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Also known as: net acronyms, internet abbreviations
The compressed forms that developed on Usenet and earlier networks to save typing over slow links: BTW, FWIW, IIRC, AFAIK, OTOH, ROTFL and dozens more. Many groups kept a glossary in their FAQ, because unexplained abbreviations were a real barrier to new readers. A large share of them, including LOL and IMHO, outlived the medium and became general internet English.
Browse all terms in Culture & History, or see the full Usenet glossary.