what is afk

AFK is an abbreviation for "away from keyboard". It is commonly used in online chat rooms, messaging, and gaming to let others know that you will not be at your computer or device for a while. It is often used with another abbreviation, "brb" (be right back), to indicate that you are taking a short break. The term "afk" developed as a bit of chat room etiquette in the 1990s when IRC was at its peak and was later adopted by the gaming community, especially in MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) . While it is an Internet slang word, it might be best to avoid using it in formal conversations.