Too Many Acronymns!

[dae3dae3]

I suppose it depends on the question one might have. If one uses the initials "CBR" in their thread title, it would seem to me that this is someone who understands the way the DIS works and is looking for an answer from other long time DIS'ers...long time DIS'ers are likely to have an answer. Sure, a total newbie might also have an answer, but I suppose I would put more stock in an answer from someone who'd been around a while (long enough to know what CBR stood for).

On the other hand...it really is what it is and nobody has to explain why they choose to engage in a discussion in a particular way to you. You aren't going to change the way it's been done around here for over 15 years...at least not by complaining and calling people lazy. I continue to suggest you be the change you want to see. I hope this helps.

FWIW, there are a great many discussion boards out there. My DH belongs to a few IT related ones, some music/record collecting forums etc, and I belong to a few other non-Disney ones. They all have vernacular/slang/abbreviations that no other human being in the world would understand unless they'd either been a member for a while and gotten the gist of things or took the few seconds to look over the FAQ page they all have that explains what those abbreviations are for.

Thank you for your well written and reasonable response.

 

[plutotek]

Somebody please explain to me how Option 2 is better than Option 1. That is essentially the argument. Don't just tell me to go away or that is the way it is. Explain it to me. The only possible argument that I can see is it takes longer but the time difference is negligible since you only type the title once for the entire thread.

No one needs to explain anything to you. You've been given reasonable answers/suggestions to your antagonistic comments/questions and now it's on you. Do with it what you will, but the crusader attitude only demeans your position.

 

[AngiTN]

I don't understand why it is unreasonable to expect someone to use context to decide if the abbreviation is appropriate or not in that situation. And thus we have completed the circle.

Thread Title option 1
Caribbean Beach Resort = 100% of English speaking people understand what you mean.

Thread Title option 2
CBR = Some number lower than 100% of English speaking understand what you mean.

Somebody please explain to me how Option 2 is better than Option 1. That is essentially the argument. Don't just tell me to go away or that is the way it is. Explain it to me. The only possible argument that I can see is it takes longer but the time difference is negligible since you only type the title once for the entire thread.

Every heard of character limits for thread titles?

And pretty sure no one said Option 2 is better. Option 2 happens to be the standard practice used more often than not.

Explain to me, and others, why you can't just let those who want to post option 2 way do so, you use option 1 to your hearts content.

 

[wen8jr]

I see it as a form of shorthand. I'm not a person who texts a lot, I do not have a twitter account or anything like that and it only took me a few threads to catch on to most of them. Either you like the DIS enough to learn them, join in on the discussions, or...you don't. But I think you will find acronyms on all forums out there these days, not just here.

In my opinion, I certainly don't think you will change anyone's habits as abbreviating is just faster and easier, so I'm not sure why the strong arguments otherwise. All messaging these days contain quite a percentage of acronyms, and it is not just used socially... it is even used at professional workplaces via internal email or messenger.

My DH, who has never posted on here or reads these posts knows quite a few of them as that is how I even refer to them in speech at times. Just yesterday he said "I am really excited about our next trip, I plan to be the best D.H. ever". For me it will forever be OP, DH, DS, DD, TS, CS, POR, CSR, CBR, WDW, S&D, MNSSHP, IOA, US, etc. Even when I'm 80 years old, that is how I will remember a lot of it.

I'm glad to help answer what these mean for anyone who cares to ask.

 

[wen8jr]

I'm gonna maintain my MO. Hope that's OK.

Love it. Sometimes I wish there were "Like" buttons on these posts.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Somebody please explain to me how Option 2 is better than Option 1. That is essentially the argument. Don't just tell me to go away or that is the way it is. Explain it to me. The only possible argument that I can see is it takes longer but the time difference is negligible since you only type the title once for the entire thread.

Well...of the 50 non-stickied threads on the first page, only 15 of them have acronyms in the title of the thread. And that's including threads where the only acronym in the title is for a park (MK, Epcot, DHS or AK), is something used in everyday life as well like ECV, or is the name of this site (DIS, for DISBoards)

So you're making the argument that this is a major, wide-reaching issue when 70% of the threads on the first page of the most popular forum of the DIS do not contain any acronyms at all.

