What does the word "TLDR" mean, and how do you use it?

Most internet abbreviations have been found in news articles, professional emails, and even a dictionary.How do you use it, and where did it come from?

The phrase "Too Long; Didn't Read" is a common internet acronym.There are words and phrases that can change depending on their context.

In its simplest form, TLDR is used to express a piece of digital text.It's too long to be worth reading.It could be a rude or funny comment.In most cases, it is a joke that a small portion of text is easier to digest than a large portion.

You won't see a single "TLDR" in the comments for a web article.A summary of what is being discussed is what people tend to accompany their TLDR with.There's a comment at the bottom of an article about football that says the Pats will win the next Super Bowl.

Along this same line, writers sometimes include a TLDR at the top or bottom of their email or text message.This is meant to be a summary of what the author is saying, and it is a caveat that the details of a long text may not be worth every reader's time.A ten paragraph product review for a crappy laptop, for example, could start with the phrase, "This laptop sucks." That's the quick summary, and you can read further for details.

We don't know where the word came from.The phrase originated from discussion boards during the early 2000s.

There is no evidence to support the claim that the word was first used in 2002.

The earliest recorded use of TLDR was in January of 2003 when it was added to the Urban Dictionary.The word "TL;DR" can be found in some forum posts.

Since 2004, searches for the term "TLDR" have increased.We can't look any further back than January 2004, when it started.The semi-colon has been dropped for most of this article due to the fact that use of the word "TLDR" has more than doubled since 2004.

You should only use TLDR when you summarize a piece of text.If you don't give a useful summary for the content, you can come off as rude.

The job of a commenter is very simple.Provide a summary that other readers can understand and come off as rude or childish.

The job of an author is a little more complicated.A summary at the beginning of an article or email can serve as a quick introduction, but it can also give the reader a reason to skip the details of your text.

A summary at the end of a long text allows you to sum up all of the information that the reader is absorbing.This use can feel a bit sarcastic.The author is acknowledging that their text can be understood in a single sentence.

It depends on the context.A rule of thumb is not to throw around TLDR anywhere you wouldn't say a word.If you really want to use TLDR in a professional environment, you should say "TL;DR" instead.It is accepted as a word by the dictionary.

It's useful to summarize details and speed up communication.Try to use it when it feels right.