Abbreviations

People tend to use abbreviations in online forums to reduce the number of characters they have to type

Until you become the uber-geek you are destined to become, you may need some help decoding what they mean, so here is a list:

1. newbie - someone who is new to a topic/subject, generally applied to technical subjects. If you do not already know the terms contained on this page, you are a newbie (don't worry, we all were newbies once)
2. btw - by the way
3. iirc - if I recall correctly. Typically used by someone making a statement of which they are not 100% certain
4. afaik - as far as I know
5. lol - laughing out loud. Used to indicate a humourous reaction and also used to indicate when someone is joking and shouldn't be taken seriously
6. rotfl - rolling on the floor laughing. Used to indicate a humourous reaction
7. rofl - this person was too lazy to type the t and really means rotfl
8. rtfm - ahem, read the f***ing manual. Typically used to indicate that the answer should be easily obtainable from the manual. If you have already checked information sources and haven't found the answer, you should not let a reply like this disuade you. Sometimes pointing out that you are a newbie and can't find it in the manual gains you a greater degree of patience and help from others.