To your point that the time difference is negligible since you only type the thread title once - you have made posts in this thread that indicate you believe this behavior should not just be in writing the title, but in anyone writing a response as well. That to use an acronym in a response that hasn't already been used in the thread, one should write out the full phrase first.

I won't respond for anyone else but myself. To be honest, as I indicated in a previous response to another poster, there are acronyms used here that have transferred into my verbal vocabulary. Like EMH...I don't even think "extra magic hours" any more...I think EMH. Much like I don't think "Reserve Officer Training Corps" when I think about my husband's time in ROTC. It's just ROTC (not even the letters, but pronounced rot-see). The same goes for ADR, MK...the acronyms themselves are the vocabulary I think of as I'm typing, so that's what I type. It's not a conscious "I'm going to use an acronym now" decision.

It's not the same as thinking "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" and typing "MNSSHP" instead - that, for me at least, is consciously choosing to use an acronym instead of the full phrase. And whether you like the explanation or not, yes, I use MNSSHP because it is easier. A lot of the time when I am responding here, I am reading and responding on my phone while my daughter is asleep on my shoulder. I have to hold her up after she finishes drinking her bottle as she has some mild reflux issues. So when I'm responding on my phone, using just my thumb to type one handed, yes, it's easier to use the acronyms.

You may not like that, but that's my reality. I'm not going to struggle with autocorrect (as I'm not the greatest at thumb typing) to work out the whole long phrase when I can use a quick acronym instead. If someone asks me about it, I'm happy to respond with the answer when I am back on my tablet or computer and typing is much easier...but generally speaking someone else will have politely answered their question before I even get a chance to do that.

So...since I answered your question - why is it unreasonable to expect someone to ask what something means if they don't know?

 

[jm106]

But OP, original poster, these are NOT Disboard's personal acronyms, they are known across many, many DISNEY forums.
I learned them on another message board, on a disney spin off group actually, and was thrilled to join in here and see they are the same.
I am on a FB group, sure enough they are the same. So you are asking to change a common way of posting across many disney boards.

I am sorry you want this for those who have not yet learned the acronyms, but lecturing people, as lazy and unfriendly, isnt going to change a common way of posting on the world wide web.

Many posters are quite friendly and taking time to help others, new or old with questions, sharing stories, planning strategies and experiences is not lazy. I would hate to think that I offer help to a poster and because I put MNSSHP or CRT, the first thought is that I am lazy instead of helping.

 

[1stvisit0909]

Lol, yes. I too have to check myself from using them IRL. DH, thankfully, understands them so it isn't a huge deal. Besides, after years of dealing with military acronym speak from him, and having to just figure it out since thr military wasn't going to stop using them, it is only fair that he learn the Disney acronym speak for me

This!! I catch myself using them and have to explain. My phone and iPad both correct things to DIS acronyms!

But I work for the govt. Lawd we know how to use alphabet soup! I worked for the military, good grief. Then state govt with fed interaction. I learned those then we had Katrina hit and we learned the whole set of "incident command" acronyms. "NIMS protocols require the IC to report to the EOC" then we had the oil spill and I had to learn coast guard plus British (bp) ones.

Sometimes we sit around and have acronym conversations to see how long we can keep it up.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

This is crazy sauce. When I joined here about 4 weeks ago I loathed the acronyms, within a week I was very familiar with them, now I don't even keep the lists open anymore, because if one pops up I don't know I just ask or the thread doesn't apply to me so I don't care.

The fact this thread is 16 pages deep:

 

[jpessa]

Personally, I think this whole thread is so OP can get their thread count high enough to post pictures.

 

[dae3dae3]

But OP, original poster, these are NOT Disboard's personal acronyms, they are known across many, many DISNEY forums.
I learned them on another message board, on a disney spin off group actually, and was thrilled to join in here and see they are the same.
I am on a FB group, sure enough they are the same. So you are asking to change a common way of posting across many disney boards.

I've said over and over again that there is no issue with abbreviations. In addition, if they are standardized across many Disney forums that is even better. It is only in certain contexts that I have also described over and over that I see any issue.

 

[dae3dae3]

No one needs to explain anything to you. You've been given reasonable answers/suggestions to your antagonistic comments/questions and now it's on you. Do with it what you will, but the crusader attitude only demeans your position.

