[Air-L] IBM patents LOL and IMO

[live]

No, really.
IBM was just given a patent for cultural shorthand notations such as  
LOL?

"These factors have fostered the evolution of shorthand notation,  
wherein users abbreviate words and phrases to communicate using fewer  
keystrokes. For example, typing abbreviations like LOL ("laughing out  
loud") and IMO ("in my opinion") shorten the number of characters  
required in messages and expedite the communication process. However,  
as with any nonverbal communication, the effectiveness of text  
communication is often limited. The use of shorthand in conversational  
writing can make it difficult for people to understand one another. A  
complicating factor is that individual users commonly develop their  
own jargon, so that the shorthand notation of one user does not always  
agree with shorthand notation of another user."

"The present invention provides a method of electronic communication  
and a machine-accessible medium containing instructions which, when  
executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method. The  
method comprises receiving a text communication from a sender,  
selecting a target term from the text communication, searching a  
plurality of databases for one or more alternative terms for the  
target term; and selectively displaying one or more of the alternative  
terms. The plurality of databases may include, without limitation, one  
or more of a sender database, a recipient database, a service provider  
database, and a public database. Typically, the target term is a  
shorthand term, and the one or more alternative terms include one or  
more longhand terms defined with respect to the shorthand term.  
Optionally, the text communication may be displayed with one of the  
alternative terms substituted for the target term. In a further  
option, the alternative terms may be displayed along with a name of  
the database in which each of the alternative terms was found."

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,640,233.PN.&OS=PN/7,640,233&RS=PN/7,640,233
in case that url breaks, here it is in a short url: http://bit.ly/53J56s


-------------------------
Sharon Greenfield
Marylhurst University
http://www.sharoncountry.com
@SharonG