LOL, sort of

I used to never use 'LOL'. If someone texted me something funny or wrote a silly facebook post on my wall, I would comment with, well, a sentence about how they are funny. Then I started using 'ha ha' or 'hee hee' and eventually graduated to LOL. Now I hand out those LOL's with no discrimination, LOL this, LOL that, but I think that if the thing I am LOL'ing about was said to my face, it would get maybe a half smile, maybe a chuckle. A snicker perhaps. Is that LOL? Does LOL'ing mean hysterical laughing out loud or does a chuckle, a snicker, a snort mean LOL too? Should I use LMAO if it's REALLY funny? I mean, I don't want you all to think you are so hilarious, when really it's slightly humourous. Perhaps I should use SOF (sort of funny) so no one gets a big head. Oh, also, while we are at it when is the right time to say 'love it' or is it 'loves it'? And OMG? Really? Sometimes it's just 'oh, that is surprising'. Oh My God seems a wee dramatic and Facebook really doesn't need anymore drama, as if.