Sure. I understand, my mother grew up in the 80s and 90s(having been born in the 80s), and at times I could be talking with a friend and use what is know as 'fandom terms' and she'd have no idea what we were talkng about. XP So yeah, I completely understand where you're coming from.

No problem, Makoza. Thank you very much for understanding why I asked for that, and why this wasn't an attempt to unfairly criticize or flame bait. It was nothing more, actually, than what was stated, and I'm pleased to see it sorted out so amicably.

As an afterthought, again, I suppose it's far more common with your generation than mine (Generation X, those who grew up as teens in the 80s and 90s. )

Ah, I'll have to keep that in mind for future reference. But, while AU is technically an acronym, I wouldn't really call it SMS. Still, the reason I likely didn't think over using it much is because I've been out of the site for a while, and have been taking part in fandoms(Fan based communities) of other various movies and shows where this particular acronym is known throughout the entire fandom. It is also common place in the fanfic world as well, over on 'fanfiction.net' specifically.

However, on that note, I'll make sure to think more carefully before using such terms and making sure to explain myself properly next time. ^^

It does help, thank you. You have to remember that there are a certain percentage of members who don't make regular use of acronyms just because they happen to be trendy with millenials (teens or young adults). I'm not a millenial. And if that particular item is in the rules, it was probably an addition made later in the game, and was probably not written by steet himself (though I know he has to approve all rules changes and updates). I don't recall steet's original rules making use of acronyms at all, and he has generally (and rightly) frowned upon SMS/text speak, which is what non-military acronym usage on the internet is.

Sorry, I would have thought that would be a common place acronym now with how most of the internet is nowadays, plus this form of the word is used in the rules themselves. -shrug-

However, allow me to explain. AU stands for Alternate Universe, meaning a universe set in the same timeline as a movie or show, but vastly different events occur to change the course of the story. That is an 'AU'. Help this helps. ^^

It would be helpful, for those of us who don't speak in acronyms, to know what an "AU version of an official character" is...

Typing out what you mean would be a big step towards alleviating any confusion. Thanks.