To ask if you're OP includes a large cast lists to please use full titles

[atthewelles]

So anyway DB and DS were having an argument about DD1's DF and DN stepped in and then DF got annoyed and started having a go. I roped DSIL in to help but her DN and my DF's DBIL advised her not to get involved so it was left to DM to deal with the problem.

I HATE OPs like this. I completely lose track of who's who, whether DF is Dear Fiance, Dear Father, Dear Friend; whether DN is Dear Niece, Dear Nephew, Dear Neighbour; why on earth the family doctor has been dragged into the situation (oh sorry, no, its Dear GrandParents ) etc etc

Any chance, if there's a cast of thousands, posters could ease up on the abbreviations?

Ta.

I agree Lappy but posters get unaccountably defensive when this topic is brought up so I expect we will get piled on!

Under a previous nickname I posted a thread involving 2 DFriends, so said at the beginning I'd call them by fake names to stop confusion, eg Jane and John. Cue a ton of posts berating me for using my friends names even though I'd clearly said fake names.

i knew you were going to get pounced on.

yes, i agree with you. It really doesn't take much to type what is only ever a few more letters. I don't bother with ds, dh or anything like that. husband. eldest, youngest, sister, niece, mum, dad, friend... takes a fraction of a second.

however, each to their own. Normally it's clear who they're on about and if it isn't it's easy enough to ask is your ill gp your grandparent, your godparent, your doctor or your guinea pig?

Arf at guinea pig

I get confused as well sometimes. It isn't about being pedantic its about genuinely not have a fucking clue what's going on. I also get confused with DS3, is it your third child or are they three?

I am another one who hates the acronyms. Especially the D part.

I don't understand why people write DDad or Dmum. It's just dad or mum in that case surely? The D helps to denote an initial signifying a person. Dad and mum aren't initials, so they don't need the D.

Just wondering if knowing the correct use of apostrophes gives MNers a smug superiority complex.
FWIW I do prefer correct grammer etc, but would never be so rude or ill mannered as to criticize some one who makes an error.

It took me weeks to decipher the language used on this forum when I first started visiting this website. Often sat here with the acronyms open on another page just trying to understand what's going on. I've never used another forum where you need to learn a short hand code to translate what has been written.

Its quite off putting as a new member but there is a lot of helpful information on this forum which is why I still use it.

I agree FarBetterNow, especially when they only come on to the thread to point out grammatical errors and add nothing to the debate. I usually assume they don't get out very much and have lost the art of making witty or interesting conversation .

I think anyone more distantly related to you than your children should not have acronyms. I think I could maybe cope with that .