviations like OP is where I stay.... I used to post up - WTF? I now make up my own and would type out - What in the name of jam tarts are you talking about? .... Or What in the name of fried green tomatoes is this? I just make them up..But type them in full...I normally would go on to say things like - For the love of jam doughnuts what is blah blah? I like to make them up as I go...yet always typed in full !!

Slang is another thing...I would post up for example - I wrote - I would be so chuffed if this happened to me.. ( Chuffed = well and truly pleased ) .. the perosn reading the slang and what it meant was grateful... And noted they would not have known what I was saying IF I had not have explained it

I do the same with Irish slang...I wll use some of it but type out in full in short brackets to explain to folks what the Irish slang means ) ..People appreciate it and many like it.. ..I find it so much easier to teach them the slang and not have them scratch their heads wondering what the heck I am saying lol

Edited May 2, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Still Waters]

I like to write in full where possible, it's easy enough to do and shortening words can be considered lazy (some, not all) but I do it too depending where I am at the time and who I'm talking to. I've even been told I'm posh! because I don't shorten my words

When I first joined UM I hadn't seen some of the abbreviations before but you soon come to understand them, especially the ones most used. I use some of them like 'lol' because that's what everyone else uses and it would look stupid posting 'laugh out loud' instead, so some you have to shorten.

I just go with the flow mostly....when in Rome.....

[Keel M.]

As I started scrolling down to read the latest additions to this conversation, the lmao from rashore's post caught my eye and I was suddenly reminded of the American electro pop duo LMFAO. I don't know why it came to mind, but it did.

[Parsip]

<p>

<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif"><span style="color: #2f4f4f">You're right there. They exist due to LAZINESS. I remember watching the video Saru had provided for the SOPA issue a few months ago and the guy talking on the video bemoaned the fact that Americans use so many acornyms. The internet has just made it worse and just when you think it couldn't be topped, cell phones came along and wiped the English language off the face of the planet. Typing is a heck of a lot quicker than writing something out by hand, yet people are still too lazy to do it properly.

It's not laziness, it's efficiency. Would you type "Stop Online Piracy Act" a dozen times instead of SOPA? SOPA is always quicker and easier, and it even looks better. All "insiders", discussing politics, the military, guns, video games, technology or any other subject, use acronyms. The only people who complain are, I'd say, outsiders who don't understand the acronyms and feel discouraged from participating in the discussion, or find it difficult to understand it. A good example is when BM found a new forum and didn't understand their acronyms, but the average member of that forum probably knows what DH stands for and has no problem with anybody using it, just as BM has no problem with saying LOL but someone who's never heard of it before would have no clue what it means. Edited May 2, 2012 by Parsip

[Parsip]

Did you really?   Well that was a waste of  multi clicking and  time, when my first post that speaks of it,  tells you exactly what it meant like the  quote from the OP below..

It was a test, BM, to see how long it would take to learn the meaning of that acronym. Apparently, looking up the meaning of DH is pretty quick, therefore I conclude that if those who use acronyms are lazy, then so are those who don't bother to spend a few seconds to learn the meaning of an acronym. How's the view from that glass house, BM?

[Euphorbia]

<p>It's not laziness, it's efficiency. Would you type "Stop Online Piracy Act" a dozen times instead of SOPA? SOPA is always quicker and easier, and it even looks better. All "insiders", discussing politics, the military, guns, video games, technology or any other subject, use acronyms. The only people who complain are, I'd say, outsiders who don't understand the acronyms and feel discouraged from participating in the discussion, or find it difficult to understand it. A good example is when BM found a new forum and didn't understand their acronyms, but the average member of that forum probably knows what DH stands for and has no problem with anybody using it, just as BM has no problem with saying LOL but someone who's never heard of it before would have no clue what it means.

If I was making a post and the "Stop Online Piracy Act" came up, I would write it all out the first time and then use "SOPA" the rest of the way through the post. That way everyone knows what you're talking about.

Some people need to see it in plain old English at least once to know what it means! Never assume everyone already knows it's meaning!

Just my opinion......

[Keel M.]

You really don't get it, Parsip, but I'm not going to waste my time on explaining things further, so good day to you.

[Beckys_Mom]

You really don't get it, Parsip, but I'm not going to waste my time on explaining things further, so good day to you.

I feel the exact same...I just read the reply I got too.sigh * shakes head * . I mean I said I have no problem with LOL because it is commonly used and I explained why I use it..I never claimed I had a problem with them all either.. Funny how that was over looked !!... I noted in full what my problem was - Ones that are not commonly used and newly made up...I guess not everyone is a fan of reading my posts in full... I should have put my main point in a long winded acronym lol . ( just kidding ) ....So I hereby will join you I wont waste my time either..I'll just carry on with the other posts that understand it better .

Besides we have a really good intelligent thread going on.. lets not ruin it..

Edited May 2, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[arenee]

I will be the first to admit that I have had to look up acronyms to understand certain things. Maybe the webpages should put a key of frequently used acronyms to look up to help the reader. I know it would help me a lot!

[Beckys_Mom]

If I was making a post and the "Stop Online Piracy Act" came up, I would write it all out the first time and then use "SOPA" the rest of the way through the post. That way everyone knows what you're talking about.

Some people need to see it in plain old English at least once to know what it means! Never assume everyone already knows it's meaning!

Just my opinion......

Exactly ...you couldn't have put it any simpler than that...

Many businesses will have slogans with abbreviations... and under those letter abbreviations they have in brackets what the letters stand for ........They sure wont write up - See our abbreviated slogan? Go home, google it and see if you can guess what it means ? !!

[Beckys_Mom]

I will be the first to admit that I have had to look up acronyms to understand certain things. Maybe the webpages should put a key of frequently used acronyms to look up to help the reader. I know it would help me a lot!

That is a good idea.. Like on a forum... Taking the most commonly used ones... and showing their meaning... It would save hassle and confusion...and it is quicker If that medical site had of listed their many abbreviations and long acroynms ..I wouldn't not have felt as frustrated as I did

In saying that...Apollyon3000 noted before hand... In an open environment like UM for example .... Many from all over will enter with their own brand of acronyms and abbrevations that are not listed ...I can see that going on too and I agree with him... It happens

Edited May 2, 2012 by Beckys_Mom