The Virtual Reference Handbook:
Interview and Information Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E-Mail Environments
by Kovacs, Diane K.
Neal-Schuman
Publishers (2007) published concurrently in the United Kingdom by
Facet
Publishers (2007) Common Chat and E-mail Abbreviations,
Emoticons, and Emoting
Abbreviations: (see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_slang_phrases)
- 1337 - aka leet (from "elite") - leetspeak - slang mix of numbers and
letters used as shorthand by some recreational chatters/gamers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet)
- afaik - as far as I know
- afk - away from the keyboard
- asl - age sex location used to initiate flirting
- brb - be right back
- bf - boyfriend
- gf - girlfriend
- heh - short laugh-like response
- lol - laughing out loud
- np - no problem
- omg - oh my gosh*
- rofl - rolling on the floor laughing
- rtfm - read the freaking* manual
- tyvm - thank you very much
- ty - thank you
- yw - you're welcome
*substituted less offensive term for explanatory purpose.
Emoticons: (see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticons)
- :) - regular smile
- ;) - winking smile
- :D - big smile with teeth
- :P - smile with tongue sticking out
- :') - tongue in cheek smile
- 8) - either smile with glasses or goggle eyed smile
- :( - sad
- :'( - crying
Emoting** (textual body language indicators)
- /me nods or *nods*
- /me hugs or *hugs*
- /me smiles or *smiles*
- /me shrugs or *shrugs*
- <g> or <grins>
**Note "/me" in some chat software is a command that changes the text to
an action statement. For example, in the chat software I currently
use in teaching LEEP courses "/me nods" becomes "Dikovacs
nods"