0
Here are a few selected RT‘s and assorted information from the StopSign Twitter account you may have missed this week. Did we miss anything? Please let us know by leaving a comment below.
- RIP J.D. Salinger. @gabbycat let us know (via @TerryMoran) that the @NewYorker made all of J.D. Salinger’s short stories available online.
- There was a lot of chatter online regarding Apple’s announcement of the iPad. What do you think about it, and do you plan on getting one?
- @eWeekSecWatch had an article titled “Possible Worm Prank No Laughing Matter“.
- @zdnet posted the story “RealPlayer haunted by 11 critical vulnerabilities“.
- @mashable gave us food for thought on our favorite toolbar with their story “Google Toolbar Keeps Tracking Your Browsing Even After You Choose Disable?“.
- It’s @mashable again with their post “More Security Flaws Found in Internet Explorer“.
- @CVG_UK tells us that a hacker claims “I have read/write access to the entire system memory…” on the Playstation 3. Is this good or bad for PS3 gamers?
- Author and uber-blogger @GuyKawasaki tweeted 15 reasons a business’ security gets compromised“.
- @ParentsLoveKids helps remind us all there’s a reason it’s called dope with their post “Sheriff Uses Software To Scare Kids Away From Drugs“.
And here’s a StopSign blog post we talked about on Twitter, too…
- We released a new blog article titled “7 Tips for Better Email Etiquette“. In it you’ll find ways to not only be courteous, but also to make sure that your point gets across.
Thanks for taking the time to check out our blog! We want to hear from you on the @stopsigntweets Twitter account and here on our blog, so don’t be afraid to ask us a question, give us some feedback or just say “Hi”.
Here are a few selected RT‘s and assorted information from the StopSign Twitter account you may have missed this week. Did we miss anything? Please let us know by leaving a comment below.
- @KING5Seattle Toyota recalls 2.3 million vehicles: http://bit.ly/7fwIbN via @msnbc
- @tobych Super new library, Cheat Sheets for Developers: http://bit.ly/4W2TdO
- @SueScheff What parents need to know about Cell Phones http://bit.ly/8w0zmx San Saba News #parenting
- @gift_girl Wishpot is featured in the January 2010 issue of @SacParentMag! So honored!
- @KING5Seattle Bellingham Father in #Haiti to bring back adoptive kids: http://bit.ly/92Fenx
- @binhog737 RT @AirlineReporter BLOG: Man Arrested After Tweeting Bomb Threat http://bit.ly/6sGrfX
- @KING5Seattle President Obama pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: http://bit.ly/4NYZa9
- @OC_Melanie Going to Starbucks? Help Haiti while you’re there! http://ow.ly/XTft
- @SueScheff RT @JaneBalvanz If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders. via @Abel2xnavarro
- @KING5Seattle Warning about fake #Haiti fundraisers on Facebook: http://bit.ly/6Jd6qK via @msnbc
- Via @arstechnica “ENUM: Dragging telephone numbers into the Internet Age” http://bit.ly/4NExZi Interesting AND scary, all at once.
- RT @TechCrunch: Twitter’s Answer To Facebook Connect http://bit.ly/5Fax12
- @DivaJulia Conan lists Tonight Show set on Craigslist. THIS is why we love him. http://dippedincream.com/?p=4213
- Via @KitsapSun “Kitsap students learn to prevent bullying and harassment” http://bit.ly/6fcZ4I #cyberbullying
- @BloggerCentral Boy Genius Report: T-Mobile responds to Verizon’s lower pricing by lowering smartphone prices http://bit.ly/6UPqZu #BC
And here are a couple of StopSign blog posts we talked about on Twitter, too…
- Via @stopsigntweets Five New Years Resolution Suggestions. http://bit.ly/6mqBAV Please RT
- Via @stopsigntweets 62 Common Internet & Texting Acronyms http://bit.ly/80c9D0 Please RT
- Via @stopsigntweets Sure-Fire Ways to Keep Spyware Away http://bit.ly/5NixFd Please RT
- Via @stopsigntweets Beware of Haiti Relief Scams! http://bit.ly/7i8lIr Please RT
Have a great weekend, and keep those tweets coming! We’d love to hear from you on the @stopsigntweets Twitter account and here on our blog.
