to hate this "D"C, "D"H, "D"D business

[kitnkaboodle]

... and wonder if everyone else hates it too and is just to afraid to break the cycle! I'm a relative newcomer to posting on forums, and I'm sure there is some hilarious origin to the tradition. But:

• it now just looks and sounds twee
  
• it isn't humorous in any way
  
• you'd all save yourselves a keystroke if you just typed D, H, P, M, C, etc...?? Still perfectly understandable
  

There are some ambiguities I guess - S for son or sister? but that's still there whether or not you drop the D anyway ..

Go on .. I dare you ...

[Merrylegs]

See. I think it was the implied challenge to 'break the mould' that riled some, tbh. Sounded a bit sneery. I'm sure you didn't mean to be.

Basically you are just way overthinking it.

MN is an internet forum and follows recognisable forum acronyms.
Don't sweat the small stuff.

(Actually the small stuff sweating on here is usually the most entertaining).

[Pagwatch]

It's just been used for a while and who, in the scheme of things, can be arsed to change it.
Use it. Don't use it.
No one will really give a toss either way.

[CatAmongThePigeons]

I saw all the DH DC DS DD balls on NM before I had seen MN, it's not exclusive to one forum, it's internet shorthand.


H to me is Heroin, not husband!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I suspect that a two+ letter acronym is easier to read than a single letter one - it has a little bit more bulk for the eye to grab, if you see what I mean. I would certainly find your paragraph easier to read if it used dh, dc, ds etc.

With regard to ds being ambiguous (could be dear son or dear sister), in my experience on here, people tend to use dsis for dear sister and ds for dear son.

[Pagwatch]

Gah. X-posted

People turn up with astonishing regularity to moan about it. It's hardly groundbreaking that some people find it annoying

[soontobeslendergirl]

It feels awkward to me so I don't use it. Seems a bit over the top for people to be saying if you don't like it get lost though

Each to their own.

[Plus3]

I like it

[BrianTheMole]

I don't mind it, its easy and clear to me when someone uses it. But if you don't like it then don't use it. Although you won't save yourself keystrokes if you do it your way as you'll have lots of people asking what you mean.

[TamzinGrey]

Hate it and find it incredibly Twee.

[Bluegrass]

When you see "i.e." do you say "Id est" in your mind? Or does "e.g" make you say "exempli gratis"? Probably not? The abbreviation becomes the thing. If you use Mumsnet a lot "DH" just triggers the thought "husband" and nothing more. That's it really, you don't need to navel gaze, "DH" = husband and so on. It's easy!

[SPsTotallyMullerFuckingLicious]

I dont use it. I refer to my son as either the toddler or the child or just my son.

Each to their own though. It doesn't bother me seeing it.
It just gets confusing as I will be reading about someone who has called for their DF and I will be like then realise they mean friend not father [grin

[SPsTotallyMullerFuckingLicious]

Fallen for their DF**

[RustyBear]

"Someone upthread (sorry - can't even figure out how to quote yet) says

"after a short while you automatically register that the two-letter combination beginning with D means a person, and it makes it much easier to skim-read" "

That was me, and I find it so, anyway! But if you don't, then fine, you can always start your own revolution, and if enough people join in, then it may change.

And you have figured out how to quote - that's how you do it on MN - only MNHQ can do the flashy quotes-in-a-box thing

[StuntGirl]

Equally rude and silly to suggest the OP fucks off because she doesn't like one aspect of a forum.

If you don't like it feel free to use H, husband, partner, whatever. It's not like the internet police will come after you if you go against the majority.

[80sMum]

I confess that I've always thought it was a bit naff, but at the time that I joined mumsnet (2004 I think it was) it seemed to be a requirement. There was a forum etiquette article explaining what the abbreviations meant for new joiners. I thought it was compulsory to use them and I've grown accustomed to them now. It's sometimes a challenge though guessing who someone is referring to, as the abbreviations are often ambiguous.

[CatAmongThePigeons]

SPs I've had a reading some of those threads, took me ages to twig

[SPsTotallyMullerFuckingLicious]

Cat glad its not just me! I have to re-read several times before its clicks.

[Jins]

I don't like it but I do it to fit in make my posting style accessible.

Couldn't bear it when I first came across it in the 90s either. Like the MN haircut and the leopard print scarf it is most definitely not unique to MN

[gertrudetrain]

YABU- I like it because it reminds me that they are dear daughter/son, kind of dear husband. I make it a connection to 'nearest and dearest'. They are, my family are my dearest.

[MelanieCheeks]

Meh, it's the local dialect. Sometimes I use it- knowing it'll be understood. Sometimes I forget- hopefully I'm still understood. And not ostracised.

[DeWe]

I initially came across it on a newsgroup about 11-13 years ago, and the news group had been going some time before I joined.

If you wish to type the full words out then I've never seen anyone have a problem with that. It's easier than typing out the whole thing which is the entire reason for using it as far as i know.

[jaggythistle]

I resisted it for a few weeks, so my first ever posts will just have S and H in.
I I'll
Gave in though and you kinda get used to it. . .

[Panzee]

I spend a lot of my time reading threads with. There's A Hole In My Bucket playing in my head. Dear daughter, dear father, etc.

[Floatsyourboat]

I hate it too but I have become used to it now. May start rebelling though :/

[exoticfruits]

I don't like it and it is just as easy to write the word. I have got used to it but I might start rebelling.