Fed up of seeing Acronyms in comments

Anyone who reads my posts will know that they are peppered with typos and misspellings and missed words. I do try to read them before I post sometimes, having finished a post wih a fine flourish of a sentence I press 'post' without thinking.

I can feel the GrannyGrunters of this word leaping to their mobile phones/ ipads/talets/laptops to lecture me on being carefully lways proof reading etc - and I couldn't agree more with them BUT

I have dyspraxia. It is a neural problem that affects fine movement and communication between brain and muscle. It makes using a smart phone extremely difficult, because even if I know the order of icons to press, my fingers choose their own order. most icons are so small it is a miracle if i hit the right one, and only the one I want, and not a generous selection.

It means when typing on computer keyboard, which is my preferred method of electronic communication, where the success rate of hitting the right keys is quite good, I cannot stop the signals from brain to finger transposing letters, or even jumbling them up totally, or adding random letters at will.

Add to this that a carpal tunnel operation has left me with numb finger tips on my right hand and you will understand why I like accronyms and will continue to use them.

I do agree constant text speak acronyms can be irritating but the ones we use all the time DH, DD, DS, AIBU, etc are a real help.

I would also make a plea to those twinkle fingered people who were touch typists after a day's tuition and who always proof read and never post anything with an error try to show a bit more humility and gratitude for your skills and some understanding for those of us, who would love to be touch typists and perfect proof readers and have spent many fruitless hours attempting to be so before finding that the problem lies with their neural wiring and they have no more chance of reaching their standard of perfection than fly.

There are many other disabilities and illnesses that make typing difficult, mine is just one example.

I agree with you, GrannyGrunter; I dislike abbreviations and acronyms because unless very familiar they obscure the meaning and I waste time trying to discover their meaning; they are now becoming increasingly common in newspaper articles.
Children's spelling is poor because too many teachers say spelling is not important; it is communication that matters.

Witzend

It might give Grannygrunter a heart attack, but I must confess that I rather like this one, a MN (Mumsnet) special.
FOTTFSOFATFOSM

I CBA to write it out in full, which is probably just as well.

Frequently shortened to DFOD. 😂

Children's spelling is poor because too many teachers say spelling is not important; it is communication that matters.
A bit of a sweeping statement, eazybee.
Great importance is placed on spelling in both my former school and my DGD's school.

eazybee If you had been anywhere near a school recently you would know that far from teachers saying spelling is not important, it is of utmost importance and forms part of the literacy curriculum.

Methods of teaching spelling may have changed, less rote learning more analysis, but spelling is important and children learn to spell.

I have no reason to think that my garndchildren's state schools are any different to the rest.

I don’t think, may be wrong, that GrannyGrunter meant anything other than the specific point she’s made MOnica.
We already have at least one self appointed member of the ‘spelling and grammar police’ on GN, quite unnecessary and rude in my opinion.

You know what, OP ?
With all due respect I don't think the younger generation's spelling has gone to hell in a handcart and I certainly don't see the point of getting steamed up about the general use of initials or acronyms in the public domain, on social media or indeed the media in general. Don't we all refer to the likes of WH Smith DH Evans (back in the day) also BHS, PE lessons, BST, GMT am, pm AD BC etc?
What I am getting increasingly tired of seeing is moaning about trivialities - if you don't like it, don't read it.
And nobody is expecting you to feel obliged to use it.

if you don't like it, don't read it. And nobody is expecting you to feel obliged to use it. Well said Roses .

GrannyGrunter

Why does everyone, when making comments on social media or sites like these always use Acronyms. DH, dear husband, DD, dear daughter, it drives me bonkers. Have people forgotten how to write in a normal fashion, the way comments or stories should be written.

It makes no wonder that children and many adults cannot spell because they are too busy shortening words. Is it because they don't have time to write dear husband, or dear daughter or is it just laziness.

I'm with you on that one GrannyGrunter - drives me up the wall!! Professionally as well, I abhor this in either govt. records or clinical notes! There is an assumption that 'everyone' knows what the acronyms are. When at University/training it was always drummed into us that you do not use acronyms (or at the very least you must in the first instance write the full text with the acronym in brackets after) - permissible then to use the acronym in the same body of text. Another thing that gets me is grammar - in official recordings I have come across 'could of' rather than 'could have' and these are supposed to be educated professionals!

Katek

I'm confused - how does anyone manage to avoid reading lengthy posts with no/little punctuation? Wouldn't you have to read the post first to discover it had little/no punctuation?? Ergo you've read it.

I think what happens is that you note a very long post and can see at a glance that it has no-to-little punctuation, and is frequently not broken down into paragraphs.

