Too Many Acronymns!

[Madame]

I have a low post count & don't agree with you...

Given how much time & effort you've taken to post here wouldn't that time have been better spent just asking for clarification on the posts/threads that confuse you?

I don't understand all of the abbreviations (especially the different resorts), but I can usually figure it out with a little time & effort on my part, because it is on *me* to figure it out. When I first started learning to speak French I often asked for definitions or explanations, but I didn't expect others using slang or regionalisms to change the way they speak just because it suited me better.

 

[mesaboy2]

How To Win Friends And Influence People and Read The Damn Manual.

(I'll admit the first one stumped me for about a minute but as the OP likes to say, it's all about context. )

I realized after I posted that the context would probably give it away. Still, extra points for you! (Whatever that means!)

Have you noticed the people arguing with me all have very high post counts and the people agreeing with me have low post numbers? The same thing with is true with the private messages I've been receiving. If the desire is for the people with low post counts to turn into people with high post counts then yes there is a problem. What I'm suggesting is such low effort it is laughable the vehemence of the responses I'm getting. Once again, I'm not suggesting the abbreviations never be used. Just that if you're using it in a thread title or for the first time in a thread then type it out once. Then go crazy with the abbreviation going forward. If you're in some thread where it is obviously the subject of conversation then it is fine. If someone else has already spelled it out then it is fine. When I say fine I don't mean that I approve. I mean that the largest portion of people are going to fully understand the response.

It would be very easy for me to start linking examples of confusion caused by this but I'm absolutely not going to do that. I'm not going to start pointing out individuals because that would be a pretty rotten thing to do in my opinion. The one that has been posted in this thread was not brought up by me and when I did quote it in response I redacted the user name.

I'm not going to say that I won't respond again if someone starts up with personal attacks but since we're spinning in circles I'll let it go. I'm happy that I've been able to keep this thread active for two full days now and a lot of people will have seen it. Maybe some of the newer people that aren't so set in their ways will take what I've said to heart and it will help a little down the road. This is something that will improve the forum and make it friendlier to new visitors and would almost certainly improve the return rate of one time visitors and conversion to members and then to active posters. I actually manage some forums and forum software for some sites whose volume would make disboards look like a weekend hobby. The site I currently manage has about 2.5 million active posters. I'm not making those numbers up about anonymous to member to active poster conversions. Those percentages are pretty universally true.

So wait, you are implying that my twenty-three thousand, eight hundred and thirty-six posts (I do not want to be lazy) may have something to do with how fluent I am in using the local vernacular?

In other related news, I think maybe a fifty-year-old understands language and words better than a five-year-old. My daughter, when she was five, always asked me what the new word meant rather than complain that I and all my other adult friends used too many of them. She was more interested in learning then bending everyone around her to her will. Still, I appreciate the tips on how to make sure every single person reading my posts understands every bit of them. I will file them appropriately for future use.

And by the way, if acronyms or initialisms trip you up, you are going to just love FastPass Plus.

 

[alc571]

Stop by more often! Soon you'll be abbrev'ing with the best.

And eventually you'll be using abbreviations when you talk about Disney, and face to face people will have no idea what your are talking about...lol

 

[dae3dae3]

Still, I appreciate the tips on how to make sure every single person reading my posts understands every bit of them. I will file them appropriately for future use.

.

Finally, I can go to bed tonight knowing that I convinced one person at least.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Have you noticed the people arguing with me all have very high post counts and the people agreeing with me have low post numbers? The same thing with is true with the private messages I've been receiving. If the desire is for the people with low post counts to turn into people with high post counts then yes there is a problem. What I'm suggesting is such low effort it is laughable the vehemence of the responses I'm getting.

How is asking what an acronym means any more effort?

Again, if someone asks what [insert acronym here] means, the general response within minutes (if not seconds) is not a link to the acronym list, but the full written out phrase.

I don't have an incredibly high post count (like those with 10000+ posts). I was quiet on here for a few years and lurked. I didn't know all the acronyms at first either. All of us were newbies to this board at one point. We all stuck around and learned as we went.

I'm not so sure why it is so unreasonable to say if you don't know what something means, simply ask and there will be many helpful people along to answer you.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Of course I'm going to respond more in a controversial thread I started. I took a trip in 2011 so I posted some then. I'm going in December so I'm back more often now. In between then and now I occasionally visited and posted just to keep up on major changes at Disney. Also, yes I am getting quite a kick out of how offended people get when you dare to suggest something that will improve their forum. Especially when it is such an easy and low effort change. You'd think I kicked their dog. I like dogs. I wouldn't do that.

Who exactly is offended?

