Are You LOL?

Dear Fred and Lyna,

I have been sending my blogs out and participating in some business forums and people are always using these abbreviations.  I also see these on instant messages that I get.  For example, I get the following all the time:  LOL  BRB DQMOT  IDK . . . just to name a few. Can you help me understand this new internet language?

Fred: I’m LOL (Laughing Out Loud) is a common term that is used all the time in emails, IM (Instant Messages) and on the forums. It is like learning a new language.

Lyna: I know when I first started seeing these terms I had to ask you what the heck they meant.

Fred: The scary thing is that I know what they mean. Does that mean I am spending too much time on the internet?

Lyna: You don’t want me to go there, Fred.  But let’s get back to what all these acronyms mean.

Fred: Let’s first take a look at the ones you mentioned. BRB means Be Right Back. This is often used in IM when someone has to get away from the computer.

Lyna. DQMOT is a rather long acronym but it simple means Don’t Quote Me On This.

Fred: IDK means I Don’t Know.

Lyna:  Like most acronyms, all you need to do is use the first letter of the word to form the acronym.   For example, someone may just type a Q which means I have a Question.

Fred: That works for most but what about L8R, which means Later.

Lyna: Or Noob which mean Newbie.

Fred: The list goes on and on and fortunately there are acronym dictionaries on the internet that will help explain what all these mean.

Lyna: Since the advent of the internet a whole new language has emerged.

Fred: Not only these acronyms, but other terms as well.

Lyna: So, why is this important for someone who runs their own business?

Fred: The internet is the new media for promoting your goods and services and you have to be familiar with the language or you’ll get lost.

Lyna: Our suggestion would be to start participating in the forums and also to write at least a monthly blog.

Fred: BTDT (Been There Done That)

Lyna: LOL (Laughing Out Loud)

Fred: It’s not that hard to learn and we would recommend you keep a list of these acronyms next to your computer until you learn the difference.

Lyna. A great website is www.aim.com/acronyms.adp

Fred:  TAFN (That’s All For Now)