My favorite bit of cyber-etiquette that never caught is “NRN”. I’d trade in “LOL”, “TTFN”, “AFAIK”, “IMHO”, “:)”, and all those other abbreviations for this one. “NRN” is short for “No response necessary”. Putting at the bottom of an e-mail means “You don’t have to reply to this e-mail. In fact, I’d prefer you didn’t unless you have something to say about it. Please don’t send me a ‘thank you’ or some other content-free reply. Thank you.” It’s closest relative is “FYI”.

I first heard of this in Wired Magazine’s Jargon Watch in September 1994. I’d already had an e-mail account for two years, and could see the need for it. Unfortunately, I’ve never received an e-mail that used it. It’s fun to look back on these lists and see which memes caught on. The standout on this list is “webmaster”, which is in common usage today. I’ve heard “glueware” and even “delurking” used. The other six, including the charming “time porn”, just never made it.