Is there a context where it is not okay to use abbreviations in text messages?
I have business contacts I am friendly with, and sometimes I want to answer a text quickly, but I hesitate to use abbreviations.
To answer this question, you must be logged in.
Already have an account? Login.
By Signing up, you indicate that you have read and agree to Sage's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Answers ( 2 )
Everything about slang is contextual. I might reply to a friend "Duuuude," even in text, but I would never consider doing so in a professional email...even if the subject and I are friendly. That friendliness is not the same as "being friends." In a professional environment, I want to be seen as a professional, even by people with whom I am comfortable enough to socialize.
In short, any situation in which a person would not use shorthand or slang, on in which one wanted to be taken seriously - or understood by anyone, is a place where text abbreviation is also best left out. A text to my in-laws, for instance, I would type out even simple acoronyms like BTW.
Agreeing with Erica, mostly. Your question implies that you always use abbreviations, but wonder if sometimes you shouldn't; with business contacts, I'd argue stay formal until/unless they "break the ice" by texting something like kcu@8. Then, depending on the relationship, you can choose to mirror them, or maintain formality.
A lot depends on the business! Standards are different in finance than theater. :)