Acronyms

[BaileyGroupie]

to think that acronyms on here are a bit of a backlash towards 'textspeak'? Or even a slight imitation? No offence to hardcore users, I'm pretty much a newbie on here.

You may think that, I -wouldn't dare- couldn't possibly comment....

Should have been wouldn't dare couldn't possibly comment...!

No, they're the jargon of initiates into the site.

Acronyms, and jargon using acronyms, have been around for much longer than text.

Oh, just spotted which forum this was in and realised what I said was inappropriate. Should have just been:

YABU.

(If you want reasoned responses, try Site Issues or Pedants' Corner).

No, I don't think so. Txtspk shortens as many individual words as possible, whereas acronyms shorten only common phrases.

Many MNers are extremely articulate, with a lovely clear style, or a lyrical style, or a filthy, sewer-mouthed, meaty style - or even a fabulous combination of all three styles! Txtspk would ruin the flow of their words, make everything choppy and destroy any tone of voice. The acronyms, unless overused, do not have that effect.

Which is why you have never seen FTFO,ATFOSM. Would totally destroy the phrase - pointless.

Ah poo! I never notice when I stumble into AIBU!

YADBU

[ Tongue-sticking-out emoticon]

Oh dear.... I need to go out, i understood that prettycandles :/

But you'd never use it, would you. You would either write the whole phrase or not write it at all.

ROFL prettycandles :o

OP YABVU

(see what I did there

This is why txtspk is bad (well, done of the reasons)

how can acronyms, which have been around for pretty much ever, be a backlash to textspeak, which has only been around as long as being able to text on a phone?

YABVU. If you don't like the acronyms, then there is a choice.
There is also a button at the top of the page labelled Acronyms - if you click on that it will give you a list of the more common ones used on this site, then perhaps you won't feel so left out.

Welcome to Mumsnet. It is a shared community like any other. The acronyms are similar to textspeak, only in that it originally started for ease of use. Once upon a time, message lengths were limited and so you used textspeak, on MN we use the same phrases time and again such as ffs and yabu. It means ease of use and is indicative of a shared language and understanding. It does jar at first, but so does anything new. You'll get used to it and if you don't like it, don't use it.

But you'll find that MN is about as aligned to textspeak as it is to SWMNBN.