General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Rule for Acronyms
If you care about others understanding your message:
When using an acronym, write it out the first time and then put the acronym in parentheses. Example:
The General Accounting Office (GAO) admits that bush stole the election.
You only have to do that the first time. From then on, you can say GAO.
In the last five minutes, I had to excuse myself from jury service because I did not understand what a WAF was. Then I went to another thread and didn't understand what a PRN was.
People can probably get away with common acronyms like EPA or DOD, but the two above? I'm fairly well read and I have no idea what they are.
If you care enough to write a post, go the extra inch and be clear.
Cher
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)I don't see that as much of an excuse to get out of jury duty. You could just open another window and look it up.
NJCher
(35,434 posts)I am an English teacher and teach college-level writing. It is incumbent upon the writer to do the intellectual work necessary to make the writing understood. If not, the cost is losing the reader.
As I explain to my classes, there is a huge amount of reading out there. As the writer, it is your job to be competitive with other writers. Good writers know this and do what they have to automatically.
Cher
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)use standards that an English teacher would find acceptable will probably prove unfruitful. But, good luck in your endeavor.
kickysnana
(3,908 posts)Asking because the first time I saw it was this month from a cousin who was arguing that all brown poor people and a lot of other poor were beyond redemption.
Simply, "if they worked harder they would not be poor" and any help came "directly out of her pocket" and because her "childhood sucked" she didn't need to think about anyone else.
I always hate when a perfectly good phrase becomes something negative. And since this is twice in one month it must be "on the boards" and obviously I am too curious for my own good.
Is it something from a TV show or like a debate?
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)'Have a good day' on the other hand, can sometimes be taken that way.
I simply meant that it seems an impossible task.
NBachers
(17,007 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)It certainly wasn't meant that way.
NJCher
(35,434 posts)If you saw what I dealt with in terms of teaching writing at the beginning of the semester, you'd call that an impossible task, too.
However, what I point out is in one's best interest. Obviously people posting here care about getting their point across. Even if I only alert four people who start explaining their acronyms or initialisms, others will see it, and a few more pick up the habit, etc. Others pick it up by example.
I don't agree that it's an impossible task. At the end of the semester, I see much improvement in the writing of my students. People do care about how they come across.
I also think most people here know the rule. They just forget that others aren't as aware of the acronym/initialism as they are. A little reminder can go a long way.
What has surprised me is how many people will go to the extra effort (such as Googling an acronym). You did. In English teacher meetings, we seem to be of the impression that the reader will not go to that extra trouble. A few people here can, will, and in fact do so.
I, however, won't. That's my policy and I'm stickin' to it!
Cher
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)gtar100
(4,192 posts)FSogol
(45,363 posts)Whiskeytide
(4,459 posts)... IN the message text!!!!!! Jeez!
gtar100
(4,192 posts)"What does 'nt' mean? Hey, there's no text here.What the heck,! First he writes, 'nt', then there's no text. Hmmm..."
All in the flash of an instance so small, it barely rises to the surface of awareness. The reader moves on in the glow of knowing one of the inner cicle's secrets of DU.
"Hey, what does 'DU' mean... "
FSogol
(45,363 posts)Maedhros
(10,007 posts)"One should not write so that one can be understood; one should write so that one cannot be misunderstood."
eppur_se_muova
(36,227 posts)BainsBane
(53,003 posts)It isn't a common acronym. It turns out it means Women Against Feminism.
I think opting out is more responsible than what some admit to doing, voting when they don't know what's going on.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)but in general posters use fairly easy to decipher acronyms with a simple search.
I do agree that if one is unable or unwilling to expend the energy to find the meaning, that one should opt out.
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)what is more acceptable. The post originator explaining once what the acronym is, or fifty or more members having to look it up because they don't know what it means?
Who is being lazy here?
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Do you really expect people to post "Laughing Out Loud (LOL), just because the reader is a bit behind the times and doesn't want to look it up? How about POTUS or SCOTUS?
treestar
(82,383 posts)but people must know when they are using something a bit less common.
MattSh
(3,714 posts)I kept coming across ATO so figured I had to go look it up. Found a list of over 100 ATO acronyms. Then I had to go down the list to try to find the one that seemed most applicable to the particular circumstance.
NJCher
(35,434 posts)I wanted to be fair. I couldn't because I didn't have enough information.
And needless to say, as an English teacher I spend enough time deciphering writing that lacks clarity. Reading and posting here is my leisure time activity, which I happen to like a helluva lot. I'm not going to ruin my good time by turning it into a job.
I love the English language, though, and think most people want to be understood, which is why I originated this thread.
Cher
lob1
(3,820 posts)Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)Took me ages to figure out it means, "I Am Not A Lawyer" as in "I'm not a lawyer, but ..."
Yep, I'm like, "Hey, what you do on your own time is your business."
Like I said down-thread, I'm not much for rules, but yours is a good one.
herding cats
(19,549 posts)Seriously, I did. Sometimes our life experience changes the meanings of acronyms to our eyes.
