# "I am not a..."=intelligent. IANA = stupid. So stop using it, all of you.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121 "2006-02-05T18:35:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/41 "2006-02-06T15:32:15Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Powers That Be? When I first glanced at that post I read it as “Power That Bee.” [LOL](http://baumanletters.ytmnd.com/) (link has sound, so possibly NSFW) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/42 "2006-02-06T22:02:31Z")
I’ve heard “pone” and “thirteen thirty seven” more than once in actual IRL usage. I’ve used “Ay Eff Kay” many a time. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/43 "2006-02-06T22:11:05Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > But , dammit, —how hard is it to type “I am not a” ??? Being from a C++ background, from now on I will simply type, “!Lawyer”. Would that be okay? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/44 "2006-02-06T22:18:15Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Some abbreviations are necessary on the internet. You can’t always tell sarcasm from serious comments, so a smiley or LOL helps fight ignorance. > > But , dammit, —how hard is it to type “I am not a” ??? > It’s only 6 keystrokes more than IANA, and it gives you that wonderful , smug feeling of knowing that you are communicating intelligently in the English language. > Fighting ignorance is easier when you do it coherently and with good grammar; You can actually read and understand other peoples’ comments that way. > > Gee, that felt good to get off my chest. > I W8 4 Ur answers. (see, I just proved my point.) OK. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/45 "2006-02-06T22:29:22Z")
IAAL!!11! i pwned teh lollerskools!!!11 (citing _State v. w00t_, et seq. [supra, at fig. suxxors])!!! ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/46 "2006-02-06T22:32:06Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Yeah, that’s good English. So is that. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/47 "2006-02-06T22:41:05Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > IAAL!!11! i pwned teh lollerskools!!!11 (citing _State v. w00t_, et seq. [supra, at fig. suxxors])!!! roflmao. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/48 "2006-02-06T22:57:17Z")
“is” is intelligent. “=” is stupid. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/49 "2006-02-06T23:33:07Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > “is” is intelligent. “=” is stupid. 😛 That depends on what your definition of “is” is. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/50 "2006-02-07T00:03:58Z")
Anyway, these are all easy things to understand if you just arty effem. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/51 "2006-02-07T15:30:13Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m talking about when it’s used for “in search of”. Like “ISO a ball of yarn”. I’ve never seen that in my time, but I’ll guess it stands for either “I Sought Out…” or “In Search Of…”. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/52 "2006-02-07T15:56:13Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > I’m talking about when it’s used for “in search of”. Like “ISO a ball of yarn”. I think it’s old-school internet style. Wasn’t it mostly used for personal ads? As in “30 y/o SWM ISO SWF in NYC for LTR”\*. For other types of “want” ads I’d use “WTB” (want to buy). \*SWM = Single White Male LTR = Long Term Relationship ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/53 "2006-02-07T15:58:40Z")
2 B Or n0t 2 b It5 +h0u a pHuCK+ARd? pHuCK+ARd would be good screen name! ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/54 "2006-02-07T17:15:05Z")
FWIW, I have no problem with IANA. I’d rather see that (and many other abbreviations, especially those that I presume to be unique to the SDMB) than the standard AOL-type “LOL”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121.md?page=2)