What Does AFK Mean?
By Timothy Tibbetts |
The internet is full of acronyms, and AFK is a classic that isn't used as much anymore.
Acronyms are abbreviations of words used to cut down on the time it takes to type. Acronyms are often typed and easier to understand when typed in capital letters.
There's no shame in seeing an acronym you don't recognize, and it's happened to everybody (or it eventually will).
AFK means “Away From Keyboard”
Using AFK lets someone know you're not at your computer.
Before that, AFK was immensely popular in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and many popular messaging programs, including ICQ and Yahoo.
In smartphones, this acronym is used quite a bit less than before 2007 when smartphones took over.
Even popular gaming applications, including Steam, where you're most likely using a computer and keyboard, will show a person is Away.
So, if you see AFK, odds are it's an automated setting to let you know someone "isn't there." The odd thing is you don't know how long the person will be AFK. The acronym was really meant to let people know you'd only be gone for a short time, like a bathroom break.
The odds of you typing AFK nowadays are slim. You're more likely to see BRB.
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Acronyms are abbreviations of words used to cut down on the time it takes to type. Acronyms are often typed and easier to understand when typed in capital letters.
There's no shame in seeing an acronym you don't recognize, and it's happened to everybody (or it eventually will).
AFK means “Away From Keyboard”
Using AFK lets someone know you're not at your computer.
Before that, AFK was immensely popular in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and many popular messaging programs, including ICQ and Yahoo.
In smartphones, this acronym is used quite a bit less than before 2007 when smartphones took over.
Even popular gaming applications, including Steam, where you're most likely using a computer and keyboard, will show a person is Away.
So, if you see AFK, odds are it's an automated setting to let you know someone "isn't there." The odd thing is you don't know how long the person will be AFK. The acronym was really meant to let people know you'd only be gone for a short time, like a bathroom break.
The odds of you typing AFK nowadays are slim. You're more likely to see BRB.
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