TL;DR – means Too Long; Didn’t Read. It used to be a derogatory term for a long web article, but now usually indicates a quick summary. The semi-colon between the TL and DR is correct, but can be informally dropped.
Have you ever seen TL;DR near the beginning of a blog post, and wondered what it means? Let’s go over it…
What does TL;DR mean?
Too Long; Didn’t Read.
TL;DR or TLDR?
TL;DR with its semi-colon seems to be technically correct, but dropping the semi-colon is common now, especially when used informally. I still use the semi-colon simply because I feel it is more correct and I believe it looks and reads better.
History
It used to be a derogatory term for a long web article or post, but now usually indicates a quick summary. Merriam-Webster claim that it dates all the way back to 2002!
When should I use TL;DR?
Personally, I use it for these reasons:
- Some people won’t read a long article, I want them to get the main points in just one paragraph
- Some people do like full articles, but I value their time and I want them to know within a few seconds if the full article is relevant to them
Look at the image above for how I use it in my Microsoft 365 updates, and at the first few lines in the shaded box for how I’ve used it for this article.
Summary
Use TL;DR (with or without a semi-colon) to introduce a quick summary for your text, usually at the beginning. Do not use it as a 4 or 5 character response to someone else’s work, you’ll appear rude to anyone reading your comment.
