Abbreviations and Acronyms

If you want to talk about saving time, I'd point out it's much faster to CTRL+C/V "OTWOA" than "On the Wings of *Armageddon"

 

The abbreviations can be a bitch at times. But OP has it right, IMHO <--(heehee)
Seriously, there are times that if I have not popped over to the Trading forums for 3-4 weeks, I feel like I have missed out on 2 centuries of linguistic evolution.
I appreciate those who kindly offer the meaning of an unknown abbreviation/acronym, yet I despise the snooty ones.

 

You just can't make this stuff up! And you continue to maintain you're not being elitist.

 

Idiomatic expression, look it up. Here, I'll do it for you since you seem to be Google-challenged: http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic8483.html. You know what, I'll repost the explanation for you because God knows you would want to read information of the Interwebz to learn something: "The "lowest common denominator" is the most basic element of a situation or relationship.". Don't like that one? Try the MW (Merriam-Webster...OMG) definition: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/common+denominator


Stretch whatever preposterous label you want on me, it seems to me that you have a severe case inferiority complex to keep begging that others are elitists by using OMG ... acronyms!

 

Since when was this discussion solely about acronyms and abbreviations in the trade forums?

 

I'm not sure I understand why some people are so angry and snarky in a thread about abbreviations and acronyms, but if you're so intent on using them, why not use them on the profanity, as well. We don't really need to see that all spelled out.

 

Since the late 1990's.

In related news, Brooklyn Brewery was allegedly the first US brewery to coin the term "chocolate stout".

 

I don't see how a sticky post wouldn't solve the problem. Why should everyone else have to dance around other's willful ignorance if it's posted for all to reference? We shouldn't have to cater to the lowest common denominator because they're not willing to figure things out for themselves.

 

Have you considered looking in to a script that automatically finds acronyms, underlines them, and then provides a text box description? That would be pretty innovative, and relatively easy from a programming standpoint. You'd just have to make sure it only does it to stand alone acronyms, and wasn't underlining letters in the middle of words.

That's a little more difficult that just banning the concept entirely, but it's an idea at least.

 

If everyone trades and the majority doesn't want acronyms, I don't have a problem with changing the policy. Most traders wouldn't want the complete elimination of acronyms, because it would be burdensome on both the posters and readers. Some traders do feel that there is an "overuse" of acronyms, but most manage just fine as far as I can tell. The trading forum is a tool for traders, a very specific sub-group of users of the site, not everyone. An all-out ban on acronyms would make it less friendly for traders. I am not sure why the rest of the people who don't trade, intend on trading, or will never get into trading get to dictate how traders communicate.

A sticky that continually gets updated should be more than sufficient. If people have time to write elaborate complaint about the use of acronyms, they should have the time to reference an alphabetized list of acronyms.

 

Here are some constructive ideas to throw into the mix...

- No shorthand in post title in any of the general forums, since they kill the ability for the post to come up in general internet searches for information or conversations regarding the beer in question.
- In general forum posts the first instance of a beer being discussed in your post could be spelled out with the acronym in parenthesis after... And then each repeated use could be the acronym. For example the first issuance would be Pliny the Elder (PtE). Sort of like how legal documents are formatted? This would also help to keep informative post content easily searchable.
- They do make some sense in the Post Title in the Trade Forum, for the sake of keeping the title short... But couldn't they be spelled out in the actual trade post? This would make it so people could use the trading posts as a way to learn what the acronyms meant. And also, only speculation, the trading forum posts don't hold as much value in general internet searches as related to learning about a beer, brewery, etc.?
- Another place where acronyms don't cause as big a problem, and could actually be considered a learning tool... Would be in the forum posts like Latest Haul, What Are You Drinking Now, etc... Where the acronym could be associated with the label on the bottle pictured?

Just some random thoughts...

 

IMO...IDK..WTF...YTA

 

This may have been suggested numerous times before but why doesn't BeerAdvocate offer a simple link from the home page or forum page providing a comprehensive list of beer acronyms for their BA members? I have asked myself this question many times over as I annoyingly copy and paste acronyms into my search engine of choice.

I don't think restricting or banning acronyms is the answer. In the same way that a rising tide lifts all boats, providing convenient access to knowledge, enlightens all members. BA has the technology and capability to do that should they agree.

 

You don't get it. There are many users on this site that would get into trading if it didn't appear to be some secret code in need of deciphering. Who are you to decide that most people get along fine?

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...-out-of-control-on-the-trading-forums.170363/

 

Can somebody program a script to auto expand abbreviations and acronyms for all the people that are too lazy to type out names of beers? Sounds like a serious first world problem here. Does this sound silly to anyone else?

 

I've already told you what I thought about that "poll": http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...ol-on-the-trading-forums.170363/#post-2346870

When was the last time you saw a thread in the trade help forum along the line of "Gaaaiz, gaaaaiz, I would get into trading if you spelled everything out for me?" As I told you, I've been extremely active with trading (unless you don't think 80 trades in 7 months is not active). That's my sense of things.