I totally agree opting out was the right choice here. I've had to do it several times before when I was clueless on what a poster was saying. There's no shame in excusing yourself from passing judgment if you don't know what a person is talking about. It's the only responsible choice, really.
R B Garr
(16,920 posts)WAF? WAG is wild-assed guess, but WAF?
Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)The first time I saw it used it was wild-assed guess, as you say. I was confused, later, to see a teaser for a website story about "Hottest WAGs of NFL stars" or some such. In that context it's used to mean wives and girlfriends. There are many other meanings, too.
BainsBane
(53,003 posts)(I wasn't the alerter). After a bit of googling I found out it means women against feminism.
Marr
(20,317 posts)This is one of my pet peeves online. Almost no one uses that rule of thumb-- or even just typing the name in full the first time without the acronym following it.
The other day, in a different forum, I encountered a completely indecipherable post made up of three sentences. Most of the nouns and verbs were acronyms, and completely unexplained. So annoying.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)And, I really did but there is no way I am typing all of that every time I post a simple, lol.
Kali
(54,990 posts)silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]That's one of my biggest peeves, and I agree with you completely.
proReality
(1,628 posts)BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Make7
(8,543 posts)[font style="color:#ffffff; background-color:#ffffff;"]Bloody Hell, I Must Be Getting Old Are You F***ing Kidding Me With This Sh**?[/font]
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)demwing
(16,916 posts)and no, no one is kidding you
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)Unknown Beatle
(2,672 posts)much like yours on the use of acronyms and someone tried to educate me on the difference between 'acronyms' and 'initialisms'.
Women's Army Corp (WAC) - Acronym
WAC is pronounced as a word.
It's OK If You're A Republican (IOKIYAR) - Initialism
IOKIYAR is not pronounced as a word.
All I was trying to do was make a point.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I just look it up and assume based on usage and context. When you mention the use of "WAF" I have no idea of the context, and so the first thing to pop into my head is the obsolete "Women in the Air Force" which I'm guessing almost no one else around here has ever heard or seen used
Here's the site I like for looking them up, linked to their full list of "WAF" possibilities:
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/WAF
TexasProgresive
(12,148 posts)More than once I have looked up one of these obscure alphabet soups and posted all the results as a reply. Then the person will sorrowfully let me know which one is correct. I was taught to only use abbreviations and acronyms in notes to myself. I admit that I am a bit lazy when posting in a forum like this, but I will always write out the acronym in the first instance.
One would think that people who post would be highly concerned with their (important) thought being communicated clearly.
Signed,
OWMLPWLITWCW
That should be clear as mud to any.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)I once saw a splendid detailed and comic discussion regarding whether Kirk could beat out Piccard in a martial arts struggle to the death, and some of the deft maneuvers of each Starfleet Commander were soon discussed by the acronyms surrounding the activity. For whatever reason those made it even funnier, I guess, mostly because some of the acronyms were like 17 letters or so long.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Too Stupid To Live
Fuck Off And Die
Iggo
(47,489 posts)I don't use it here, but I do use it.
Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)Please explain.
Iggo
(47,489 posts)Split it up.
FU: we all know what that means.
AH: a certain kind of hole.
Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)But since you didn't want to mention it here, I thought it may be something worse.
Why can't you say, "Fuck off, asshole?"
Iggo
(47,489 posts)...because I don't tell people here, "Fuck you, asshole."
Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)seveneyes
(4,631 posts)TexasProgresive
(12,148 posts)WAF Women in the Air Force (USAF; obsolete)
WAF Warendorf
WAF Web Application Firewall (IT security)
WAF We Are Family
WAF Weekend A Firenze
WAF Wafer
WAF Wife Acceptance Factor (stereos/gadgets)
WAF We Are the Future
WAF Web Application Framework
WAF Women's Action Forum
WAF World Agricultural Forum
WAF Wife Approval Factor
WAF Water Accommodated Fraction
WAF Women Against Fundamentalism
WAF World AIDS Foundation
WAF Weather and Forecasting
WAF Weapons Analysis Facility
WAF What A Friend (We Have in Jesus)
WAF Welsh Automotive Forum
WAF World Apostolate of Fatima (Catholic organization)
WAF Wide Area File
WAF Work Authorization Form
WAF With All Faults
WAF World Arm Wrestling Federation (est. 1998)
WAF Workfolder Application Facility
WAF Womens Acceptance Factor
WAF Wall Attenuation Factor (wireless signal strength)
WAF World Allergy Forum
WAF Web and Film (festival)
WAF World Action Foundation (Portland, OR)
WAF Wireless Adaptation Framework
WAF What a Freak (Internet slang)
WAF Wesleyan Annual Fund
WAF Windows Access Facility
WAF Western Advertising Federation
WAF Wireless Application Framework
WAF Wavelet Analysis Filter
WAF Women's Addiction Foundation
WAF Watershed Assessment Framework (various organizations)
WAF Women's Aid Federation of England (UK)
WAF Werkhuizen August Firlefyn (Kruibeke, Belgium)
WAF Wine Advocate Fund for Philanthropy (McLean, VA)
WAF World Athletics Final
WAF Warszawskie Alternatywy Filmowe (Polish: Warsaw Alternative Film; film festival; Warsaw, Poland)
submit new definition
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/WAF
Maybe someone should click "submit a new definition"
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/_/gr.aspx?url=w1.acronymfinder.com/add.asp?acronym=WAF
Edited to add: My 9th grade Latin teacher often said "What the fly!" We translated that to "Quid musca!" which we would cry out in unison if he announced a pop quiz.
