A Problem & Its Solution

Problem

You know that moment when you see something on the internet -- it could be a facebook post, a tweet, a text from a friend, a blog post, whatever -- and it amuses you. Maybe you smile, or maybe a little breath of air leaves your nose, or maybe it's just sort of an inward glow of good humor. Whatever your reaction is, you were amused, but -- and this is key -- you didn't laugh.

Now comes the dilemma. "I found this amusing," you say to yourself, "and I'd like to reward this person for their mildly entertaining sense of humor." And, as we denizens of the internet know, one of the quickest and easiest ways of responding positively to something amusing is to type out the letters "LOL," or Laugh Out Loud. (Contrary to an urban legend that's been going around among people of my parents' generation, these letters do not stand for "Lots of Love." For example, do not message your child and say, "Your friend is in the hospital. LOL.")

But as an ethical internet user (as I hope my readers all strive to be), can you type "LOL" when you haven't actually LOL'ed? Is it right to give the impression that this person's attempt at humor has caused an actual physical act of laughter when it has, at best, caused a slight lift of one corner of your mouth? This dilemma has turned me off of using "LOL" in my internet conversations, and I have now resorted to the much less fraught "ha ha" or "heh."

My problem now is, sometimes someone manages to be so funny that I actually do LOL. I am sitting at home in front of my computer screen, and I see something that entertains me so much I cannot help but physically release a sharp burst of air through my vocal chords, causing sound waves to vibrate out through the air around me. In such instances, I wish to let this person know how deeply their wit has touched me, but the expression "LOL" has been so cheapened by overuse that I can no longer use it safe in the knowledge that my meaning has been conveyed. Whatever shall I type?

Solution

May I introduce you to a new acronym: LLOL. This stands for "Literally Laughed Out Loud." While it may appear to be a silly tumblr-style faux typo, it is in fact an innovative new mode of communicating your appreciation of others' wit and witticisms. So go ahead and use it, my friends! I have created it for us all to enjoy.

You're welcome.