Many have asked me “What the heck is this sorry.afk all about?”

In the text-based online world, often abbreviations and acronyms are used to make it easier by having to type less.  More recently this has been generically referred to as the language of “texting”, referring to what we see “kids” using on their cell phones.  Of course, it goes back further than that, but it is still the same idea.

We’re much more familiar with the common ones, like LOL for laugh out loud, IDK for I don’t know, bbs for be back soon or ttyl for talk to you later.

When one is in a text-based environment, especially a synchronous one, from time to time you might wander away from your computer.  When you come back you realize that people have been talking to you and you’ve not responded.  What you might say to start is “Sorry, AFK”, which translates to “Sorry, I was Away From the Keyboard (AFK)”.

When I first learned this I thought it was fun but as time went on it took on a much greater meaning for me.  There is a philosophical movement at play here. 

Since the earliest days of technology, the keyboard has been the primary means of input - the connection point between us and the technology.  Everything, from punch cards to cell phones, all require some kind of keyboard.  It is true that, eventually, the mouse came along as a secondary input device, but we’re still using keyboards.  As I write this, I’m using the keyboard on my laptop.

I firmly believe that the days of using the keyboard as the primary means of input are numbered.  Do I think keyboards are going to just vanish, no.  Will they phase out, maybe - eventually.  But more and more we are finding ways to interact with the technology that does not require this silver thread running through our technological experience to date.

Someday, we will be saying “sorry, I’m away from my keyboard”, but not because we’re not exchanging data.

Move over, rotary dial.