I am an avid user of MSN messenger. I only have a few people on my contact list, I really only talk to people that I really want to (unlike Facebook where anyone of my "friends" can contact me). There are three people I talk to on a daily basis, one whom I have never actually met face to face (yet!!), but through one of my best friends. He is the one who gave me the idea for this particular topic. Scroll through one of your instant message conversations, and look at how many times you or your conversational partner use the phrases "haha" or "LOL". In the twenty minute most recent conversation that I had, collectively we used one of those phrases 14 times. Now, we weren't exchanging witty banter at a wicked fast pace or anything. We were making small talk, and we didn't have too much to talk about... There were lags for five minutes at a time were we didn't say anythjing to each other. Dane Cook was thrown in there a bit I believe. I have nothing against the use of these little sayings, as you do need some way of showing that your partner is actually quite funny. I really just fine it amusing that we throw these phrases out like it's nothing. Or even better, when something is not even that funny someone throws it out there. When you say something like "my mom's making roast beef sandwiches for lunch today" and your friend replies "LOL" (actualy conversation), the next response is, my top acronym, WTF? I don't know anyone who actually laughs like "haha" or responds to a funny blonde joke with "I am laughing out loud". Of course there are other shortened means of professing your emotions... WTF.. OMG... OMFG... ROFL... LMAO the list goes on and on. I use these little phrases often in my im's and my text messaging. But, when I talk to my mom and say "WTF? man" she gets a little peeved. She goes on and on about how I should show respect (and this is not about the F part of the word) and could at least give her the decency to expand my words and blah blah blah.... Is it a bad thing that I love to express my emotions in four letters or less? I think it's just my love for speed and efficiency that really calls for my love of this little words.. I mean OMG? Who wants to speak in long useless words?