# Contextual acronyms should be fine **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 8, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272 "2023-10-08T14:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/61 "2023-10-08T19:53:09Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > You really think 6 in one OP isn’t excessive? > This is a board that prides itself on writing. Not on acronyms. Yeah. I concur here. The use of acronyms wasnt modded, it was the overuse or abuse of uncommon ones. . > [@MrDibble](#): > > Is this a new rule? Because I see nothing about acronyms in the new draft rules. Not every Mod note needs to be backed by a rule, and you know that. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’d never heard of TPM. I’d never heard of SHS. Same here. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’d never use BFF in a political context, so that too was unfamiliar until I read it 3 times and realized “best friend” was the intended meaning. And BFF means “best friends forever”, which goes beyond simple friendship. And it is something used by young girls, not in relation to politics. > [@slicedalone](#): > > For me, it’s the unnecessarily threatening and hostile tone of the mod’s response that’s the nub of the problem, Its just a damn note, > [@What\_Exit](#): > > If the issue is my snarky tone, I can see that and will apologize for it. It was properly snarky and funny for the SDMB. “when come back bring…” is something we use here. > [@Munch](#): > > “Here’s an acronym I use. Don’t be afraid of it - learning what it means won’t hurt you. This is the equivalent of saying a poster should just google the answer to a question they are asking. It’s rude and unhelpful. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/62 "2023-10-08T20:23:09Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > For me, it’s the unnecessarily threatening and hostile tone of the mod’s response that’s the nub of the problem, I think WE (What Exit) is an awesome mod and poster, but I agree that his approach was undeservedly hostile. Why not just say, “hey, it’s good form to spell out acronyms. I see a lot of them here (TPM, SHS, FOIA, MSM, BFF) that ought to be defined out of consideration for other posters. Can you please post the meanings, and refrain from using unexplained acronyms in the future?” That kind of note I’d have no problem with, even though I didn’t even notice the acronyms as they were all so familiar to me I didn’t even process them as anything but words except for TPM, which was obvious from the link. But sure, different posters, different bases of acronym knowledge. I’m sure there are plenty of acronyms some would consider common that I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/63 "2023-10-08T20:32:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not every Mod note needs to be backed by a rule, When it’s **yelled at me in all-bold** , I kind of expect it to be, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/64 "2023-10-08T20:56:43Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Our goal here is not only to fight ignorance, but to have an enjoyable time doing so. It’s annoying to have to go back and explain to the unwashed masses what your acronym means, “the unwashed masses” ? really? Is it _such_ a burden for people to strive for clarity? If you are smart enough to hold that database of acronyms in your head you are surely smart enough to recognise that blind spots might exist for others. The smartest people I’ve ever met make a virtue out of explaining things clearly and without ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/65 "2023-10-08T20:58:20Z")
Now be serious, > [@MrDibble](#): > > If it had been a one paragraph post, and half of it was acronyms, you’d have a case. As it is, there wasn’t a good reason for that moderation - especially when the only really obscure **two of the 6 were expanded on in the post itself**. This was how many posts in? Bold \<\> Yelled that would be uppercase wouldn’t it. Otherwise why were you yelling in post #3? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/66 "2023-10-08T21:01:56Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Now be serious, Is this the dialing back the snarky tone in your posts you were talking about earlier? > [@What\_Exit](#): > > This was how many posts in? _I’m_ not a mod, posting about what the rules are going to be in my forums. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Bold \<\> Yelled that would be uppercase wouldn’t it. I think bolding for emphasis in a post is one thing. Making _your entire post_ bold is another, _different_ thing, and yes, comes across as yelling. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/67 "2023-10-08T21:06:20Z")
Well, I did not intend it as yelling. But I was not intending to dial back snark either in my last post. Your arguments make no sense to me. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/68 "2023-10-08T21:09:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > But I was not intending to dial back snark either in my last post. Yes, that was kind of my point. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/69 "2023-10-08T21:22:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > We’ve had threads and threads on how much acronymic explanation is appropriate where. With zealots on both sides. Being against the unnecessary derailment of threads to discuss someone’s choice of acronym (or rather, decision to _use_ an acronym, initialism, or abbreviation) at length hardly makes one a zealot IMHO. Indeed, I think the modnote being discussed here was hardly a derailment—indeed, **WE** made express his desire (after the note incited some in-thread commentary) that the thread should not be derailed to discuss the acronym issue further, which is perfectly consistent with my position. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/70 "2023-10-08T21:53:29Z")
I’m sorry you took umbrage. I wasn’t trying to assert that your thread was the work of a zealot. What I meant was that within the two threads there was some zealotry on both sides. Such that the various folks here could be assured of finding a kindred spirit, or something close to what they were going to write here now somewhere in the totality of those two threads. I have 16 contributions in your pit thread. Only one directly addresses the OP (post or poster): > [@I Pit ILMVI for Complaining Incessantly About Acronyms](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ilmvi-for-complaining-incessantly-about-acronyms/943142/258): > > [arrant pedantry] The OP of this Pit thread is just fine. It’s the guest of honor / topic of this Pit thread who seems to have a problem with reasonable. [/arrant pedantry] wink I stand now behind my comment then. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/71 "2023-10-08T22:05:20Z")
