I know what it means. I've used it before too 'to break the ice.' You know, back when ICQ was still in fashion. I just got "dumped" by another chatter because I gave a snippy response when asked this on Yahoo. That and apparently I take too long between messages, even though I had warned that I can't always respond right away. We had spoken before. Granted, perhaps it wasn't the most memorable convo. I can get right into a convo without knowing/caring for age and location. Sex, especially on this site, is a given: male.

/rantover

could always replace "S" with dick size? so i guess im 27,6.5, and GA

Some people are just crummy conversationalists. Try not to let it bother you. Some people are just plain rude. I've had people contact me and then get angry with me because I'm not into the same things they are. I think some people cannot accept that others aren't identical to them in preferences and tastes.

I'm always surprised when someone will view my profile here, see my age, location and gender, then decide to message me on Yahoo and start with "ASL?". Kinda makes one wonder....

I still get that question from time to time even though, as iluvgirls pointed out, the information is often right in front of them. I still sometimes chat on the old JC chat site, xxxchatters. If you hover on a person's username, or click to IM them, their age, sex and location appear right by your cursor. Yet I consistently have conversations start with "ASL?".

I just ask age when on yahoo to make sure you know who ou are talking to.. and not some creeper

It's something boring and un-creative people say.

ICQ! That goes a way back.

I like to cut people slack especially under these circumstances. I know I'm not entirely coherent if I'm trying to communicate/chat while oogling porn and jacking. Really struggling to be coherent if I'm way gone down the edging road!

I, too, wonder about those who ask "asl?" when it's readily available without having to ask me. And, if it's the very first thing I'm asked, no even any perfunctory chit-chat, then I have a fairly good idea how the conversation's going to go (if it goes at all). And I don't mean that in a good way.

I tend to find that buds who start the conversation off that way tend to be "nervous" and tend to be the "shoot and go" kind of guy--another kind of nervousness?

I often cut slack and reply the answers to them along with my hard-meat length and the fact that I am uncut. I also include something that is a bit more of a conversation starter! Other chat sites I have used in the past would often include more physical description using that A/S/L format!

if someone drops ASL on me right away, its a dead giveaway that they are going to be a terrible chat partner and I close the chat.

What's your definition of "creeper"? Anyone over 18??

ASL is totally irrelevant. i could tell you i'm 32, 28, 42, 58, 22, 104, 18 and living in Zimbabwe or China...
what is relevant is that you contact someone on YIM or whatever that they want to assist you, and you them.
however, there are times when i could have the chat of a lifetime w/ someone, then contact them again the next day and they act as though i have 3 heads. that's who you remove from your chat list.

You're right. I've had amazing chats with people who have no idea who Iam the next day. When I have those kinds of chats I never forget those people's names.

My pet hate is people who never sign out. So you never know if they're there. Ugh!

they should have a "thanks" button on this site. 100% agree w/ all that. also, if you contact someone who's "online" (cause they haven't signed out), at least you'd expect to hear back from them in... a day? or 2? or? meh. don't need it. mind you i find i'm doing more chatting on YIM than i am stroking w/ anyone else by a large margin.