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Subject:Acronyms From:Alan Sismey <asismey -at- FNS -dot- COM -dot- AU> Date:Mon, 10 Aug 1998 11:19:56 +1000
Linda Moseff asked, "Does anyone know what EPSS and SPSS stand for and what
they are?"
I have just come across the Acronym Finder at http://www.mtnds.com/af/
which tells me that:
* EPSS stands for Electronic Performance Support System or Expert
Performance Support System
* SPSS stands for Spacecraft Power Sub System or Statistical Package for
Social Sciences
This raises the issue of using acronyms both in this list and in technical
writing generally. Since joining this list I have been bemused (and
sometimes mystified) of the acronyms used such as HTH, YMMV, QED, BTW,
IMHO, IIRC, OTOH and FWIW. Thanks to the Acronym Finder I now know what
they stand for but in some cases there is more than one meaning. For
example, BTW can be 'back to work' or 'by the way'.
My point is that acronyms (or abbreviations) should only be used in
technical writing when they are explained in a glossary or when first used
in a document or paper. I would also prefer that acronyms not be used in
email correspondence.
However, I can't resist closing off with a few acronyms:
* INTERNAUT - Imbecile Newspeople Think Everyone Reads News And Uses (this)
Term (from http://www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/acronym)
* XYZPDQ - refer to the Acronym Finder
IMNTBHO
Alan Sismey
FNS Sydney Australia
asismey -at- fns -dot- com -dot- au
