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Heinlein Forum FAQ v2023.12.23

This list originally compiled waay back by Nancy Welo. Thanks, Nancy!
Thanks also to BC for resurrecting it from the depths of his disk storage. 
This list may be reproduced, but only in its entirety and with proper credit
to sff.discuss.heinlein-forum, or the Heinlein Forum group on Facebook. 
Additions, corrections, and suggested deletions welcome to JT at heinleinsociety dot org. 

#########Introduction###################################################

New folks & cobbers with a bad memory:  This is the local "code" 
list of symbols and abbreviations often used in the Heinlein Forum. 
("the" is often abbreviated as "t" in the lists below)

This FAQ has nothing to do with the excellent Heinlein FAQ located
at: http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/rahfaq.html.

This FAQ does not imply that the information listed below contains the only acceptable
abbreviations, topics for discussion, etc.  It is merely an attempt to make the group
more understandable to the "newbie" reader so that they will stick around
and the group can prosper!


#############Section 1###############################################

--------------Oft-Discussed Subjects/Taboos-----------------

1. The Heinlein Forum has one main rule:  Try to argue the point at hand, without
attacking the person behind any particular viewpoint.

2. There have only been a few instances in our years of existence where things
have gotten out of hand, and only one time where an individual was
"kill-filed" en masse.  Unfortunately, he got what he wanted as the
treatment is referred to as Tabnicking.  Within the Facebook interface, it is possible
to completely "block" an individual, but that potentially leads to strange responses within the overall
conversation if you're not seeing all posts.

3. We have no restrictions on what topics can be discussed within the confines of 
the Forum.  If people aren't real happy about a discussion, they'll either
ignore it or let you know politely.

4. The Heinlein Forum on Facebook is administered by a few volunteers.  These administrators
have agreed to deal with private and public complaints because they enjoy the 
environment of the Heinlein Forum and the friendships within it.

5. The administrators may choose to publicly restrict comments on a particular thread on Facebook if there are
complaints lodged or if, in their judgment, the thread has devolved into a two-person conversation or personal attack. The code for 
this type of restriction is "No More Public Replies" or "NMPR".  If a thread is posted "NMPR" and conversation continues past one or two posts
(recognizing that someone might "miss" an NMPR declaration) the admins may delete the thread entirely and any new thread that tries to pick
up the immediate conversation.

6. The administrators may choose to remove a person from the group if that person repeatedly
chooses to launch personal attacks, favors repeated 'opinion' postings without sharing sources 
of information to support their postings, or repeatedly ignores NMPR declarations.


#############Section 2###############################################
--------------High Level Definitions------------------------

HFer, h-fer, RAHketeer, cobber- someone who hangs out or identifies
with the Heinlein Forum (which is also known as the HF or h-f).

AFH or a.f.h--alt.fan.heinlein, another long-term discussion group on Usenet that 
had a good community

older:
sff.discuss.heinlein-forum - discussion w/ a slight ;-) RAH slant.   
sff.people.robert-a-heinlein - pure, "serious" discourse on RAH & his work.
people.r-a-h is not directly affiliated with the HF, but because it is on
SFF Net's server many of us read & post there in the past.


#############Section 3###############################################
---------------Book Abbreviations---------------------------

AIE - Assignment in Eternity   
BP - Between Planets         
BTH - Beyond This Horizon      
CotG - Citizen of the Galazy 
DM - Destination Moon           
DS - Double Star            
EU - Expanded Universe           
F - Friday                 
FF - Farnham's Freehold            
FItS - Farmer in the Sky 
GFTG - Grumbles from the Grave       
GR - Glory Road        
HSSWT - Have SpaceSuit-Will Travel
ITGO -If This Goes On
IWFNE - I Will Fear No Evil        
OOtS - Orphans of the Sky
Job /JACOJ - Job: a Comedy of Justice     
LL - Lazarus Long 
MC - Methuselah's Children            
PoM - Podkayne of Mars
Requiem  - collected, Heinlein        
RP - Red Planet       
RSG - Rocket Ship Galileo           
RAH - Robert A. Heinlein
SC - Space Cadet          
SIASL - Stranger in a Strange Land
SJ - Starman Jones  
ST / SST - Starship Troopers
tCWWTW - The Cat Who Walks Thru Walls      
6C - Sixth Column
tDIS - The Door into Summer      
TEFL - Time Enough for Love
TFtS - Time for the Stars     
tGHOE - t Green Hills of Earth
tMFE - The Menace from Earth     
Tunnel -  Tunnel in the Sky
tMIAHM - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress    
3XH - 3 by Heinlein
tMWStM - The Man Who Sold the Moon    
R2100 - Revolt in 2100
tNOTB /#OTB - The Number of the Beast   
tSB - the Star Beast
tPM - The Puppet Masters       
tPTT - The Past Through Tmrrw
tRS - The Rolling Stones          
W&MI - Waldo, & Magic Inc.
TSBtS - To Sail Beyond t Sunset    
TtS - Tomorrow, the Stars
tUPOJH -Unpleasant Prof.of J.Hoag  
TR - Tramp Royale (non-fiction)
TBYG-Take Back Your Govt (non-fiction)


#############Section 4###############################################

------------Other Abbreviations/Vocabulary-----------------------------

AFAIC - As Far As I'm Concerned         
BTW - By the way   
FWIW - For what it's worth     
GMTA - Great Minds Think...
"hir" - no-gender pronoun 
IIRC - If I Recall Correctly
IMHO - In my humble opinion    
IMNSHO - IM not so H Opinion
IDOTS - It Depends on t Situation.   
Lurker / Voyeur - Someone who reads notes but doesn't post 
NMPR - No more public reply  (Originating from a Prodigy function but now in use on Facebook as an admin 'tool'.)   
NOT! - Not really, no way!
NP: Now Playing: on radio etc. (also CBP: Could Be Playing)
OWTTE - Or words to that effect
OTL - One True Love    
OTOH - On The Other Hand
PITA - Pain In t Ass
POV - Point of View
PPOR - Provide Proof or Retract
ROTFL - Rolling on the floor laughing   
ROTFLASTC - ROTFL and scaring t cat    
SIFI - Specialization is for insects    
TANSTAAFL - There ain't no such thing as a free lunch!     
TFIC - Tongue Firmly in Cheek
Troll -- someone making inflammatory remarks to get a response
WADR - With All Due Respect 
YMMV--Your Milage May Vary    

--------------------a bit of TV lingo-----------------------

BMUS -  Beam Me Up, Scotty        
DS9 -  Deep Space 9 TV show    
LL&P - Live Long & Prosper               
ST, ST:OS - original Star Trek  
ST: TNG - ST, t Next Generation
ST: V -Star Trek Voyager
B5 - Babylon 5 

-----------Grins + Faces-------------------------------------

<g> grin  
<G> or <BG>  Big grin           
<BWG!> Big wicked grin!
<EG> Evil grin    
<VBG> Very big grin             
<gd&r> Grin, duck & run    
<gd&rvvf> gd&r very, very fast! 
<SG> Sly grin

(noses optional)
:-) or :)   Humor, smiling   (-:   User is left-handed    
:'(   I'm crying              
:-O   Yell - "Oh No!"      
:-C   User is bummed            
:-/   User is skeptical 
:')  User is so happy, s/he cries!  
:-(  unhappy        
:-@   User is majorly bummed  "Aaargh!"                   
;-)   Winky smile,  flirtatious/sarcastic/just kiddin'    
O:-)   or  O-:-)  Angelic     
8-)  B-)  Smile w/ glasses