I have a complaint.

[Kurt]

Can we keep the abbreviations down to a minimum please? The one that drives me me nuts is "GTF". This can mean one of two things, either a green treefrog or gray treefrog. Abbreviations can get confusing, especially this one. From now on could you please write either green TF or gray TF. If you want to continue to abbreviate in the future, could you please do it after you have mentioned the thing or term that you want to abbreviate. So for example, if you want to use GTF, please mention either "green treefrog" or "gray treefrog" early on in your post.

Thanks.

[John]

My favourite is wtf - to me that has nothing to do with frogs...

[adawinters]

I know!!! I think I saw "WTF" about 5 times before I realized what people actually meant. I couldn't get over it.

[Kurt]

Good I am glad some people agree with me. Remember people it won't kill you to write out what you are talking about so we can understand each other better. Would any body want to read a book where the author used abbreviations constantly, especially if that author never bothered to explain what they meant?

[Tom Highum]

That would be an interesting writing style and i agree that its irritating. I also had the same experience with WTF

[adawinters]

Guess you guys haven't read Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, or that book by Sapphire, the title of which escapes me now. Or any of Kerouak's unedited works, like Dr. Sax. Whoa. There's some linguistic chaos.

Honestly, I'm less bothered by widely accepted acronyms (MBD, CB, WC, etc.), than I am by "text speak." I don't know why, but "u" and "rofl" bother me more than "lingo of the trade." (My inner English teacher might be poking it's head out here, though. Catch me on the right day, and I've got a LONG list of peeves.)

[Kurt]

Honestly, I'm less bothered by widely accepted acronyms (MBD, CB, WC, etc.), than I am by "text speak." I don't know why, but "u" and "rofl" bother me more than "lingo of the trade."

I am with you. Text speak makes the people come off as less then intelligent. It also makes people who use it look too lazy and ignorant. Can't be bothered to spell a simple common everyday word.

Abbreviations like CB, LTC, and WC are widely accepted, so they don't bother me. Its the one's that are far less used or the ones people make up or the ones that lead to confusion that bother me. GTF is my least favorite as there are way too many ways to interpret it.

[Ebony]

Hi Kurt, I here ya. I completely understand. I wonder if the future generation will even know how to spell. SCARY

[Kurt]

They won't have to, because there is spell check, though I have noticed that some people don't even bother with that. Personally, I have set my computer's spell check to recognize scientific names and terms. So if I misspell chytridiomycosis or Dendroaspis polylepis, not that's likely to happen, it corrects it for me. Of course I misspell words like cat and dog all the time. LOL

[Kevin1]

That used to happen to me all the time with wtf.
I used to wonder why everyone was so angry. LOL

[Kerry1968]

Now instead of using WTF (full length version) when swearing we say 'Whites tree frog'!

[Iceni]

Bows head in shame I think i started my last thread with GTF Sorry

Never had the issue with WTF and WTF tho.. dunno My head just works in froggy ways on this forum.

[Kurt]

Its ok, just next time try to be more clearer. GTF is just the most confusing of the abbreviations.

[John]

I can make it so the forum automatically turns WTF into White's Tree Frog.

[Tom Highum]

lol idk i kinda like it now.

[Kurt]

idk? What's that?

[Kurt]

I can make it so the forum automatically turns White's Tree Frog into White's Tree Frog.

That would work for me. And it would be cool if other abbrevations were automatcally changed too. R.E.T.F.g or R.E.L.F. to red-eyed leaf frog, RES to red-eared slider, D.I.Y. to do-it-yourself, A.B.F. to Africa bullfrog, I.D.K. to what ever that is supposed to be and so on.

Or the alternatives R.E.T.F. - really expensive turtle food, R.E.L.F. - resting elephants love flap-jacks, RES - real esoteric stuff, D.I.Y. - Did I yell?, A.B.F. - average black female, I.D.K. - idiotic dancing kanagaroos, and so on.

[Kerry1968]

So funny!

[Ebony]

Hi Guys, Since we are sort of on this subject, what does ****XD and x_____x and ._____. Im obviously not up with the play, too old maybe. I came across it on this Forum.

[Kevin1]

I believe they are Internet facial expressions.
I used to spend a lot of time in aol chatrooms.
If you have a hard time with forum abbreviations, you would that the aol chatters are speaking in alien.