Acronyms. TLAs and others

[Guess]

Acronyms are being used more and more frequently in posts lately. This is very unfair on people who are not party to the information and knowledge that the informed posters have.

Additionally they often mean different things in different countries, environment and contexts.

I don't have a problem with their limited usage if they are used properly.

On a international forum I cannot think of a single one that is acceptable without explanation.

Are they used because posters are TFL or is just that they BSs or do they think that they are SFC. GAL, here's how a professional writer uses acronyms:

On the first instance the full name is used followed by the acronym in brackets. E.g. A three letter acronym (TLA) can be used if it has a prior explanation.

In a document that uses many acronyms, TLAs, FLAs and SLA,s et al, the author often would include a acronym appendix.

Maybe it would be an idea to have an appendix (page off the forum main menu) of forum based acronyms as often I have seen requests by newbies for explanations.

To the rest of the posters who use acronyms.

DBSFL, you are not SFC

[johnnyk]

Guess is right.
As a journo/PR youngster I was taught to spell out completely the name of the organization etc. followed by the acronym in brackets. Once it had been clarified one could safely use the acronym throughout the rest of the document.
Not doing it this way really helps no one. No BS!

[Norseman]

Good post Guess.
Personally I have to use http://www.acronymfinder.com/ to be able to understand pieces of contents in some of the posts.
Most of the times I get it right, but it also happens that I'm way out with my interpretation of the abbreviation and what the member actually had in mind when he/she typed it.
Remember that not all HHAD users and readers are Anglo-Americans.

[Big Boy]

Guess wrote:

Maybe it would be an idea to have an appendix (page off the forum main menu) of forum based acronyms as often I have seen requests by newbies for explanations.

It's not just newbies who get confused.

Excellent idea.

[caller]

Great link Norseman!

Another forum I use does this with the common ones, its helpful. There have been occassions I have checked there what is written here.

[Spitfire]

Agree with everyone above, as a fairly new member and being from the UK myself, it can certainly test your mental agility. If you don't know and have to check it to make sure you have the meaning, it certainly disrupts the flow and consumes time.

Quite right about the full name should be written first, then the abbrieviation in brackets. After you have done that once then you can casually just write the abbrieviation and expect everyone to know.

[buksida]

Good idea, maybe we could start with a list here in this thread since we don't know them all either!

Here are a few basic standard forum ones:

AFAIK - As Far As I Know
BTW - By The Way
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
FWIW - For What It’s Worth
IMO - In My Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
OMG - Oh My God
OP - Original Poster
OTOH - On The Other Hand
ROFLMAO - Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off
TOS - Terms of Service
PM - Private Message
WTF - What The F***

There are more Thailand specific ones but I'll leave those to the experts.

[johnnyk]

Good idea, maybe we could start with a list here in this thread since we don't know them all either!

Here are a few basic standard forum ones:

AFAIK - As Far As I Know
BTW - By The Way
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
FWIW - For What It’s Worth
IMO - In My Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
OMG - Oh My God
OP - Original Poster
OTOH - On The Other Hand
ROFLMAO - Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off
TOS - Terms of Service
PM - Private Message
WTF - What The F***

There are more Thailand specific ones but I'll leave those to the experts.

TGF - Thai Girl Friend
ST -
LT -
THB - Thai Baht
There are others....

[Guess]

One for anybody whoa asks a question but already has the answer in front of them:

RTFM Read the manual

The original 4 letter acronym:

WIFE Washing, Ironing, etc

The men only sporting and leisure activity

GOLF Gentlemen only, ladies forbidden. Description below:

A game played by adult male involving sticks and balls.

The ball is hit with the stick until the ball eventually goes down a designated hole. There are usually 19 holes on a golf course. The first 18 are identical but the 19th is much more fun and takes longer than the first 18 put together.

The men after their exhausting exercise, drink large amounts of alcohol in the building known as the clubhouse. After this round has finished those who are still able go on to a gentlemen's club where women are present. There is no rules for this round. The alcohol, sticks and balls can be used in any quantity or order that the player wishes.

[Vital Spark]

johnnyK: what are ST & LT? Or is it a case of if I don't know, I shouldn't ask?

Go on, I'm a 'big' girl and I used to go to rugby clubs - nothing shocks me...

VS

Added after five minutes and a gulp of beer:

Sorry, I think I've got it - but it's quite difficult out of context. I was thinking Siam Thai/Laos Thai; Slim Thighs/Lumpy Thighs..finally...
ST: Short-time - wham bam, thankyou mam.
LT: Long-time? Like one whole night?

[JD]

Extract from
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/ ... index_html

MILF calls pact a 'done deal'
BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA, Tue.:

The aborted formal signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippines government, due to the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Philippines Supreme Court, does not in any way alter the fact that the pact is a done deal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now the Moro Islamic Liberation Front didn't even enter my mind when I saw the word MILF on this headline.

I'll bet they only gave themselves this name to improve their google rating with the amount of 'hits' they get with MILF.