If you’re new to the Internet or texting on your cell phone you may be confused by all the acronyms and text shortcuts used by more experienced users. To help you out we’ve compiled a set of 62 common acronyms used in text messages, IMs, social networks, and anywhere else that people want (or are required) to use fewer typed characters to get a thought or idea across to someone else. We’ve listed each one like this:
acronym: definition
example use
Please note that even though the acronyms below are written in ALL CAPS, it’s not necessary to use the capital letters, and most people tend to mix upper- and lowercase depending on the situation anyhow. Keep in mind that if you do use caps for the acronyms themselves it’s generally not considered poor netiquette even though typing in ALL CAPS is usually read as “shouting”.
ABT: About
What was that movie abt?
ADN: Any Day Now
ADN the printer will be done with my reports.
AFAIK: As Far As I Know
AFAIK the info is correct.
AFK: Away From Keyboard
Wife just got home. AFK for a bit to say “hi” to her.
ASA: As Soon As
I’ll be there ASA I’m done with work.
ATM: At The Moment
Can’t chat, I’m busy ATM.
B/C: Because
I love chocolate b/c it’s delicious.
B4: Before
What happened b4 it started raining?
BB: Blackberry
Just got 5 new messages on my BB.
BIO: Bio (Bathroom) Break
Hold on, I need to bio.
BRB: Be Right Back
I have to run to the store. BRB
BTW: By The Way
BTW your sister called earlier.
F2F: Face To Face
Let’s have a F2F meeting about the proposal.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
You can find the answers in the FAQ.
FWIW: For What It’s Worth
I like that color, FWIW.
G2G: Good To Go
Two more signups and we’re G2G.
GL: Good Luck
GL with meeting your boyfriend’s parents tonight.
GN: Good Night
I’m going to bed. GN.
GTK: Good To Know
Sewing buttons is something that’s GTK how to do.
HTH: Hope That Helps
The answer is 42. HTH
IANAL: I Am Not A Lawyer
IANAL but it seems like he’s within his legal rights.
IAW: In Accordance With
I put it together IAW the instructions that came with it.
IDK: I Don’t Know
IDK the answer to that.
ILU: I Love You
You got me the DVD? ILU!
IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
IMHO that color looks terrible.
IRL: In Real Life
Bob? Yeah, he’s not just an Internet friend. I know him IRL.
JK: Just Kidding
I’m running 20 minutes behind. JK I’m right around the corner.
KBD: Keyboard
I love my new wireless KBD.
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid
Don’t make it complicated. KISS.
KIT: Keep In Touch
It was nice seeing you again. KIT!
L2R: Learn To Read
It’s right in the instructions. L2R, silly. :)
L8R: Later
Gotta go. L8R, bud.
LOL: Laugh(ing) Out Loud
Your text made me actually LOL!
MOTD: Message of the Day
It’s time to change the MOTD in the break room.
MYOB: Mind Your Own Business
Even if she did say that, I suggest you MYOB and stay out of it.
N/A: Not Applicable
Those instructions are N/A to this test.
NC: No Comment
I heard him say it, but NC. I’m keeping my mouth shut.
NP: No Problem
It’ll be NP to finish this within the hour.
NSFW: Not Safe For Work
Don’t open that website in the office, it’s NSFW.
NVM: Never Mind
Did you find my pen? Oh wait, NVM. I found it.
O/S: Operating System
What O/S are you using?
OIC: Oh I See
OIC what you mean!
OMG: Oh My Goodness
OMG that new haircut looks so good on you!
