LOL, make "TM" an AFZ.
And yes, we've discussed this before. I think such abbreviations as IMHO, LOL, BTW, etc. are fine. I use them a lot myself. And there are some that have become specific to the Internet, such as
n00b and
pwned. But such Internet slang as
ur (your/you're)
, wat (what)
, cud (could), etc. are a bit too useless for me, and I just can't get used to them, no matter what.
In defense of these abbreviations, some people have said that they use these abbreviations because they don't type fast, because they're paying for Internet access by the minute, or because they're so used to using them in their text messages.
In any case, I try to take the non-traditional approach (non-traditional for an English teacher, that is) of not correcting others' grammar, unless of course they ask me to. I really don't like those preachy, pedantic types who say such things as
if you can't use proper English, then you're not ready for college. Live and let live. If people want to do this (and it surely seems they do), so be it.
That said, I have seen many, many essays posted here on TM that contain such mistakes, which would seem to indicate that some people cannot "code-switch" when they need to. In these cases, I would be more likely to point out the errors. I've had several students in the post who have used Internet English in their real essays, including TOEFL essays and admissions essays. I believe that one of my students in particular was rejected by a competitive school because of this. And I think it would be a courtesy to at least try to use correct language, spelling, and grammar specifically in the grammar and writing forums.
I have added the
tooltip tag to help those who need it. Believe me, a lot of people are confused by some of the abbreviations specific to tests, such as
OG,
OA, etc.
And yes, Michael, you do seem grouchy today.
Sorry about that.