How to Use Web Slang in Chat Rooms

Chat room users communicate with a highly stylized and constantly changing slang that is so dynamic it could count as a digital dialect of the English language. Using chat room slang online is easy, but it may take awhile to learn the nuances and different meanings.

Instructions

1. Get familiar with the most common web and chat room acronyms such as "BTW" for "by the way," "LOL" for "laugh out loud" and "BRB" for "be right back." Understand that single letters or numbers are often substituted for words such as "C" for the word "see" or the number 8 in cases where an "-ate" sound is used in a word, such a "w8" for "wait."

2. Observe and ask questions. You'll notice that the slang of chat rooms devoted to tech issues differs greatly from slang describing sports or other subjects. When you can't figure out what something means, ask someone in chat room.

3. Learn the abbreviations for file formats and other tech related slang. You'll use jpeg, gif or tiff for various kinds of image files or pdf, doc or ppt for file formats used in commerce and information exchange. You should also know tech acronyms, such as P2P (person-to-person file exchange program) and ISP (internet service provider).

4. Note the difference between typos, which often go uncorrected, and acronyms. Don't edit your own "chat room speak" for spelling, grammar and typographical errors, since they are considered parts of the Internet patois.