Internet Lingo - Are you familiar with language of cyberspace ?

You better be as a short telegraphic form of conversation has become the standard for chat, discussion forum and e-mail messages. Even the SMS message in your mobile phone follows it !

E-mail is still the most popular Internet medium for communication. However, it certainly is not the only one or the best one - there are now alternatives which are possibly better. Chat, ICQ, Instant messages are becoming more and more popular. And why not, look at the convenience and economics associated ! You can freely communicate without bothering about foreign accent, noise/echo in telephone line, confusion over similar sounding words (hotmail and hot-male), drawl, voice tone, etc etc at a cost negligible compared to long distance telephone call. Business negotiation over instant message or one-to-one chat line has already started and it is matter of time before your Net savvy buyer/supplier invites you for a 'chat session'.

If you are new to Internet lingo, its time you start learning it. This week, we compile a small list of VFU jargons -
Very Frequently Used - you silly ;-)

AFK - Away From the Keyboard
ASAP - As Soon As Possible
BRB - Be Right Back
BTW - By The Way
F2F - Face To Face
FYI - For Your Information
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
J/K - Just Kidding
LOL - Laugh Out Loud
ROTFL - Roll Over The Floor Laughing
RTFM - Read The F*@#ing Manual

More...

ppl People
pls Please
tnx Thanks
ic I See
:-) Smile
:-D Laugh
:-] Smirk
:-( Frown
;-) Wink
:-X Close Mouth
8-) Wide Eyed
:-0 Open Mouthed


In addition, watch following conventions while in chat session:

  • Never use CAPITAL letters unless you intend to shout



  • Do not hang out in a chat session, join in the discussion. If you do, people might label you a 'larker'



  • Please tell everyone if you are leaving a chat room. This reduces confusion of having to ask for you over and over again



  • If you suddenly get disconnected, the first thing you do on joining the chat room is to announce 'sorry, got dc' (dc is disconnected).



Related Links:

Source: FAIDA - Newsletter on Business Opportunties from India and Abroad Vol II, Issue 17; September 26' 2001

Author : Dr. Amit K. Chatterjee
(Amit worked in blue-chip Indian and MNCs for 15 years in various capacities like Research and Information Analysis, Market Development, MIS, R&D Information Systems etc. before starting his e-commerce venture in 1997. The views expressed in this columns are of his own. He may be reached at amit@infobanc.com )


Copyright � All Rights Reserved. Limited permission is granted to publish this article in a web-site or printed in a journal/ newspaper/ magazine provided the publisher takes prior permission from author, do not make any change in the article (i.e. keep it exactly same as displayed above) and cite the Source of this article as The Great Indian Bazaar with a link to this page.