|
Post by Verbivore on Jun 8, 2008 9:15:16 GMT
Sentence case and title case are useful because they describe the difference between how a sentence is capitalized and how a title is capitalized. These are standard typography terms afaik. AFAIK, they are terms that did not exist before wordprocessors such as MS-Word. Long before the days of DTP I used to set type (on an IBM Compositor) and in all the years and places I did that, no-one ever uttered sentence case or title case. Titles/subtitles were minimal caps, maximal caps, or all caps - and (most of the time) maximal caps did not include minor words such as conjunctions and prepositions.
|
|
|
Post by Dave on Jun 8, 2008 22:45:22 GMT
I had to to find out what AFAIK meant!
|
|
|
Post by Sue M-V on Jun 9, 2008 0:37:10 GMT
I had to Google to find out what AFAIK meant! I hadn't seen it before Goofy used it, but I figured it out. (Clever me!) I shan't be using it myself, though as it evidently doesn't save all readers time, even if it might save me some.) Sue
|
|
|
Post by Alan Palmer on Jun 9, 2008 10:46:41 GMT
It's one of the many acronyms/initialisms that have become commonly used on the Internet, first of all in bulletin boards, then in newsgroups, then in chat rooms and Web-based forums. - AFAIK = As far as I know;
- IANAL = I am not a lawyer;
- RTFM = Read the flaming manual;
- ROFL = Rolls on floor laughing;
- ... and many others.
|
|
|
Post by Dave M on Jun 9, 2008 11:06:12 GMT
Some still look "geeky" to me, but I find it others quite acceptable:
IIRC - if I recall correctly IMHO - in my (not really very) humble opinion
RFOL I knew the translation of, but it always seems silly to me. To do that would be so overstated a reaction to the (usually mildly amusing) statement to which it is a response that it seems sarcastic, or destined to kill any humour which remains (rather like when films, or an impending joke, are advertised as "hilarious").
|
|
|
Post by Alan Palmer on Jun 9, 2008 11:17:01 GMT
"LOL" is also so frequently used as to have become almost totally meaningless. Some people tend to use it not as a reaction to someone else's remark, but to indicate that they are trying to be funny themsleves, or even for no apparent reason at all.
Just in case someone doesn't know, LOL = Laughing out loud.
|
|
|
Post by Pete on Jun 9, 2008 11:32:27 GMT
"LOL" is also so frequently used as to have become almost totally meaningless. Some people tend to use it not as a reaction to someone else's remark, but to indicate that they are trying to be funny themsleves, or even for no apparent reason at all. Just in case someone doesn't know, LOL = Laughing out loud.I sometimes use it in emails to try and make it clear that I am being flip, especially when the bare words themselves could be (mis)interpreted as criticism. But I also use ;-), which is intended to convey .
|
|
|
Post by Paul Doherty on Jun 9, 2008 11:58:00 GMT
[/size][/quote] Or, of course, lots of love. Hopefully the context will give a clue!
|
|
|
Post by Vadim on Jun 9, 2008 12:59:40 GMT
I have about 1000 more of these acronyms. I think they are best saved for MSN messenger, or the like, when talking to a friend or acquaintance. In this arena, yes it does save lots of time. In a forum post however, especially on one trying to improve the standard of English grammar, I think I will refrain.
IAC, CUL8ROL,SPST, GTRM, TTFN
V.
|
|
|
Post by Paul Doherty on Jun 9, 2008 13:43:15 GMT
Yes, I certainly wouldn't encourage the use of lots of these here -- most readers won't understand the more obscure ones. A few abbreviations might have become well-known (just as "OK" has, for example), but I doubt if there are more than about six of those, if that (and even they won't be understood by all):
- IMHO - IOW - BTW - LOL - AFAICR / AFAIK - ISTM
Beyond that, too obscure for here (but OK elsewhere, of course):
- BRB - NP - IANAL - YMMV - BTDTGTTS - TNSTAAFL
Also, I rather like the fact that a lot of care goes into most postings here. The use of BTW and similar makes the whole thing look more slapdash than it is. How hard is it to type "by the way"?
Before we know where we are, everyone will be posting in all-lowercase (which i do elsewhere) and there will be rioting in the streets.
|
|
|
Post by Pete on Jun 9, 2008 14:14:20 GMT
FYI, FYI is a pretty common one. ;D
|
|
|
Post by Dave M on Jun 9, 2008 14:14:25 GMT
What's the Isle of Wight got to do with it, Paul?
(Which proves your point, I suppose!)
|
|
|
Post by Pete on Jun 9, 2008 14:17:11 GMT
I like the fact that TLA is a TLA, so it is a member of its own set, in Venn diagram terms. ;D
|
|
|
Post by Dave M on Jun 9, 2008 14:27:38 GMT
> TLA is a TLA <
Quick, Pete, before the deluge: do define what you mean by "acronym"!
|
|
|
Post by Paul Doherty on Jun 9, 2008 14:45:29 GMT
Yes, but FYI is in general use outside forums -- it's an accepted office or business abbreviation, I reckon, like ASAP or BCC.
I've never seen a business memo which includes IMHO or IOW. (Although no doubt person-to-person business e-mails do do so.)
|
|