OMW: On My Way
I just left work and I’m OMW to meet you.
OOS: Out Of Sight (Scope)
That new car is OOS.
OTOH: On The Other Hand
OTOH you may be right about this.
POV: Point Of View
From my POV there was nothing there.
RTFM: Read The Fine Manual
Next time RTFM that came with the printer before you open it up!
RU: Are You
RU going to be at the next meeting?
SO: Significant Other
Tina is bringing her SO to the restaurant.
THX: Thanks
Thx for the pictures!
TLA: Three Letter Acronym
He uses TLAs all the time in his messages.
TMI: Too Much Information
She told us all about her surgery last week. TMI!
TTYL: Talk To You Later
I need to go to sleep now. TTYL.
TYVM: Thank You Very Much
TYVM for those reports.
UR: Your/You’re
UR car’s alarm is going off.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator (e.g. a website’s address)
What’s the URL to the website you told me about earlier?
W8: Wait
W8 for me before you go.
W/E: Whatever
W/E you want to eat for lunch is fine with me.
YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary
It worked on my computer, but YMMV.
WRT: With Regard To
WRT your meeting request, I think that’s fine.
WTH: What The Heck
My mouse just stopped working WTH?
Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Twitter is like a giant party in a community of over 18 million people, and there’s bound to be a few apples in the bunch who want to cause trouble. You can get around some of those problems by locking down your Twitter account and being aware of some of the potential problems you might run into when you’re tweeting. Just follow these simple Twitter tips and use your common sense, and you’ll be much ahead of the “safe twittering” curve.
- Good, strong passwords.
The creation of a good password cannot be stressed enough! Make sure to create a password that’s difficult for others to figure out and contains a mix of letters and numbers. Also try to use a different password than you use on other social networking sites in case one of the passwords gets cracked or is leaked out. Read more about how to create a strong password on our blog.
- URL shorteners.
Sites like bit.ly, ow.ly, and cli.gs are great URL shortening services, especially when someone wants to link to websites in 140 characters or less. But if you don’t know the person who tweeted with a shortened URL, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. (OK, that’s not 100% true*) Be careful what you click on!
- Are you (literally) on Twitter.com?
Scammers and spammers love to build lookalike sites to try and trick you into submitting your user names and passwords to them instead of the real thing. Before you log in, check the address bar to make sure you’re actually on Twitter.com and not some scam website. Learn more about how to figure out if you’re on a fake website or a real one on the StopSign blog.
- Third party access.
There are some really neat services out there like We Follow and Twitter Grader that help enhance your Twitter experience and learn more about your tweeting habits; but there are also some fishy ones too. Make sure to regularly check your Connections settings in Twitter to clear out any unexpected or suspect applications that have been given access to your account. And if they offer it, connect using OAuth, as it’s much safer than supplying your user name and password to a strange website.
- Phishy phish.
You’ve got to be diligent about reading DM’s and @ mentions (there’s a particularly nasty trick going around now where a scammer will @ mention you regarding something you’ve tweeted about and there’s a shortened URL to a spam site in the mention – do NOT click on it!). There always seems to be a phishing scams of some kind happening on Twitter, so make sure you know what you’re clicking on or responding to.
- Don’t get too personal.
It’s really important that you don’t expose too much information about yourself or your family online. The wrong tweet can get you on a spammers list, or at worst, can lead crazies on the Internet right to your front door. We’ve got tips on how to stay safe online and offline.
For more information on Twitter security, check out the official Twitter help article on safe tweeting.
StopSign® is antivirus software that’s easy to use and powerful. If you happen to click on a bad URL and get infected with spyware or viruses, StopSign can help.
*OK, technically you can preview any bit.ly URL by adding a “+” to the end of the URL. Other sites and/or services may do the same; but the main issue is that URL shorteners, by default and by design, do not natively display the destination URL. Back to the top
Image courtesy of Twitter
Back to top
