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

[The Thought Assassin]

On Fri, 29 Sep 2000, Bret Busby wrote:
> Obscure - not clearly expressed or easily understood.
>  - Concise Oxford Dictionary, 8th edition
The point was expressed clearly. Almost everyone understood it easily.
Even you would have understood it easily if you looked it up, and you
would then perhaps have started using it and become, in that small way, a
more effective participant on the list.

> 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.
But it does follow that they can look it up. You only have to do it once,
and then you can follow the list in its preferred form, and express
yourself moreclearly and succinctly. It's a small price to pay.

> The alternative, referring the unhealthy monster, is an example.
ROFL. That is not an accepted acronym. That was a joke.

> Some have different meanings,
They do?

> some at least half a dozen different meanings.
Name one.

> 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.
How sad for you. Isn't it nice that you have such a resource as the
internet at your fingertips. Now say thankyou to whoever introduces this
new term to you.

> A phrase, that has been around for thousands of years (about 2050 years,
> from memory), and, which is widely used <...> is "audi alteram partem"
Widely used online? Widely used on Linux-related mailing lists?

> It is a fairly commonly used phrase, possibly moreso than the acronym
> mentioned.
More commonly used online? On Linux-related mailing lists?

> 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.
Even if everyone else used it?

> And, on a mailing list, the readers should be able to easily understand
> the terms used, without having to translate them.
I couldn't have said it better. You should be able to easily understand
the term YMMV. If not, maybe you should give up on reading the list.

> The usage of acronyms, seldom directly relates directly to Linux, as
> does the phrase mentioned.
Indeed. Hence its use everywhere else on the 'net.

> 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?
Noone has told you to get lost. They have told you to RTFF, RTFM, RTFRFC,
etc. If they wanted you to get lost, then what would be the point in
telling you to do those things?

> Does that then mean that the mailing list is solely for the benefit of a
> noisy few?
No, it is for the benefit of those prepared to listen. If you are not
prepared to listen, and to speak the language that everyone else here
does, you may be out of luck. In general it is very difficult to change
the culture of an established group to fit the needs of one individual who
is not interested in meeting his needs himself.

-Greg