FWIW: There is a Discourse plugin which can detect commonly used acronyms and convert them to floating tool-tip type links, where you hover your cursor over the underlined acronym and the phrase it represents appears. For example … FOIA But I don’t expect anyone to care. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/72 "2023-10-08T23:00:03Z")
That would be interesting, not sure if we have an option of getting Discourse plugins installed. I suspect not. Anyone know anything more about this. I need to pass such to the Modloop and **Ed** who needs to bump it to a tech guy for the owners of the SDMB that would need to bump it to a Discourse Group that maintains this site. If it complicates updates, we probably can’t do it. But if it is trouble-free, maybe. At least I think that is the general routing of such. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/73 "2023-10-08T23:15:37Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > “the unwashed masses” ? > > really? I couldn’t find a “tongue-in-cheek” smilie, but since I didn’t use an acronym I thought I was in the clear. For future reference, this is a hyperbolic phrase that people use to attempt to lighten the mood. I believe I’ve seen Cecil use it on numerous occasions. You should not take it seriously. > [@DrDeth](#): > > This is the equivalent of saying a poster should just google the answer to a question they are asking. It’s rude and unhelpful. No, it’s really not. As I’ve already mentioned, I too strive for clarity and to try to anticipate confusion at obscure terms. I’m merely suggesting that people not take offense when they encounter a new term, and that TLAs aren’t booby-trapped shibboleths filled with tar and feathers so that we can all point and laugh at the fool who didn’t know what TOOTBLAN means. (Which is the perfect example for this - so thank you BlankSlate. TOOTBLAN should never be accompanied by an explanation, because it’s such a wonderful delight for people to look up on their own - I would hate to be the person who clumsily explains it without proper due.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/74 "2023-10-08T23:19:59Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > There is a Discourse plugin which can detect commonly used acronyms and convert > them to floating tool-tip type links, where you hover your cursor over the underlined > acronym and the phrase it represents appears. The problem with TLAs is that there is so much overlap. In my universe, TPM means Trusted Platform Module. Obviously that’s not likely to be related to anything political, but a plugin isn’t likely to be smart enough to distinguish the two. I’m fully in the anti-acronym boat. A post has one writer and many readers. Even if an acronym is _slightly_ confusing, and even if it only takes _minor_ effort to discern the meaning from the context, it is still better for everyone if the author just spelled them out. Of course, as **Chronos** notes, just writing out the acronym doesn’t necessarily tell you anything. But I do think that the words Talking Points Memo rather than TPM is just slightly more efficient for readers to conclude that it’s a news commentary site as compared to something else. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/75 "2023-10-08T23:28:25Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Of course, as **Chronos** notes, just writing out the acronym doesn’t necessarily tell you anything. But I do think that the words Talking Points Memo rather than TPM is just slightly more efficient for readers to conclude that it’s a news commentary site as compared to something else. We can at least google that. Trusted Platform Module? (most common) Total Productive Maintenance? Transportation Performance Management? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/76 "2023-10-08T23:28:56Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I couldn’t find a “tongue-in-cheek” smilie, but since I didn’t use an acronym I thought I was in the clear. For future reference, this is a hyperbolic phrase that people use to attempt to lighten the mood. I believe I’ve seen Cecil use it on numerous occasions. You should not take it seriously. Unfortunately for you, an unironic interpretation fits neatly with what you’ve already said (and you don’t even seem able to avoid that attitude in your explanation here) hence my need for clarification. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/77 "2023-10-08T23:30:45Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Anyone know anything more about this. I’ll have a look into it - might even create my own discourse forum to play with !! As @Dr.Strangelove says, there will be overlap. It maybe possible to have different versions for different categories… ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/78 "2023-10-08T23:33:17Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I’m merely suggesting that people not take offense when they encounter a new term, No-one is taking _offence_, people are pointing out that unexplained acronyms are generally unhelpful and an unwillingness to clarify reflects badly on the author. You don’t seem bothered by that, that’s your choice. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/79 "2023-10-08T23:33:57Z")
The post itself already contained a smilie. If you can’t decipher at least some amount of sarcasm, then I do deeply deeply apologize. But yes - you are taking offense. When you imply that the acronym users are doing it so they can laugh at the ignorants, you’re suggesting that what’s being done is offensive. And that’s silly. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272/80 "2023-10-09T00:10:40Z")
I hope this isn’t too tangential, but I’m a bit surprised to read that apparently a few posters didn’t know who Sarah Huckabee Sanders is. (Or perhaps I am misinterpreting.) She is fairly well known as former President Trump’s press secretary (2017-19). At least, I thought she was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contextual-acronyms-should-be-fine/991272.md?page=5)