[KIPAX]

When communications by computers started it was costing a heck of a lot more than it does now. The way to do it would be to log on, download your messages. read and reply to them offline then log back on and post them.

For every minute (in some countries seconds) you where online it costs you money. especially during the day and mostly it wasn't a local call.

Thus the bigger the message the longer it took to download or post. So acronyms where used to shorten the message and save money. The internet also had an unwritten rule that any sig over 4 lines long would get you flamed (hate mail) and even banned from some systems... same if you posted more quoted message then you had written.. some email software would not post a message if there was more quote than response.

When SPAM startd everyone would report it to the SPAMMERS service providor to have them banned beause it was a "Theft of Service" because you where paying to recieve an advert.. Imagine the postpman charges you COD for a letter only to find its an advert. or you get an imnportant reverse charge phone call that turns out to be a man selling double glazing.... well spam on the internet was on a par..

A lot of us still through habit work as above.. I use acromyns but have tried to slow them down as most dont know what they mean anymore.. i hate spam but gave up reporting it yrs ago.. I still quote my emails correctly ..

What bugs me is the wrong use of acromyns... I mean a certain female poster would have us believe she is peeing herself laughing with every line she writes on accyweb... I hate the use of LOL and have never used it myself.. really annoys me... a smile saya it all..