Acronyms & Text Messaging Shorthand

The following link is to NetLingo's extensive List of Acronyms & Text Messaging Shorthand∞
Acronyms have always been an integral part of computer culture, and they have since spawned a new language on the Internet. Commonly thought of as a series of letters that make up a "word" there is a distinction between acronyms and shorthand.

Online enthusiasts, primarily millennials, are learning that shorthand are in fact called acronyms, but this is incorrect. The difference between acronyms and shorthand is that with acronyms, you pronounce the letters as a new word (for example, FUBAR is pronounced "foo-bar" and RADAR is pronounced "ray-dar"). In contrast, shorthand pronunciations are always to say the letters one-by-one and not pronounce it as a word (for example, FYI is pronounced "F-Y-I" and BRB is pronounced "B-R-B"). The difference between shorthand and an initialism (or abbreviation) is that the latter refers to the shortening of a word itself, for example "esp" for "especially." The online practice is to refer to any shorthand or abbreviation as an acronym.

Examples commonly used in the SpamCop Forums include:
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
aka - Also Known As
BI - Breidbart Index
BL - Block list (Blocking List) (Black List)
BOFH - Bastard Operator From Hell
BTW - By The Way
DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DEA - Disposable E-mail Address
DNS - Domain Name Server/System
DNSbl - Domain Name System Blocking List or Domain Name System Blackhole List
DSL∞ - Digital Subscriber Line
DSN - Delivery Status Notification
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
fubar - Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition
FWIW - For What It's Worth
HTIW - How The Internet Works
HTML - HyperText Markup Language
HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol
IE - Microsoft Internet Explorer
IIRC - If I Remember Correctly or If I Recall Correctly
IIUC - If I Understand Correctly
IIWY - If I/It Was You
IMAP - Internet Message Access Protocol
IOW - In Other Words
ISP - Internet Service Provider
ISTM - It Seems to Me
ITYM - I Think You Mean
LART∞ - Luser Attitude Readjustment Tool
LRC - Last Resort Contacts
MTA - Mail Transfer Agent (see SMTP)
MUA - Mail User Agent (see SMTP)
NAP∞ - Network Access Point
NDR - Non-Delivery Report
NOC - Network Operations Center
NSP - Network Service Provider
OE - Microsoft Outlook Express
OWTTE - Or Words To That Effect
PITA - Pain In The Ass
POP3 - Post Office Protocol version 3
PSBL - Passive Spam Block List
RADAR - RAdio Detection And Ranging
RBL - (MAPS) Real-time Blackhole List
RSN - Real Soon Now
SBL - The Spamhaus Block List∞
SCBLSpamCop Blocking List
SMTP - Simple Mail Transport Protocol
TOE - Train On Errors
TPTB - The Powers That Be
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
tinu - there is no us
tinw - there is no we
URI - Uniform Resource Identifier
URL - Uniform Resource Locator
URN - Uniform Resource Name
UUBE - Unwanted/Unsolicited Bounce Email
VER - Very Easy Reporting

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CategorySpamCopGlossaryWikiA

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