One of the fun things about the internet has always been watching fads in online language arise from nowhere, enjoy a brief flurry of currency, then vanish again. Thanks to smart phones we now see a lot less of the cu l8r stuff and, with the exception of the occasional ironic kitteh, the childish pseudo leet (itself pretty childish, let’s be honest) of lolspeak has pretty much vanished too.
But every year brings something new, and many of the newer phraseologies have arisen as a result of the constraints of twitter. For example, I see a lot of people writing bc instead of because (or the, I suppose, old fashioned cos) and similar abbreviations. Some of them are clever, some of them sound weird to the ear; some of them I can live with, some not so much.
It’s a personal thing, but the one that’s really begun to bug me is when people post a link to something they agree with and accompany it with one word: This. Where did this come from? What’s wrong with “I agree” or “me too”. Even +1 (thanks Google+), is better. But this to my ear sounds portentious, pretentious, and fist-thumpingly didactic.
Sort it out, internet users.
ayeahmur 
:-O
^ This?
I wish we could agree on a contraction of Steampunk …
It’s S’Punk and that’s the end of it.
I don’t see “THIS!” as much as a term of agreement, more “Look at this and marvel at how amazing it is!” or “Now THIS is what I’m talking about!”.
Both sort of related to an agreement but not quite equivalent to “I agree” or “me too” IMHO.
But that just illustrates its pantsness. People use it different ways (I’ve definitely seen it used often in the sense of : “I certainly couldn’t agree with this more!”
Such is language – folks will use it their own way (regardless of correctness or not) and we will be stuck with bizarre, nonsensical meanings.
Semi-related, what about the “ERMAGAD…” meme?
Actually haven’t heard of that one – is it a funsies reworking of OMG by any chance?
One I actually like is: “OSM”. Just cos I like it.
“S’Punk” is a crap abbreviation for steam punk, as it suggests it’s brave, exciting and sexy. Which it isn’t. Well, at least not any which I’ve read.
As far as I’m concerned, Paul, if there’s derring do there’s scope for calling it S’Punk.
(And regardless of disappointment so far, I remain optimistic that I’ll read one that will blow my socks off).