Common Abbreviations and Phrases

The use of common abbreviations and phrases is prevalent throughout the mailing lists, and web sites. (Including this one, although I intentionally attempt to limit my use of them.) Many times it has become the habit for those who have been online for many years to forget that new users don't always know what this jargon means. Following is a brief list of some of the most common:

AFAICT - As Far As I Can Tell
AFIAK - As Far As I Know
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
FTP - File Transfer Protocol
HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
IMHO - In My Honest Opinion
RTFM - Read The F***ing Manual

Cracker - One who tries to break into other people's systems for fun or profit. (Note the distinction between cracker and hacker.)
Cross-post - The act of sending a message to more than one list at a time. Generally disapproved of, although certain times a message may be cross-posted in an effort to move a thread to the correct list.
Flame - Message aimed usually at one person who has committed an offense of some sort. Generally derogatory and intended to upset.
Hacker - One who writes code. (Note the distinction between hacker and cracker.)
Header - 1. The subject of a message. 2. The lines of information that show the path taken by a message.
Newbie - New user.
Spam - Mail sent to multiple recipients without regard to whether or not they wish to receive it. Generally used in reference to advertisements mailed in bulk, but can also apply to a message sent to multiple lists that may or may not be remotely related to the nature of the message.

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