gal, lol, rotfl, lmao, fmdidgad and damhikt are acronyms; 
, , , , :-8 and :-! are emoticons. If you want to know what these and the many other alphabet-soup concoctions frequently used in chats, message boards and emails stand for, go to http://www.pcworld.com/features/article/0,aid,88686,pg,1,00.asp
There are links at the end of the referenced article that lead to even more complete listings of acronyms and shorthand. One of the most complete is NetLingo
, , , , :-8 and :-! are emoticons. If you want to know what these and the many other alphabet-soup concoctions frequently used in chats, message boards and emails stand for, go to http://www.pcworld.com/features/article/0,aid,88686,pg,1,00.aspThere are links at the end of the referenced article that lead to even more complete listings of acronyms and shorthand. One of the most complete is NetLingo
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