Intimidated or just unaccustomed?

[ChuckOp]

I'd participate more on DISboards, but frankly, some of the postings are unintelligible. I feel like I would instantly telegraph my naivety.

There are a lot of acronyms for the various places, which might be helpful for sender of the message, but it can make it a lot harder for those unaccustomed to them. Took me awhile to figure out that "DM" meant "Disney Mom". Don't know why a "mom" has to be "DM", you're not saving any keystrokes.

I would just like to offer that many of the postings here seem very cliquish and oft-putting to the uninitiated. Hopefully that's not the intent.

Anyone else feel that way? Or will I get used to it and starting saying things like "BTW, my DS5 loves the CS @ CS, and one CM at CM's (ADR) at CR was really nice."

 

[CoP I Love You]

actually DM usually means darling mom.
just like DS is darling son and DD is darling daughter and DH is darling husband and DW is darling wife.

you do get used to it quickly.
I like to use short cuts for ride names such as CoP for carousel of progress and 7DMT for seven dwarfs mine train and POTC for pirates of the Caribbean.
it also comes in hand for restaurants like Cinderella's royal table which is CRT for short.
and most people know that BLT is bay lake tower.

and CM is a very very very common wone for cast members but also for chef mickey's which you can usually tell which CM someone is talking about by the rest of the post.

its also much easier to say ADR instead of advanced dining reservations.

and MDE intead of my Disney experience.

and DME instead of Disney's magical express.

and MSEP is easier then main street electrical parade.

unfortunately if you can't get used to it then you may not enjoy coming on here cuz people aren't gonna change the way they type.

 

[Sir William]

Go back to the main board and find "Welcome to the DIS", which should be the first sub-forum listed. Within that you'll find a "Guide to Abbreviations", which will list most of the various abbreviations on the board, though not all.

You get used to it after awhile. Hang in there. If you can't find it on the list and can't work out what it means, just ask. You won't be the first, or the last, to be confused by all the abbreviations.

 

[ChuckOp]

Thanks, I know were to find the list of abbreviations. My point is that excessive use of the abbreviations is oft-putting to newcomers.

 

[Pooh2]

Huh... I am with Chuck. I thought the DM was Disney Mom too...

Been here awhile now and still have trouble figuring some of the excessive abbreviations so I can see where you are coming from Chuck!

 

[Airship Ariadne]

I thought "Disney Daughter" for DD as well...because that's how I used it...shes 13..."darling" and teenager, not an easy leap

 

[CalicoSky]

It does take some getting used to, but based on other message boards I've participated in for numerous topics beyond Disney, an abundance of acronyms and abbreviations is common. I believe it to be due to a desire for shortcuts (and the move toward "typing" and reading on phones and tablets vs. computers with full keyboards and large screens) rather than an attempt to exclude or intimidate anyone. True, DM is only one letter shorter than Mom, but when you throw in other relationships like daughter, husband, mother-in-law, it does save some keystrokes.

The "D" in front of the abbreviation is typically "Dear" or "Darling" or, in less charitable moments, an impolite word that starts with "D" along with the relationship. For kids, the child's age often follows the abbreviation so the poster can reference multiple sons or daughters without having to use their names.

Most posters are pretty good at forming a coherent message, though there sometimes are statements like "Had the best CM at CM at the CR!" that are head-scratchers at first. (Cast Member, Chef Mickey's, Contemporary Resort, respectively)

Stick around, it does get easier!

 

[BrianL]

Welcome to the Dis.

Try not to be too put off by the lingo. We really don't mean it to be cliquish. Honestly, Dis is one of the most civil an nice boards I've ever been on, and it's really the only one I bother posting on anymore. There's some grumbling about anything new or different, but mostly everyone is great.

Remember that the primary purpose of the boards is to help people with planning trips. The experts, such as they are, offer their advice to the first-timers, who then return with feedback that helps everyone understand what works and what doesn't. It takes a little effort on everyone's part to understand and also to be understood. If you ever have a question about something, an abbreviation you don't get, just ask; the posters will answer.

BTW, I never use the DM, etc. It's not required. Just hang around a bit, hopefully you'll find it fun.

 

[ToddyLu]

Just wait, if you stay here long enough you will starting thinking in Dis code. In fact when I am talking to friends about Disney it is almost impossible for me to not use the acronyms. That is what made it fun for me...so I practiced and now I think in code.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Welcome OP! I've been here a long time and still stumble thru often. I just learned things reading thru this thread for petes sake. Some posters just abbreviate everything, others not so much. Regardless, I hope you can get the information your looking for because the DIS people are very knowledgable and ( mostly) willing to offer up help without being off putting.
Again, welcome!

