Origins

• Chat language has its roots in two places: the pre-Web subculture of BBS chatters, and the necessity to shorten words when dealing with slow or small typing interfaces such as on a mobile phone or early instant messaging systems. Before the Web, many people used dial-up chat boards called BBSes, where certain contractions and purposeful misspellings --- sometimes called "leet speak" --- came into being. Additionally, when texting came about, the mobile phone number pad keyboard hampered speed, necessitating the use of contractions.
  
  

Contractions

• Contractions in chat speak involve either removing seemingly superfluous letters, e.g. "O rly?" to contract "Oh, really?," or using short texts that phonetically sound like longer words, e.g. "U r" to contract "you are" or "H8" to contract "hate." This practice has pragmatic roots in mobile phone texting, but is also used in instant messaging and chat where there is no technical need for contraction. This is partly cultural, and partly because chatters want to type their thoughts quickly, to emulate casual verbal communication.
  
  

Acronyms

• Many acronyms for commonly used phrases are recognized in chat language. In fact, some chat language acronyms have bled into popular English. For example, using "LOL" to contract "Laugh out loud" is well-known, and modern English-speakers may even pronounce it in speech by saying "loll." Other common acronyms include "IMHO" for "In my humble opinion." These are useful acronyms for use in topical discussion on chat boards and in chat rooms.
  
  

Considerations

• Chat language is pragmatic in certain contexts, but has become as much cultural as practical. When using chat language, consider that contractions work by removing information, and may not always be appropriate to communicate your meaning. For example, "ur" may be interpreted as "you are" or "your." Also, teachers and professors note that many students use chat language in formal papers, where such language is not considered appropriate.