Yes Bob; I agree. KDSP FKTT FTE LOL BRB is complete nonsense. Language is communication. Acronyms are a necessarily exclusive sub-language - even when 'it is obvious'! Referring to Martin Brundle as 'MB' assumes knowledge in every reader, which is unfair. If I refer to MW, does everyone instantly know who I'm talking about with no extra effort? It is lazy and makes greater demands upon the reader, which is actually rather rude!
I'm always confused as to wether RB is Red Bull or Ross Brawn. In 2009 it predominantly meant Ross Brawn, the last 2 seasons it has meant Red Bull, and is past seasons it has being used for Rubens Barichello and even Schumacher as the Red Barron which is a damn acronym of a nickname! I also complain to my colleagues about having so much latin terminology in the legal profession, anyone would think we do it so no one can successfully represent themselves ;-)
I personally have no problems with acronyms, you know what they mean from the context they are being used in.
Not necessarily Mifune. I do not consider myself stupid (although others may think differently!) but I have had to ask on several occasions - and twice in this very thread! I remember the first acronym I ever asked about on the British Broadcasting Corporation's '606'. I asked in all innocence, "What is a WUM?" I had not the slightest clue because, a/ I was new to using internet fora; and b/ because I didn't know what a 'wind up merchant' was! And if I recall correctly, it was only about a month ago that I asked, "Could someone please tell me what IIRC means?" Of course, I'm happy with long established acronyms of LE and well known companies, which often come to be known by the acronym alone (BBC is an obvious one), but using obscure acronyms which require one to be with the 'in' crowd, is nothing short of ignorant élitism, since one must bear in mind that anyone can read what is seen here in a public forum. Obviously PMs are a different matter, where it seems almost anything goes, including KRM (AC,KSG); CEO of NC, inheriting NL from his father before taking over NOTW (a UK BS). After moving to NY, he became a US citizen, whilst buying TT (his 1st UK BS). NC acquired 20th CF ('85), HC ('89), BSkyB ('90), TWSJ ('07); expanding into Asia and SATV during the '90s. Following allegations of TPH In July '11, he now faces PAG IIBAC in UK and FBI in the US; and is currently ranked as the 13th MPPITW! SUH: PM = *1: Personal message/*2: Prime Minister LE = Long established KRM = Rupert Murdoch NC = News Corporation NL = News Limited NOTW = News of The World BS = *1: Best seller/*2: Broadsheet TT = The Times TWSJ = The Wall Street Journal SATV = South American television TPH = Telephone hacking PAG = Police and government IIBAC = Investigations into bribery and corruption MPPITW = Most powerful person in the world SUH = Some useful hints
I do not think it matter if you have to ask (or google) once or even twice because then you know and in the future you will know what they mean. I knew most of the ones you used above but the ones I did not I do now and if someone uses them again in the future I will know what they mean , such as if someone says KRM is a SOB because of NC's and NOTW's TPH and I hope the PAG do a full IIBAC and find him guilty. Granted I would never use acronyms in that frequency but using the odd one is fine even if there are multiple meanings for it because most of the time it is obvious which one is meant. In regards to using them on a forum I think there is nothing wrong about using the more established ones because most of them would actually of been formed on forums (or texting) and so the vast majority of people will know what they stand for and the people who do not initially will quickly pick them up like you do will all forms and mediums of language. However I do think that using the more esoteric ones is pretty pointless and superfluous.
The British media hate him, he's a decent fella really, I noticed they are trying to show him in a better light on the BBC recently though Brundle still commentates as if it's 2007, DC is much better in my opinion.
