Three letter messages are mainstream in the workplace. We have moved from simple FTIs to more refined ones like LOL and TMI. The abbreviations now morph from a text message to headlines of presentations. One that is roaming around in text language really caught my eye. It is TL;NR. This is a shortcut to an important message: Too Long; Not Read. It is a brilliant addition to the language. As opposed to other new clipped responses like WTF, TL;NR is nuanced.

And it captures the tone of the workplace today. We are all running too fast for long memos and reports. What we want is a crisp message and if there are details, include a few bullets. Anything that is long will end up in the pile of “I will get to it someday.” May as well call that the TL;NR stack.