I first started texting back in the late 90s in New York City with a pre-web Internet protocol called IRC. I stumbled onto IRC in the process of collating activist-driven AIDS research and education efforts on private electronic bulletin board services.

That’s where I first discovered LOL, and even then people weren’t always sure whether it meant “lots of love" or “laughing out loud.”

But even though I eventually figured out what it’s really supposed to mean, I met one of the loves of my life, my Australian boyfriend, through IRC with lots of LOLing.

Texting in those days was abbreviation heavy, in part I guess because being online was expensive and speed was important.

I think what goes on today is richer in a way, because it’s not about speed and efficiency so much as it is about clearer forms of expression, as you illustrate with your story very well.

A linguist might posit that it’s just normal language development.