Instant Message Slang in the Workplace

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In the decade or so that instant messaging has been widely used, a whole instant message slang language has developed, mostly using acronyms. It is a kind of shorthand that lets people symbolize commonly used phrases with just a few letters. IM slang can be fun, clever, or just plain efficient if used appropriately at work.

Keep Your Audience in Mind

A lot of the instant message slang is hard to figure out. If you throw in an AOTA (all of the above) or OTOMH (off the top of my head), you will probably lose most of the people you work with. In general, you will probably want to use IM slang sparingly with people over thirty-five, unless you know that the person is up on the lingo.

Exceptions to this rule would be phrases that are commonly used as acronyms outside of the virtual world. Most English speakers would recognize things like TTFN (ta ta for now -- an acronym immortalized by Tigger), FAQ (frequently asked questions), or THX for "thanks." These would be appropriate to use with just about anyone and would add an informal air to your message.

Avoid Swear Words

In the first place, you don't want to offend someone you barely know by using acronyms like SOL (s--t out of luck) or CRS (can't remember s--t). A lot of your superiors probably frown on swear words, and you don't want to hurt your career with something so easy to avoid. Even if you are instant messaging someone you know swears like a sailor, you probably want to avoid cursing. You never know who might be looking over the other person's shoulder, and don't forget that corporate IMs are recorded and stored.

Slang That Comes in Handy at Work

Some instant message acronyms lend themselves to a business environment. One of my favorites is NM for "never mind." You can use this when you IM someone a question, and you find out the answer before they can get back to you. Another one that you might use a lot would be BRB for "be right back." This is helpful when you are in the middle of an IM conversation and you have to stop to do something; this way the other person knows why there is a long break before your response.

Use Cuteness Judiciously

Emoticons like :-) (smile -- turn your head and you see a smiley face) and >:-( (angry) are fun to use with your work pals, but remember that with most of the people at work you want to be taken seriously, especially when you are talking with clients or people over you. When you are instant messaging these types of people, keep the cute stuff to a minimum.

In general, instant messaging is an informal type of communication, so it's okay to throw in a bit of slang. Just don't get irritated if the other person asks you to explain what you mean.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

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