 

[jeanico2000]

Thanks, I know were to find the list of abbreviations. My point is that excessive use of the abbreviations is oft-putting to newcomers.

I've been frequenting these wonderful boards for a while now and will admit that some messages still have me thinking 'Wait... What?' . Although I agree with you that the use of acronyms does get out of hand at times, the wealth of information to be garnered here makes the guessing game totally worthwhile!

 

[nighttowll]

I'd participate more on DISboards, but frankly, some of the postings are unintelligible. I feel like I would instantly telegraph my naivety.

There are a lot of acronyms for the various places, which might be helpful for sender of the message, but it can make it a lot harder for those unaccustomed to them. Took me awhile to figure out that "DM" meant "Disney Mom". Don't know why a "mom" has to be "DM", you're not saving any keystrokes.

I would just like to offer that many of the postings here seem very cliquish and oft-putting to the uninitiated. Hopefully that's not the intent.

Anyone else feel that way? Or will I get used to it and starting saying things like "BTW, my DS5 loves the CS @ CS, and one CM at CM's (ADR) at CR was really nice."

We talk in code because it's all part of our evil plan to keep all the best tips and secrets for ourselves!




But seriously, I have had a few ??? moments as well and still do. I couldn't figure out OP for the life of me and had to ask. But overall, it's not that bad. I very rarely see sentences with acronyms to the degree of your example which I admit stumped me for a sec. Mostly, you just see them as a way to shorten much longer words and phrases.

As far as the use of D, as others have stated, I don't think that is a DIS Boards thing. I've always been told it meant dear. I first encountered it and was confused by it on a forum completely unrelated to Disney. The use of D seems pretty universal on forums to me. However, I do admit I've always found it a bit strange, and I've often wondered how it got started.

As far as adding the age afterwards, that makes more sense on a practical level to me. For instance, if you are asking which attractions your family might like, it is helpful to know if your child is 2 or 10. I honestly wish more people would add the age. I only see it added about half the time, and there are many instances where it would be useful in answering the question to know it.

In general, if you aren't comfortable with the abbreviations, just don't use them. I see plenty of posts all the time that aren't abbreviated or with limited use of abbreviations. I myself use very little abbreviation and never write out DM. I just write mom or mother. It is just too awkward to me. No one will know you are new because you don’t abbreviate. They will know you are new because your post count is 10. Don’t worry about it. People are here because they love Disney, love to plan, and love to help others plan. So if this is you or you need help planning you’ve found the right place and welcome!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

FYI, google is perfectly helpful for identifying abbreviations you're not familiar with. Just search Disney World + the abbreviation.

 

[mevelandry]

You really get used to it after a while... To the point you might not even notice it.

I personnally try to avoid except when I talk about my husband (DH) and resorts.

 

[Elevationist]

 

[SnowWhite1015]

Elevationist, that made me lol. The only one I'm stuck on is PAP?

I browsed the forums a lot before my last trip (Aug 2014) and caught on pretty quick, either from the context of the post or a quick google search. I thought the DM, DD, DH, etc. were all common forum abbreviations, I've seen them all over the interwebs.

 

[Elevationist]

Elevationist, that made me lol. The only one I'm stuck on is PAP?

I'm pretty sure that's Premium Annual Pass.

 

[JaydaNicole]

My DD16 gets furious with me when I say "BOG" instead of Be Our Guest!!! She says I am wrecking the magic of it! I laugh because I don't even realize I do it until she reminds me!

 

[DisneyFan2013]

Thanks, I know were to find the list of abbreviations. My point is that excessive use of the abbreviations is oft-putting to newcomers.

I don't remember feeling like the abbreviations were off-putting when I first joined the forum. There may still be some that I don't know, but I think I understand all that I need to understand. Sure it might be confusing if you don't spend much time here, but I think anyone who's interested enough to participate often will catch on quickly. I don't think it's a cliquish thing...there's just a lot of stuff to abbreviate! For instance, my favorite resort is POFQ, my favorite park is AK, and my favorite ride is EE. Did you understand any of that?

 

[Crystal824]

I don't remember feeling like the abbreviations were off-putting when I first joined the forum. There may still be some that I don't know, but I think I understand all that I need to understand. Sure it might be confusing if you don't spend much time here, but I think anyone who's interested enough to participate often will catch on quickly. I don't think it's a cliquish thing...there's just a lot of stuff to abbreviate! For instance, my favorite resort is POFQ, my favorite park is AK, and my favorite ride is EE. Did you understand any of that?

I agree with this, but I was well-versed in most things Disney before I joined so I could figure it out fairly easily. The things I couldn't figure out, I referenced the abbreviations sticky.