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IMHO, these things dumb down writing
8

IMHO, these things dumb down writing

IMHO, these things dumb down writing

(OP)
Don't use IMHO and similar qualifications. Unless you're quoting me the speed of light, I take it for granted that it's your opinion. And reading your writing will be less tedious if it isn't replete with "I think", "therefore", and "first, ..."

Adverbs are almost never necessary (spot the adverb in the preceding sentence). Sometimes, they can make informal writing more colloquial and enjoyable to read. Usually, they're tedious and dreary. Very difficult, is it? Not just difficult?

Rob Campbell
www.livejournal.com/users/robcampbell

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

I agree.

The place where I'm sometimes tempted to use "JMO" is when I want to informally emphasize my recognition that my view is controversial and that there exist other equally valid views.

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

2
almost never necessary?  Tedious.  Try rarely.

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

Spot the adverbs and adjectives in the suceeding sentence as well.

Sometimes, can, informal, more.

Why not "Adverbs make writing colloquial and enjoyable to read."

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

2
(OP)
Adjectives are fine; it's a fact that adverbs are evil. And insidious. Crept right into my own writing. What more proof is needed?

Rob Campbell
www.livejournal.com/users/robcampbell

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

(OP)
"Almost" is necessary because adverbs are sometimes necessary.

"More colloquial" is more colloquial than "colloquial".

Rob Campbell
www.livejournal.com/users/robcampbell

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

I don't find "in my [humble] opinion" to be unreasonable, although using the word humble can be viewed as condescending.

I think it's always a good idea to cite your sources, self included.  I don't want you, as the listener to assume that what I'm saying is my opinion unless stated otherwise.    There are many facts considered to be common knowledge but not necessarily known by all.  I would not want the listener to assume that some fact is merely the speaker’s opinion simply because the listener is not aware of the fact.

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

I think using "IMHO" is a matter of proper humility.  No matter how strong or well-founded my opinions are, I recognize them as opinions and not facts.  I do not wish to get caught up in petty bickering resulting from someone assuming that my statement of opinion was an assertion of fact.

Due to illness, the part of The Tick will be played by... The Tick.
http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

Now you're phrasing your opinion as a directive!

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

IMHO, using IMHO is fine for forums like this. It's usage helps keep the discuss light and it may clarify whether someone is taking a strong position or is letting the reader know "hey don't think what I'm about to write is the gospel" regarding an issue.

OTOH, in the work environment using OTOH or IMHO is not proper (IMO). Written communications should be professional. You need to be very clear as to whether you are stating an opinion or stating a fact.

FWIW, the one thing that make me crazy are people that dont capitalize or use punctuation  

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

star for your excellent post fzob

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

(OP)
Rules for writers, by William Safire:

Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form, and don't use no double negatives. Verbs has to agree with their subjects. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing. A writer must not shift your point of view. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.) Don't overuse exclamation marks!! Use apostrophe's correctly, and don't use commas, which, aren't necessary. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents. About those sentence frag- ments. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing. Always pick on the correct idiom. The adverb always follows the verb. Corect speling is esential. Last but not least, avoid trite cliches like the plague.

Rob Campbell
www.livejournal.com/users/robcampbell

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

OK I live under a rock so I give up.  What does IMHO stand for?  OTOH, I figured out what OTOH means by context but not (IMO). Root for IHMO?

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

humble

TTFN

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

Leonard, here's more than you ever will need.