PDittie
(8,322 posts)CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)GAO and EPA are not acronyms, they are abbreviations. Radar and Laser are acronyms.
I like to be clear but I also like to be accurate.
Silent3
(15,020 posts)Abbreviation tends to mean (though it's not strictly so) a single word cut down to fewer letters, although an abbreviation can be a shorted version of a phrase.
John1956PA
(2,654 posts)Thanks for posting that the shorthand designation of a group, phenomenon, etc., which consists of initials is not an acronym unless the initials form a recognized word.
LWolf
(46,179 posts)if you don't like dealing with acronyms, stay away from public education. If I were at work, I wouldn't have to reach far to find some statements just received yesterday that are completely unintelligible if you don't embrace acronyms.
donco
(1,548 posts)I didn't know an acronym in a post and was chastised for not knowing the acronym.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Google does help with them. But there are many of them used that are obscure.
marked50
(1,350 posts)and still don't know what PRN is.....
Iggo
(47,489 posts)Either that, or something else.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Trust me on this. It's a closely-held recipe.
TexasProgresive
(12,148 posts)In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)There are multiple possible meanings, some of which are listed here. The first one that occurred to me (well, tbh, the only one I knew before looking it up) was the medical usage, directing that a particular medication or other treatment be used as often as necessary. (Wikipedia says "as the circumstance arises".) This is as opposed to a pill you take every four hours, regardless of how you feel.
Do a search for "Love a nurse PRN" and you'll find vendors eager to sell you a mug or t-shirt bearing that legend.
In the first paragraph, I deliberately used "tbh" without explanation. As Internet slang for "to be honest" it's less well known than "lol" and a few others. Is it nevertheless common enough to be used as if almost everyone knows it? I'm not sure.
Sweet Freedom
(3,995 posts)Excellent point. May I also add: be sure to identify acronyms within your alert to the jury. Unfortunately, I have seen jurors actually vote when they don't understand an acronym. For example
Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Entire thread is ridiculous, including the alerted post. Can't even understand the alert -- what is MRA? what is MIRT?
onyourleft
(726 posts)...for this post and the one down thread. I quite agree.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Iggo
(47,489 posts)"Gow" or maybe "Gay-oh" (Hey! I like that one!).
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)Some posters appear to be enamored of Rand Paul these days. I like FRP, because it can apply to both pater et fils of that family.
edhopper
(33,212 posts)that i don't know.
It gets very frustrating.
Often, when I Google it for the meaning i think "WTF!" that is really obscure.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)In his dancing on graves topic yesterday. ???
Anyone here who can inform me what those letters mean?
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)truedelphi
(32,324 posts)hifiguy
(33,688 posts)But there are some that are bafflers. Everyone knows TPTB or MIC but many are much lesser known. Definition of less common actonyms/initialisms/whatever once in the post in which they are used would be good for clarity's sake.
delete_bush
(1,712 posts)I've not a clue as to what MIC means.
Stardust
(3,894 posts)Just kidding
ManiacJoe
(10,136 posts)Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)... but I agree with this.
It's common courtesy.
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)IAW your request, FNO I'll make that my SOP.
TYVM!
Martin Eden
(12,805 posts)I just might loose my mind if so many people keep typing "loose" (rhymes with juice) when it should be "lose" (rhymes with booze).
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)realistically not everyone will (or can). Some people have never learned those rules. I would guess many who have, did so a long time ago and have since forgot them.
I use APA for writing and have no problem trying to do that.
I happened to be on that jury and ended up Googling it and finding the definition in less than 30 seconds. If I remember correctly the outcome was 0-7.
JEB
(4,748 posts)Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)Either can be used at the end of a subject line. It's a courtesy to the readers who are skimming the subject lines and might click on yours to read more if they find the subject line interesting; you alert them that the click will yield only blank space.
JEB
(4,748 posts)lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I agree.
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)Saves me from having to google it or from going through previous message trying to find the pieces of the puzzle.
littlemissmartypants
(22,418 posts)Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)And you're absolutely right!
For those of us who haven't been hanging out in chat rooms gossiping for the last dozen years, using the fully spelled out acronym the first time is essential to communication!!
NBachers
(17,007 posts)so I click, expecting to find an elaboration or a link, only to find "WoW that's going to smart for a looong time!!" and nothing more.
There are those of us who are cable-challenged, and would appreciate a morsel of information in these breathless posts.