Down With Acronyms

I too got confused with LOL some while ago much to the amusement of my family, but that is because back in the day LOL did mean lots of love, but then texting came along and it got changed to laugh out loud.

In fact I think it was one of the 'back of the envelope' initials. What about BURMA, sure that was one but can't remember it's exact meaning, think it was Be Undressed Ready ........something, something !

My Angel...

Gwoof, I agree with you. Just can't be bothered wading through some posts. Perhaps we should start another 'net' of our own.

Hi Gwoof, I don't use the acronyms but I'm not offended by them although I found them irritating when I first joined GransNet. Some are a bit misleading e.g. SiL (could be son or sister-in-law) and some people are D (DD, DM, DGC etc) but others are not valued as highly e.g. OH! If I fall out with my son, does he go from DS to S until we're back on speaking terms? ? Anyway, what I'm saying is, you soon get used to reading them and you don't have to use them yourself. All the lengthy ones are in the word bank on my kindle so I don't have to type out the whole thing.

And, if I refer to my late husband, rather than late DH, does that imply that he wasn't dear to me? ?

One can always refer to one's H in a different way if one wants, like calling him MrBags.

Of course, thatbags ? he's the late MrPopbottle from now on! If I get typer's cramp, I'll reduce it to MrPb! (It's nearly nine years since he went, so I can remember and smile ?) but should it be DMrPb...?

? The details are up to you, lizpop. Just make up the rules as you go along ?

No reporting jings, you can call me what you like (actually your suggestion was pretty accurate) but ana was correct with delicate little flower.

Ooh, I like that one. Must remember that.

I put SWALK on the envelope of my 15 year old GS's birthday card. (He puts up with me)

Jings, how about NORWICH?

Hardly!!! I was talking about my grandson!

Auntieflo I was just going to put that

To say it is the culture of Gransnet does not mean it cannot change but only if members want it to, joyfully and most people seem happy enough with the status quo
La, la, la, la

You don't change a culture from outside, or by telling the people who are quite happy with it that they ought to change. (If it has aspects of gross unfairness or cruelty, then you can appeal to their better nature, or you can invade their sovereignty and force change, but if they themselves don't want it, then you will spend eternity policing them)

The most you can do is to not follow that culture yourself, but to act as you think should be done and hope they follow your example. Applying that to acronyms (a sledgehammer to crack a peanut, admittedly) you must just keep on typing out the full words of everything you post. You may need a lot of patience though. Evolution takes a long time.

It just sounds so ordinary when people just refer to their S or their D.

(I did like secret societies as a child)

Thank you all for posting your different opinions on use of acronyms.
My bugbear is use of obscure ones and overuse of general ones.
I have no objection to everyday acronyms like TV or even OH, DIL and all those relevant Gransnet terms.
it doesn't have to be a black or white solution. The important thing is to consider how we affect others and whether we want to make some little changes to include more people in enjoying our posts.
Ttfn

Gwoof I absolutely agree.

The thing about an open forum like Gransnet is that it is inclusive by nature: anyone can join in anytime anywhere on the forums. Like every other human endeavour that has been going for a while it has picked up some habits. There are two options for people who are recent joiners: muck in and get used to the habits (all the 'oldies' had to right from the start because the basic acronyms were adopted from Mumsnet before Gransnet had any members; why should now joiner-inners be different from then joiner-inners?), or, secondly, adopt the evolutionary approach that elegran has touched on.

In my experience there are very few acronyms other than the standard mumsnet/gransnet ones used so, really, I think people who are complaining are just enjoying whining about something they're not used to. Which is fine, I hasten to add, but so is a certain level of lack of sympathy from people who have buckled down and got used to the 'culture' in question.

Rarely use them, make a conscious effort to use full words. It's not time consuming or difficult with predictive text and word check, in fact it takes longer to work out and type the acronym. My iPad usually predicts the word at the first couple of letters so it's easier to use full words. Needs to be proof read first though as sometimes it replaces the intended word with what it thinks you mean and can make an interesting, if not confusing read!

I don't think it's fair to call it whining to have a different opinion and not be afraid to air it. I don't whine like everthankful I just get on with not using them and translating but it doesn't mean we can't comment on a thread like this without getting called whiners

I called the complaining whining, bb. I did not call any individual a whiner. Those two things are different.

I regard certain kinds of complaining as whining. I'm allowed to think that and to express that opinion just as (as I clearly indicated with the phrase "which is fine") others are allowed to do what I call whining.

I just checked possible meanings of "whine". They include: "to complain peevishly". I checked peevish as well. Its meanings include: "complaining".

So, I think it is clear that people can complain of they want to (what various people are defending) including complaining about certain kinds of complaints (what I'm doing). Equality is thus achieved.