Lol I Know Right Hahah Lol
Just a quick memo for anyone who isn’t up to speed. The following practices are no longer acceptable in online discussion forums. This decree applies to message board replies, Faceboook comments, and anywhere else on the internet where written conversation takes place. Thank you for your cooperation.
Beginning a Post with “Lol” or “Hahah”
This practice is rampant on the web and needs to stop. I confess I do it myself all the time (I’m working on it). It’s a way to quickly indicate agreement with the previous comment and placate the comment’s author. For example:
Netizen: The Joker is the greatest villain ever!
n00b: Lol totally!
Using “Lol” and “Hahah” in the Same Post
People do this to create filler because they can’t think of anything interesting to say. Alternatively, they do it to soften the blow of a dissenting opinion. These terms are the digital equivalent of a grunt. Come on people, nobody laughs this much:
Netizen: Heath Ledger is the best Joker ever!
n00b: Hahah he was ok but Nicholson pwns him lol
Using “Lol” Multiple Times in the Same Post
See above.
Beginning a Post with “Um[m/mm/mmm]” or “Uh[h/hh/hhh]“
Doing this makes you look like a jerk. It’s often used in a reply that disagrees with a previous comment. The respondent uses “um” to start his post as if to indicate he’s pausing (perhaps wincing in pain) as he struggles to comprehend your stupidity. Here’s an example:
Netizen: The Dark Knight is the best movie ever!
Asshole: Um, actually it isn’t.
To seem like an even bigger cocknose, the respondent will sometimes end his reply with a question mark, as such:
Netizen: The Dark Knight is the best movie ever!
Asshole: Uhh, actually it isn’t?
Or:
Netizen: The Dark Knight is the best movie ever!
Asshole: Um, no?
Using the Phrase “I Know Right[?/!]” Ever
I knew the girl who started this back in ’98, when it was a new and neat way to indicate agreement while opening the door for further discussion. Now it just makes you look dumb.
Netizen: Christian Bale was the best Batman ever!
n00b: I know right!
I hope this helps clear up any confusion. Oh, one final note: if you want to come off as the biggest dickhead of all, write a blog post about how stupid everybody acts on the internet.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Great post, md. :-)
I sometimes find myself using some of the above ironically (particularly “I know, right?”), simultaneously patronizing and dissing the recipient of my quip. Sometimes I think I’ll end up like this guy:
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/43032
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Thank you bro! It’s funny, I originally had a bit in the “I know right” section about how it’s acceptable to use the phrase ironically, but figured it would complicate the issue too much. :-)
And Patchdude–lol @ you becoming the dude in the Onion article. ^_^ (that article is a freakin’ masterpiece btw)
October 14th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Haha I know right! lol! I hate when people do crap like that, it angers me lol… was that cool of me to do? Umm no!
October 14th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I’m tellin’ ya man, at the rate we’re goin’, in 20 years human speech will consist of nothing but “hahah”s, “lol”s, “rofl”s, “lmao”s, and maybe a “zomg” thrown in for good measure. ^_^