At 09:30 AM 7/23/99 -0400, chlebek@... wrote:

>Ah! You just need the secret decoder ring. Here ya go:

Sorry, wrong answer. Doesn't scale. Barely works at all. Using acronyms
that aren't widely known is inconsiderate of those with whom you are
supposedly trying to communicate. Pointing people to an immense list of
definitions is simply a way of saying you can't be bothered to type out
words that would be relatively sufficient.

Overuse of acronyms was one of the problems that made IBM systems difficult
and limited their use to the priesthood. More considerate computer
companies moved away from secret code.

Acronyms are the rudest form of slang and jargon. They are even worse than
obscure words like "proc" because they aren't even pronouncable words.
Acronyms are effectively a way to invent new words on the fly, then use
them and berate the reader for not knowing what they mean.

I'll warn you now that I've been fighting this battle in the computer
industry for 30 years, with some success. People either get the point and
behave less rudely or miss the point and continue to speak in secret code,
either not understanding or simply not caring whether they're communicating
with the majority of their audience. If you don't mind if the majority of
the readers simply don't know what you meant and probably won't bother to
find out, use them, but don't kid yourself.

Bob