[plug] Acronyms and obscurity - was Re: [plug] wine, netscape

[Bret Busby]

skribe wrote:
> 
> At 13:41 29/09/00, Christian wrote:
> >It's a very well-known acronym that's been in
> >use on the Internet for many, many years
> 
> It's been around at least since 1993.
> 

Obscure - not clearly expressed or easily understood.
 - Concise Oxford Dictionary, 8th edition

Whilst these acronyms may have been around for a few years, it does not
follow that everyone either understands, or remembers, what the letters
respresent. The alternative, referring the unhealthy monster, is an
example. Some have different meanings, some at least half a dozen
different meanings.

Thus, to a person who does not remember what one represents (and, I
remember about only two or three; IMO, IMHO, RTFM - not sure whether the
first is valid, or is used), the acronym is obscure.

A phrase, that has been around for thousands of years (about 2050 years,
from memory), and, which is widely used, and, no doubt, will have many
results from search engines, is "audi alteram partem" - first usage
acknowledged, is in Seneca's Medea. But, the only other person, apart
from me, on this list, that I would regard as being likely to know what
it means, without any research, is Jeremy Malcolm. It is a fairly
commonly used phrase, possibly moreso than the acronym mentioned.
However, I would not be inclined to use the phrase on this list, in that
form, in normal messages, as I would regard it as too obscure. And, on a
mailing list, the readers should be able to easily understand the terms
used, without having to translate them.

The usage of acronyms, seldom directly relates directly to Linux, as
does the phrase mentioned. The only acronyms, of which I can think, at
present, that relate directly to Linux, are OS, and RH. No doubt, there
will be more.

I believe that it is a matter of courtesy, to use language in a message,
that makes it easy to read and understand, by a reader, but, obviously,
others on the list disagree.

And, as I mentioned in a previous posting, the installfest may result in
people reading these messages, who haven't got a clue, as to the meaning
of the acronyms. Should they also be told as has been suggested, to get
lost?

Does that then mean that the mailing list is solely for the benefit of a
noisy few?

These are things for people to consider, if they have open minds.

-- 

Bret Busby

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"So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the
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