ON-LINE SYMBOLS There are numerous symbols used in cyberspace to help convey tone and action to others. The symbols are as follows: <...> = Denotes an action the author is (theoretically) doing at the time. It's most commonly used for facial expressions, mostly detailed below, however it is not too uncommon to read something like = Smile = Big smile (Used sparingly due to the slang meaning of these characters.) = Toothy smile = Very toothy smile = Grin = Wide grin = Big grin = Very wide grin = Very very wide grin = Very very very... = Evil grin = Very evil grin = Toothy grin = Very toothy grin = Strange look = Peculiar look
= Deranged look LOL = Laugh[ing] out loud. (Note this does not use <>.) ROFL = Rolling on the floor and laughing (very strange arrangement of words, however it's generally accepted.) ROTFL = Rolling on the floor and laughing (this lettering is the less commonly used than ROFL.) ROTFAL = Rolling on the floor and laughing (This abbreviation is almost never used, and tends to denote perfection in whoever write it.) LMHO = Laughing my head off LMFO = Laughing my face off LMAO = Laughing my *** off LM_O = Laughing my (whatever) off ROFALMHO = Rolling on the floor and laughing my head off (or any combination of the above sets of sibling ROFL and LMHO symbols) IMO = In my opinion IMHO = In my humble opinion CONFERENCE SYMBOLS: AFK = Away from keyboard BBS = Be back soon BRB = Be right back BTW = By the way CAT = Can't afford this anymore DSR = Doorbell's ringing OOT = Outta time TSR = Telephone's ringing FACES (these symbols are commonly taken to mean virtually the same as or or, in the case of frowns, something along the lines of or ): 8: (Mickey Mouse) :~ (sideburns) :# (crying) :$ (I've been paid to keep my mouth shut. I've never seen it used, but I know a few people who swear they use this all the time.) :' (crying) :) (smile) :)) (big smile) :* (crying) :+ (kiss) :-) (smile with nose) :/ (deranged smile) :> (smile) :b (sticking out tongue) :l (not good) :O (talking or shouting) :o (talking or shouting) :P (sticking out tongue) :X (obscenity) :x (obscenity) :\ (deranged smile) ;) (peculiar look or evil eye) =) (my personal favorite smile) >: (angry) >:( (angry) >:) (contradictory emotions) o \ (and line below: large smile) o / (and line above: large smile) `: (raised eyebrow) COMMONLY USED PHRASES BETWEEN <>'S: (WHAT!) <&#%$!> (Obscenity) (Hunh?) FORUM SYMBOLS: <12> (We'd better go private because there may be someone out there who won't like this thread being public) <46> (Let's cut off this thread) <62> (We'd better go private because CompuServe may not like us to be discussing this subject in the public) (This pertains to when you're complaining about prices, or how lousy the SysOps are, or whatever) <88> (Check out a new thread with this subject)

(this is a private thread) ROLE-PLAYING SYMBOLS: OOC = Out of character TRADING SYMBOLS: ASAP (as soon as possible) PR (please respond) PRQ (please respond quickly) PRVQ (please respond very quickly) PSA (please send address) RIA (respond if you accept) RIR (respond if you reject) RSVP (please respond) SA (Send address) MAC - MacIntosh MLA - Multiple Letter Acronym MOTAS - Member of the Appropriate Sex MOTOS - Member of the Opposite Sex MOTSS - Member of the Same Sex MPD - Multiple Personality Disorder MWF - married white female MWM - married white male NBD - No Big Deal NFW - No F...ing Way NOYB - None Of Your Business OIC - Oh, I See OTL - Out To Lunch OTOH - On The Other Hand P&T - Power & Trust PCMCIA - People Can't Memorize Compuserves Incredible Acronyms PEP - People Exchanging Power PITA - Pain In The A** PMFBI - Pardon Me for butting in PMFJI - Pardon Me For Jumping In PMJI - Pardon My Jumping In POSSLQ - Person of Opposite Sex sharing living quarters PTB - Powers That Be RNA - Ring, No Answer (communication or telephone term for a problem) ROF,L - Rolling on floor, laughing ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing ROFLOL - Rolling on the floor laughing out loud ROTF - Rolling On The Floor ROTF,L - Rolling On The Floor, Laughing RPG - Role Playing Games RSN - Real soon now RTFM - Read The "Fine" Manual S - Smile SFLA - Stupid Four Letter Acronym SIGH - self-explaining SL - Section Leader SM - sadism and masochism smile - self-explaining SMOP - Small Matter of Programming SNAFU - Situation Normal, All "fixed" Up SO - Significant Other SWF - single white female (in some cases: submissive white female) SWM - single white male (in some cases: submissive white male) SWMBO - She who must be obeyed SYSOP - Systems Operator; person who manages a Forum TAFN - Thats all for Now TANJ - There Ain't No Justice TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch TDM - Too Damned Many TGIF - Thank God Its Friday TIA - Thanks In Advance TIC - Tongue In Cheek TPTB - The Powers That Be TSR - Terminate and Stay Resident (Computer Program) TTFN - Ta Ta For Now TTYL - Talk To You Later UL or U/L - Upload, contribute a file. (send) w/ - With WIMP - Windows, Icons, Mouse, Pointing WizOp - Wizard Sysop; the primary Forum Administrator/Sysop WOA - Work Of Art WOFTAM - Waste of "Flaming" time and money WTH - What The H--- WYGIWYPF - What you get is what you pay for WYSBYGI - What you see before you get it WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get XSO - Ex Significant Other YABA - Yet Another Bloody Acronym