Well, this is post 232 of this thread and I can count less than 10 that weren't more personal attacks on me without any attempt to educate me other than "that's the way it's always been" which is a pretty poor. There were a few in my favor and a few responding to attacks on newbies. Exactly two gave me an actual reasoned rebuttal. About half way through the thread I completely changed my tone and refined my position to see how it would go and still the tone of people replying to me did not change at all.

Honestly, at this point I hope people just stop posting and let it fall off the front page. I'll not respond again to this thread unless I get some more shots taken at me. If you guys want to keep this bumped to the top of the forum for a long time feel welcome.

 

[wendyt_ca]

Sorry couldn't resist

 

[mmbl]

I'm sorry if this is out of line but the acronyms are getting out of control on this forum. Half the time I can't figure out what the poster is trying to say. Is it really that hard to just type the word? At least use the word once and then abbreviate it so people that don't live on this board 365 days a year know what you are talking about. I've been building up to this post for a while so please don't think any one person's post is why I am writing this. or ISITIOOLBTAAGOOCOTF. HTTICFOWTPITTS. IIRTHTJTTW? ALUTWOATAISPTDLOTB365DAYKWYATA. IBBUTTPFAWSPDTAOPPIWIAWT.

Pet peeve of mine: "ressie." Resv. is shorter to write and a legitimate abbreviation. I agree, way too many abbreviations and confusing made-up as they go shorthand. Maybe I'm just old, but it is frustrating when you can't decipher a post!

 

[Epcotfan64]

Pet peeve of mine: "ressie." Resv. is shorter to write and a legitimate abbreviation. I agree, way too many abbreviations and confusing made-up as they go shorthand. Maybe I'm just old, but it is frustrating when you can't decipher a post!

I agree. It reminds me of the term "veggie." Is that in the dictionary?

And acronyms can be confusing, too.

Example: AP pin

Is that artist proof or annual passholder?

 

[mummabear]

OP-the thing is your right, people come here for help.
This is not a service that you pay for, this is not run by Disney employees. This is done by strangers who are willing to spend their time to help you get the most out of your vacation.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Honestly, at this point I hope people just stop posting and let it fall off the front page. I'll not respond again to this thread unless I get some more shots taken at me. If you guys want to keep this bumped to the top of the forum for a long time feel welcome.

So you will respond to rudeness, but not someone who wrote out a sincere response to your question. Good to know.

 

[jm106]

I've said over and over again that there is no issue with abbreviations. In addition, if they are standardized across many Disney forums that is even better. It is only in certain contexts that I have also described over and over that I see any issue.

How would you plan to share this to new way of posting to every poster on multiple online communities (infrequent posters or multiple board posters) and the context which you prefer to use it? Good luck spreading that message to all of the other board members and changing years of online community speak. While you are at it, try to get teens to quit the text talk too

Someone could easily start their own new Disney Online community and make that a rule. Of course then you would have cross over posters who may not realize and still use them. Good luck.

You have gotten a lot of good posts, explaining. Personal attacks? Shoot, this is nice and calm and people are tring to really express why they disagree. Disagreeing is not an attack. You should see the debate on my other boards about ERF, FF/BF and SAH/WM LOL.

 

[Jennasis]

Well, this is post 232 of this thread and I can count less than 10 that weren't more personal attacks on me without any attempt to educate me other than "that's the way it's always been" which is a pretty poor. There were a few in my favor and a few responding to attacks on newbies. Exactly two gave me an actual reasoned rebuttal. About half way through the thread I completely changed my tone and refined my position to see how it would go and still the tone of people replying to me did not change at all.

Honestly, at this point I hope people just stop posting and let it fall off the front page. I'll not respond again to this thread unless I get some more shots taken at me. If you guys want to keep this bumped to the top of the forum for a long time feel welcome.

To be fair, once you started the thread with a nasty tone (calling people lazy etc) you can't really close the Pandora's box at that point just by "changing your tone". Some people may not even bother to read further than your first few antagonistic posts to even SEE your tone change later before they respond to you.

But trying to do the "I'm not posting anymore blah blah blah" stuff after you've created this mess is the internet equivalent of tossing a grenade into a room and walking away.

 

[Disfan1968]

One good thing to come from this thread is that there seems to be some legitimate support for a whole scale ban on the annoying term "ressie" as it is neither an acronym OR an initialism and just sounds like something a toddler says! Now time for me to go double check my resvs!