^5 - High Five
addy - address (as in eMail)
ADN - Any Day Now
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
AFK - Away From Keyboard
AKA - Also Known As (also a/k/a)
ARE - Acronym-Rich Environment
ATM - According To Me
ATTN - Attention
BAK - Back At the Keyboard
BBIAB - Be Back In A Bit
BBL - Be Back Later
BBS - Be Back Soon
<BEG> - Big Evil Grin
BFD - Big F***ing Deal
BFN - Bye For Now (also B4N)
<BG> - big grin
BIF - Basis In Fact
BION - Believe It Or Not
BIOYIOP - Blow It Out Your I/O Port
BL - Belly Laughing
BRB - Be Right Back
BTA - But Then Again...
BTSOOM - Beats The Sh*t Out Of Me
BTW - By The Way
CU - see you
CUA - Commonly Used Acronym(s) or Common User Access
CUL - see you Later (also CUL8ER)
CWYL - Chat With Ya Later
CYA - see Ya
CYO - see You Online
DBA - Doing Business As (also d/b/a)
DFLA - Disenhanced Four-Letter Acronym (that is, a TLA)
DIKU - Do I Know You?
DITYID - Did I Tell You I'm Distressed?
DTRT - Do The Right Thing
<eg> - Evil Grin
EMFBI - Excuse Me For Butting In
EOM - End Of Message (no comments)
EOT - End Of Thread (end of discussion)
ETLA - Enhanced Three-Letter Acronym (that is, an FLA)
F2F - Face to Face
FAQ - (list of) Frequently Asked Question(s)
FISH - First In, Still Here
FLA - Four-Letter Acronym
FOMCL - Falling Off My Chair Laughing
FUBAR - F*cked Up Beyond All Recognition
FUD - (spreading) Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt
FWIW - For What It's Worth
FYA - For Your Amusement
FYEO - For Your Eyes Only
FYI - For Your Information
<g> - grin (<G> - big grin)
GA - Go Ahead
GAL - Get A Life!
GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out
GIWIST - Gee, I Wish I'd Said That!
GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike
GOL - Giggling Out Loud
GR&D - Grinning, Running & Ducking
GTRM - Going To Read Mail
HHOK - Ha Ha, Only Kidding
HHOS - Ha Ha, Only Serious
HNG - Horny Net Geek
HTD - Have To Disagree...
HTH - Hope This Helps
HTHBE - Hope This Has Been Enlightening
IAC - In Any Case
IAE - In Any Event
IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer, but... (also IANAxxx, such as IANACPA)
IC - I see
ICAM - I Couldn't Agree More
ICOWHMGOWYHH - I Can Only Wonder How Many Glasses Of Wine You Have Had
ID - I Disagree
IHA - I Hate Acronyms
IIRC - If I Remember Correctly
ILY - I Love You (also ILU)
IMAO - In My Arrogant Opinion
IMCO - In My Considered Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
IMNSHO - In My Not-So-Humble Opinion
IMO - In My Opinion
INC - Illegitimi Non Carborundum (Latin: don't let the b*stards wear you down)
IOW - In Other Words
IPN - I'm Posting Naked
IRL - In Real Life (that is, when not chatting)
IRT - In Real Time
ITA - I Totally Agree!
ITRW - In The Real World
JAT - Just A Thought
JFU - Just For You
JIC - Just In Case
JK - Just Kidding (also j/k)
JMHO - Just My Humble Opinion
JMO - Just My Opinion
KWIM? - Know What I Mean?
L8R - Later (also L8TR)
LBAY - Laughing Back At You
LD - Later, Dude
LDR - Long-Distance Relationship
LLTA - Lots and Lots of Thunderous Applause
LMAO - Lauging My Ass Off
LOL - Laughing Out Loud or Lots Of Luck
LOLBAY - Laughing Out Loud Back At You
LTM - Laugh To Myself
LTNS - Long Time, No See
M/F? - Male or Female? (also MorF)
MEGO - My Eyes Glazed Over (booorrring)
MHOTY - My Hat's Off To You
MINK - Multiple Income, No Kids (NIMK?)
mm - merrily met (greeting)
MMHA2U - My Most Humble Apologies to you
MOOS - Member Of the Opposite Sex (also MOTOS)
MOSS - Member Of the Same Sex (also MOTSS)
MOTD - Message Of The Day
mp - merrily parted (farewell)
MUD - Multi-User Dungeon (or Dimension)
NBIF - No Basis In Fact
NBIR - No Basis In Reality (where am I; is this Kansas?)
NFW - No F*cking Way
NP - No Problem
NRN - No Reply Necessary
NS - 'Nuff Said
OIC - Oh, I see
OLL - On-Line Love
OMG - Oh My God!
OOTB - Out Of The Box (brand new, ready to roll)
OPM - Other People's Money
OTF - On The Floor
OTOH - On The Other Hand
OTOOH - On The Other, Other Hand
OTP - On The Phone
OTTH - On The Third Hand
OTTOMH - Off The Top Of My Head
::POOF:: - goodbye (leaving the chatroom)
PANS - Pretty Awesome New Stuff (as opposed to POTS)
PC - Politically Correct (or Personal Computer)
PCMCIA - People Can't Master Computer Industry Acronyms (Personal Computer Memory Card Int'l. Ass'n.)
PDA - Public Display of Affection
PDQ - Pretty Darn Quick
PEBCAK - Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard
PI or PIC - Politically Incorrect
PITA - Pain In The A**
PMFJI - Pardon Me For Jumping In (but eventually, you'll thank me)
PMJI - Pardon My Jumping In
POTS - Plain Old Telephone Service (or Pretty Old Tired Stuff)
POV - Point Of View
PPL - Peed Pants Laughing or People
PU - that stinks!
PUTS - Playing Under The Sofa
r - are
re - regarding or hello again
RL - Real Life (that is, when not chatting)
ROAR! - laughing as loud as a lion
ROFL - Rolling On Floor, Laughing (also ROF,L)
ROTFLMAOWPIMP - Rolling On The Floor, Laughing My A** Off, While Peeing In My Pants
ROTFLMBHO - Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Bloody Head Off
ROTFLMBO - Rolling On The Floor, Laughing My Butt Off
RP - Romantic Partner
RPG - Role-Playing Games
RSN - Real Soon Now (often ironic)
RTFM - Read The F*cking Manual (or Message)
RW - Real World (outside cyberspace)
RYO - Roll Your Own (write your own program)
<seg> - Sh*t-Eating Grin
SHOUTING - Not an acronym; it's bad netiquette to leave Caps Lock on. SHOUTING IS HARD TO READ.
SINK - Single Income, No Kids
SITD - Still In The Dark
sm - smiley
SNAFU - Situation Normal, All F*cked Up
SO - Significant Other
SOL - Smiling Out Loud or Sadly, Outta Luck (really, there's another version?!)
SOMY - Sick Of Me Yet?
STD - Sick To Death (a term of disdain, rather than an update on the author's well-being)
STS - Sorry To Say
TAF - That's All, Folks!
TAFN - That's All For Now
TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TAT - Tête-A-Tête
TCN - Take Care Now
TFH - Thread From Hell (a discussion that just won't die)
TFI - The Fact Is ...
TFM - Thanks From Me
TFMT - Thanks From Me, Too!
TGIF - Thank God It's Friday
THX - Thanks
TIA - Thanks In Advance
TIC - Tongue In Cheek
TIG - This Is Great!
TIIC - The Idiots In Charge
TLA - Three-Letter Acronym (such as this)
TPTB - The Powers That Be
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
TTYL - Talk To You Later (or TLK2UL8R or TYL)
TXS - Thanks! (sincere and heartfelt - really!)
TYSM - Thank You So Much
TYVM - Thank You Very Much
u - you
UAPITA - You're A Pain In The A**
unPC - Politically Incorrect
<VBG> - very big grin
<VBSEG> - Very Big Sh*t-Eating Grin
VWP - Very Well Put
W4W - Word for Word
WAGS - What A Great Story!
WAI - What An Inspiration!
WB - Welcome Back
WDALYIC - Who Died And Left You In Charge?
WFM - Works For Me
WIBNI - Wouldn't It Be Nice If...
WP - Well Put
WT? - What/Who The...?
WTFO - What The F*ck? - Over!
WTG - Way To Go
WTGP? - Want To Go Private?
WTS - With That Said
WU? - What's Up?
WUF? - Where are you From?
WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get
XOXO - kisses and hugs
XX - kisses
Y2K - Year 2000 calendar concerns
YAAG - You Are A Genius
YABR - You Are Being Replaced
YGBSM - You've Gotta Be Sh*ttin' Me!
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary
YRR - You 'R' Right (I give...)
YVMW - You're Very Much Welcome

