How many times we abbreviate and then expand a little of that ?

[ramani]

We often use superfluous language..

IT Technology - (Information Technology technology)
FD drive - (Floppy drive drive)
PDF format file - (Portable document format format file)
GIF file
DOS system
LIBOR rate - (London interbank offer rate rate)

and such words with tail expansions. May be others could add many more.



____________________________________________
ramani - (Subramanian.G)

http://winnersoft.coolfreepages.com/

 

[RodKnowlton]

mscallisto,

I think ESquared and I are reaching agreement, so I don't know that anyone's fighting for the last word. If I'm correct in thinking this, ESquared should get the last word.

ESquared,

What I was trying to illustrate with SCSI/Phillips was that when pointing at the SCSI connector, the question "Is that a SCSI?" makes just as much sense as "Is that SCSI?", because the connector is the implied noun.

"Is that a SCSI [connector]?"
"Is that [connector] SCSI?"

Can we agree that SCSI is an adjective, and that "SCSI Interface", while not redundant, is no way to describe a cable bus segment path connector?

 

[ESquared]

If when you say "SCSI Interface," by interface you mean connector, then I will concede it is not redundant. However, I prefer not to use this term with this specific meaning, because to me an interface is always more than just a connector. In this larger sense where an interface is a whole set of software, hardware, & protocols, "SCSI Interface" is indeed redundant.

SCSI is a noun which can be used as an adjective.

Regarding "Is that a SCSI?" there has to be an antecedent noun in order for SCSI to function properly as an adjective. Without the antecedent, SCSI tends to function as a noun and the indefinite article seems awkward. Like in your recent examples, "What kind of screwdriver do you need?" immediately preceded the omission of the word screwdriver, allowing the sentence to function properly.

I don't really think we are arguing. More like, discussing!

-------------------------------------
It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[RodKnowlton]

I was thinking that functionally, if not technically, pointing at the connector would be a non-verbal communication setting the connector as the antecedent. Describing it after the fact, I'd write something like:

I pointed at the connector and asked, "Is that a SCSI?".

I'm enjoying this discussion, by the way. This is my favorite way to learn.


Rod Knowlton
IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert pSeries and AIX 5L
CompTIA Linux+
CompTIA Security+

 

[mscallisto]

I agree with you both and believe everyone learns and benefits from discussion.

 

[mudskipper]

I hope that you don't mind my reviving an old thread. Recent conversations have brought this issue to the forefront of my thoughts!!

Right or wrong, acronym abuse is one way that you can make a really bad impression with me. I would be hard pressed to hire a hardware technician that replaces "NIC cards" and "CPU Units". Likewise, a network guy that has experience with "CSU units" and "ATM mode" might not get a second interview.

To me, this is akin to seeing a resume typed on lined notebook paper. You MIGHT still be worth hiring--but now it will be more difficult to prove it to me.

In my opinion, this type of pleonasm (thanks, sleipnir214) is excusable if you are not an authority on the subject in question. A professional, however, should be detail oriented and well versed in his trade!

Thanks for letting me vent!

Mudskipper
-----------------
Groucho said it best- "A four year-old child could understand this!
Quick! Run out and find me a four year-old child: I can't make heads nor tails out of this!"

 

[ppc386]

In following this thread, I have seen the terms
"ATM machine" and "ATM mode"

Which makes me wonder if there might be times when the
redundancy actually helps resolve some ambiguity ?

If I just say "ATM" right now, do you know what I'm talking about?

 

[SF0751]

Well, no - not if that's all you say. But then again, I wouldn't know what you were talking about if you uttered the word "elephant" without any context, either.

However, if you said "I need to get money, but the ATM is down", then I know exactly what you're talking about!

Susan
"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." - Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894)

 

[ppc386]

The point is, if I say "ATM" you don't know what I'm talking about,
but if I say "ATM Machine" you do know what I'm talking about.

Which of these two sentences is more clear:

Is it possible that an ATM (machine) could communicate via ATM (mode) ?


Is it possible that an ATM could communicate via ATM ?