Or, you start to read it and realise after some seconds that you are confused by what you are reading, then glance down the text and see that there is no punctuation - after a few more lines of unpunctuated text, you just give up because it's just a salad of words.

welshgirl2017

GrannyGrunter

Why does everyone, when making comments on social media or sites like these always use Acronyms. DH, dear husband, DD, dear daughter, it drives me bonkers. Have people forgotten how to write in a normal fashion, the way comments or stories should be written.

It makes no wonder that children and many adults cannot spell because they are too busy shortening words. Is it because they don't have time to write dear husband, or dear daughter or is it just laziness.

I'm with you on that one GrannyGrunter - drives me up the wall!! Professionally as well, I abhor this in either govt. records or clinical notes! There is an assumption that 'everyone' knows what the acronyms are. When at University/training it was always drummed into us that you do not use acronyms (or at the very least you must in the first instance write the full text with the acronym in brackets after) - permissible then to use the acronym in the same body of text. Another thing that gets me is grammar - in official recordings I have come across 'could of' rather than 'could have' and these are supposed to be educated professionals!

When at University/training it was always drummed into us that you do not use acronyms (or at the very least you must in the first instance write the full text with the acronym in brackets after) - permissible then to use the acronym in the same body of text.

There is a glossary of Acronyms at the bottom of this page. It doesn't take too much time to familiarise yourself with them. Many on GN (Gransnet) use them and they are now an established method of abbreviating the many references to family members' relationships with each other.

Acronyms are used across many social media platforms, I think they are here to stay.

You could request GN administration to devote a section of the forum for those who don't like the use of them?

Another thing that gets me is grammar - in official recordings I have come across 'could of' rather than 'could have' and these are supposed to be educated professionals!

There is a Pedants forum! You can join in - many do!

Such acronyms as NHS, RAF, RN, NATO, FBI, CIA, NASA, BBC, ITV, A&E etc are well-known, have been in constant use for years and the names of these organisations are rarely seen written out in full.

When at University/training it was always drummed into us that you do not use acronyms (or at the very least you must in the first instance write the full text with the acronym in brackets after) - permissible then to use the acronym in the same body of text.

BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD, BEd, BDS

I agree that Pedants' Corner would be a good place to have a discussion about this.

When at University/training it was always drummed into us that you do not use acronyms (or at the very least you must in the first instance write the full text with the acronym in brackets after) - permissible then to use the acronym in the same body of text.

Despite many of us here on GN having been to university, it hasn't stopped us using abbreviations. We know what they mean, no need to explain ( in the first instance. ) 😉

GrannyGrunter

Times change. Our accepted social norms, culture, standards and expectations change over time. Continuously.

The use of new acronyms is simply part of that change. They are now an established part of the way we communicate and will continue, with or without your participation!

We certainly know Granny Grunter has arrived wait until someone shortens it to GG. Like they do some of the posters with longer usernames. What will we think it means? Great Grandmother, Groaning Granny, Granny Gertie or perhaps Great Grunter.
While you're at it use a spell check I have picked up at least two or typos and I'm Dyslexic.
Apologies to the lovely Gran whose name is often shortened to GG.

DH DD etc have been around for 20-30 years. If you're new to social media then you may as well start to learn them so you can understand what's being written or you're disadvantaging yourself, or simply too lazy.

Witzend

It might give Grannygrunter a heart attack, but I must confess that I rather like this one, a MN (Mumsnet) special.
FOTTFSOFATFOSM

I CBA to write it out in full, which is probably just as well.

When at University/training it was always drummed into us that you do not use acronyms

I take it that UCL was not your alma mater, GrannyGrunter!

nanaK54

Witzend

It might give Grannygrunter a heart attack, but I must confess that I rather like this one, a MN (Mumsnet) special.
FOTTFSOFATFOSM

I CBA to write it out in full, which is probably just as well.

😲

Callistemon21

nanaK54

Witzend

It might give Grannygrunter a heart attack, but I must confess that I rather like this one, a MN (Mumsnet) special.
FOTTFSOFATFOSM

I CBA to write it out in full, which is probably just as well.

😲

I had to look that one up! 😱

Oh, I am intrigued. Where can I look up FOTTFSOFATFOSM?

Oh please someone tell me what FOTTFSOFATFOSM means! I won't sleep tonight if I don't find out. I've tried looking it up but haven't found it yet...

AskAlice

Oh please someone tell me what FOTTFSOFATFOSM means! I won't sleep tonight if I don't find out. I've tried looking it up but haven't found it yet...

... and Parsley3

Just paste the acronym into Google, or whichever... it'll come up!

I understood that the D in DH was meant to be ironic. It reduces the risk of someone posting a name and, thereby, run the risk of being identifiable.
Children are, as others have said, taught grammar and spelling as part of the National Curriculum. My ten year old grandson has explained the role of the fronted adverbial to some older family members.
I was taught at school that it is rude to correct the grammar of others unless you are their tutor.

Ooh.
My gob is truly smacked now😳.

YNTOTL.