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

WWNWIWCGAWA???

(which means " Why We Need Words If We Can Get Along With Acronyms)

One more Tower of Babel?

Eng-Tips.com : Solving your problems before you get them.

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

What's the word for these things? We have already established the distinction between initialisms and acronyms but these things fit somewhere else. Not true abreviations as they are often mixed with numbers.

Keyboard shorthands?

Ghastly things. As if there isn't enough confusion in the world without allowing the texting kids to impose this whole new argot on us.

PS, please guys, post the link and an example with a comment. Some of these guys are still on 56k modems and some of these threads are taking forever to open and pasting whole lists takes forever.

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

"RMB" comes up a lotr in the CAD fora. Foreign users usually follow up with a "What is 'RMB'?".

Due to illness, the part of The Tick will be played by... The Tick.
http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

Absurd,
Fzob gives more info than any sane person could ever want and it duz snot even include RMB which is foriegn to me.  This be doublespeak or duckspeak?

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

RMB = "Right Mouse Button (Click)"

RE: IMHO, these things dumb down writing

Fzob's post is no longer considered acronyms. It is the latest evolution in the communication tools of the English Language.

Welcome to IMSpeak.

Or for those not on the in - Instant Messanger Speak.

It has been estimated that roughly 85% of the NA population between the ages of 13 and 22 are fully fluent.

In such language I am known as TDE and DH amongst other wonderful labels.  To quote one of my favourite movies of recent production ....

Welcome to the new world.

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