 

[flapeyre]

It wouldn't be unclear at all to me. From context, "an ATM" refers to the automated teller machine.

However, if I were dealing with an audience which is not familiar with both of these abbreviations, I would spell them both out. No possibility for confusion.

Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!.

 

[ppc386]

> From context, "an ATM" refers to the automated teller machine

Is it possible that the ATM could communicate via the ATM ?

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Is it possible that the ATM could communicate via the ATM?

You're pushing reasonable circumstances here.


And should such a worst-case scenario arise, I agree with flapeyre: Spell out the acronyms (or initialisms), but don't add redundant words.

[tt]-John[/tt]
________________________
To get the best answers fast, please read faq181-2886

 

[ESquared]

Just say, "is it possible that the automated teller uses asynchronous transfer mode?" Or call it a cash machine.

Is anyone actually going to be confused by a sign in the window of a gas station, "ATM inside," and think it is referring to asynchronous transfer mode?

"ATM cash machine inside" is grotesque. It's an insult to people everywhere! If one doesn't like to say ATM, then say "cash machine inside" but please, don't use both.

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Every joy is beyond all others. The fruit we are eating is always the best fruit of all.

 

[Mr3Putt]

Well, the acro-Nimitz is pretty well sunk, so I'll kick in a stupid story...

Years (and years and years) ago, I worked at a little restaurant. Each night, the owner would tell us the specials for the evening. When roast beef was among the fare, it was always to be served "with au jus sauce", which I always argued about (to no avail). We all had to memorize and recite his descriptions, so...

"Tonight we're serving Prime Rib with with juice sauce and freshly grated horseradish.

 

[ESquared]

So as I say to my mother when she uses the phrase "years and years and years," you mean at least six, right?

soup du jour of the day

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Every joy is beyond all others. The fruit we are eating is always the best fruit of all.

 

[Mr3Putt]

;-) Indeed, E^2. Perhaps more accurately ((years^4) + 7)... or thereabouts. Back when "meat" was brand new.

[red]Note:[/red] [gray]The above comments are the opinionated ravings of Mr3Putt. As such, Mr3Putt accepts no responsibility for damages, real or contrived, resulting from acceptance of his opinions as fact.[/gray]

 

[ZoomerZ]

For those who missed - enjoy! Thanks,you've made my Tuesday feels like Friday.(Do I have to come to work tomorrow?)lol
------------------------------------
Anyway, back to the question-at-hand, I frequently hear people refer to our office's Flexible Spending Account (FSA) as an "FSA Spending Account" which makes me wonder what the LONGEST re-expansion of an abbreviation might be. Certainly this one is in the running!

--Dave
-------------------------------------------
ESquared
Dave,

You should confuse them all by saying "how about that there F Spending Account?" When they seem confused, say "you know, that FS Account." When they still look blank, try "Flexible SA? Flexible S Account? Is any of this ringing any bells? F Spending A? Hello? McFly? Maybe I should say Flexible FSA Account."

 

[ppc386]

GNU/Linux"
not unix linux ?

 

[ESquared]

ZoomerZ,

It's confusing when you post content from other people's posts without making it very clear that it's not your own.

You might consider using quotes and prefacing it with the person's name. Or better, use the quote feature:

[ignore]

Put quote here

[/ignore]

which looks like:

Put quote here

Note that the Name can't have any nonalphanumerics. No spaces, underscores, dashes, etc.

-------------------------------------
• Every joy is beyond all others. The fruit we are eating is always the best fruit of all.
• It is waking that understands sleep and not sleep that understands waking. There is an ignorance of evil that comes from being young: there is a darker ignorance that comes from doing it, as men by sleeping lose the k

 

[AnotherHiggins]

ESquared et al.

The "no nonalphanumerics" rule used to be the case, but it seems to have recently changed. Case in point:

I hope this works. I noticed a couple of days ago after making a typo that a space showed up during preview.

So spaces are ok now. Dashes and underscores still cause problems.

[tt]-John[/tt]
________________________
To get the best answers fast, please read faq181-2886

 

[Dimandja]

This showed up properly in preview.