Acronyms

WDPWLT? WIATA*? Are you wondering what this is all about? Join the club.

The need some people have to drop an acronym or two or three assuming the whole world will automatically understand them must be one of the most grating internet practices around.

Granted, I am slow when it comes to picking up online trends and trendy lingo. I'm still just about managing OTT and LOL and I can't even recall the last time I referred to it as "the British Broadcasting Corporation".

But what's all this. Why do people do it? Why would you want to write ISTM instead of "It seems to me", IMHO instead of "in my humble [or is it honest] opinion" or AAMOF to simply say "as a matter of fact", is something I will never grasp. Are we really in such a rush, or is it because it sounds more trendy, trim and "dude", you know?

I was reading an online debate the other day. It was about media coverage of last month's students protests and a certain journalist's habit of reporting demonstrations with patronising dollops of "oh my god those rallying children aren't they so young- won't you hand those brave young children a hot soup, poor little things?", when I kept stumbling upon people referring to the hospital-evoking MSM.

"Mainstream media", as it turns out. But I'm telling you, it took me a while to work it out. Or maybe I should say ITMAWTWIO...

Oh, well. Acronyms. They cause so much problems you don't even wanna go there.

*WDPWLT= Why Do People Write Like This; WIATA=What Is All This About