But resently I saw this in wikipedia:
"In a world of text communication where real-life facial expressions and vocal intonations are impossible, abbreviations like "lol" sacrifice their real meaning in order to articulate our nuanced intentions. They, in and of themselves, become glib, cliche -- while at the same time almost necessary for expression online."

And thought, really, how many people are actually 'laughing out loud' when they send LOL?