Speak English Please, I’m Not A Computer

One of the many challenges we non-geeks and authors face when attempting to tackle the social media are the sacred words used for code communication amongst the cool people.

WTF AFAIK I am not a computer BTW.

(What the F**** As Far As I Know I am not a computer By The Way.)

It’s official, YRAG if you can understand what I just said YKWIM.

(It’s official, You Are A Geek if you can understand what I just said You Know What I Mean.)

By the way, ULKGR8 in that POTD LIG given your WEG obviously.

(By the way, You Look Great in that Photo Of The Day Life Is Good given your Wicked Evil Grin obviously.)

<3 WTV. CHILLAX you can master this KEWL FBC.

(Love Whatever. Chill and relax you can master this cool Facebook chat.)

Fortunately, for us non-natives traveling by necessity to the distant lands of social media, there are websites that can help us understand WTF people are actually saying.

Here are a few good ones:

http://www.allacronyms.com/social_networking/topic

http://slangdefinition.com/slang-dictionary-terms/

http://socialmediaslang.com

http://www.urbandictionary.com

http://google.com

Those of us who have not yet given up swearing may be able to make out a lot of the expressions on our own, but when in doubt just know that there are places that can translate for you should you need a native guide.

IMO IDK everything TBH, but I am good with googling what I don’t understand right off the bat but I KHYF when you don’t.

(In My Opinion I Don’t Know everything To Be Honest, but I am good with googling what I don’t understand right off the bat but I Know How You Feel when you don’t.)

Once you recognize that it’s just a language, and that we non-Geeks and authors are generally at least above average at communication, it’s nothing to be intimidated by.

Some of the terms can even have you #ROFL.

(Some of the terms can even have you rolling on the floor laughing.)

When I first started taking lessons at the Apple store, I noticed that most of the people giving the lessons were possibly 22 and still looking a bit wet behind the ears while most of the people taking lessons were my age, e.g., 55 years and up, wearing glasses and squinting over our computer lessons.

One of the very cute young things gave me an article that explained that computers are actually a language, and that it’s easier for language natives – those under 30 who were born playing with computers – to pick this stuff up than us non-natives – those my age who grew up writing actual letters we mailed through the Post Office, reading printed newspapers that got delivered to our driveways and hacking out books on our typewriters.

That doesn’t mean we can’t learn, however.

Anybody smart enough to write and publish a book can get a handle on this.

IMHO.

(In My Humble Opinion).

EOR.

(End of Rant.)