 

[SpringSprite]

And eventually you'll be using abbreviations when you talk about Disney, and face to face people will have no idea what your are talking about...lol

this is SO true!!!! I was talking to a friend (a DVC OWNING friend ) about our upcoming trip and mentioned our ADR's...her reply..."what the hell is an ADR?"

I have to direct her to the DIS I guess...

 

[mesaboy2]

How is asking what an acronym means any more effort?

Again, if someone asks what [insert acronym here] means, the general response within minutes (if not seconds) is not a link to the acronym list, but the full written out phrase.

I don't have an incredibly high post count (like those with 10000+ posts). I was quiet on here for a few years and lurked. I didn't know all the acronyms at first either. All of us were newbies to this board at one point. We all stuck around and learned as we went.

I'm not so sure why it is so unreasonable to say if you don't know what something means, simply ask and there will be many helpful people along to answer you.

The ones really interested in an answer will go through the (extremely minor) extra effort.

 

[Angel Ariel]

And eventually you'll be using abbreviations when you talk about Disney, and face to face people will have no idea what your are talking about...lol

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

 

[sharonped]

When reading through these, I generally agree with most posters-if you don't understand, then ask. However - with that said; I found myself spelling out first-use acronyms when responding in another thread. So - I guess I have been swayed by the OP's argument. It's not a right or wrong thing - it just might be kinder?

 

[fairytalelover]

It's not just me. I'm just the one that doesn't mind getting the flame throwers turned on me.

Ok so it's you and a handful of others. So you want thousands of disney fans on this board and other disney boards besides DIS to change the way they have been communicating for years for a few of you who can't figure out acronyms? Really? Sorry but it doesnt work that way. You are the few so you need to acclimate to the many. Like I said, there are times when even I dont understand some acronyms, so I ASK!! Do you really have such a hard time asking or do you have a hard time remembering acronyms?? "rolling eyes"

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Actually, I'm waiting for someone to point out that none of these are acronyms. They are initialisms. However, I intentionally used the incorrect but commonly used word "acronym" because nobody would know what the heck I was talking about if I used the correct word.

Today I learned the difference between acronyms and initialisms. I had no idea. Thanks OP!

I personally don't care about the abbreviations. The Disney Geek in me actually finds it fun trying to figure them out. Kinda like that Guess the Emoji game on my phone...

But I do appreciate the argument that newbies can feel put off by asking. Every now and then (though rare) someone will respond with an unhelpful RTFM type of response, and that can be enough to leave a bad taste about asking questions. Not just here, either, this occurs at just about every message board in which I've participated.

That said, I don't think that people need to change their patterns. I do think that most people here want to be helpful and will politely answer a "what does CRT mean" question with "Cinderella's Royal Table" if the question is asked.

Also, it takes me longer to type MNSSHP than "6 keystrokes" because I always do it wrong! Haha. More like 12 keystrokes.

 

[fairytalelover]

But all of us with high post counts had low post counts at one time.

Exactly. When I first started I had no clue what the acronyms meant but I LEARNED!! And I didnt victimize myself and ask the entire community to change for little old me. This is just like learning to speak a foreign language. When I moved to France and I didnt know a word of French, I didnt complain and *****. I learned the language and eventually I figured out what people were saying........in my opinion, the lazy one around here is YOU. Put some effort in and learn and if you dont want to learn than LEAVE.

 

[danielle.st]

My post count isn't very high but I have been reading a lot for years. I like the abbreviations. I like figuring them out and I think in abbreviations more often than the full words for many if me. Typing out Be Our Guest actually takes much more effort than some may think when I am always thinking BOG. Using the foreign language analogy, it would be like thinking "cheese" but remembering to type "queso". It would annoy me to have to do it enough that I would respond less to anything. And frankly, while newbies on the boards are fun to have, IMO the lifeblood is in the long term users. They are the ones with the most experience, info and help. And frankly, over accommodating users who come on for a few weeks every few years in preparation for a trip at the expense of alienating board regulars seems ridiculous to me.

 

[fairytalelover]

Of course I'm going to respond more in a controversial thread I started. I took a trip in 2011 so I posted some then. I'm going in December so I'm back more often now. In between then and now I occasionally visited and posted just to keep up on major changes at Disney. Also, yes I am getting quite a kick out of how offended people get when you dare to suggest something that will improve their forum. Especially when it is such an easy and low effort change. You'd think I kicked their dog. I like dogs. I wouldn't do that.

That's the thing though, we dont think it will Improve the forum. Only you think that. The majority dont want to type out Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party every time we are referring to it.

 

[fairytalelover]

And frankly, while newbies on the boards are fun to have, IMO the lifeblood is in the long term users. They are the ones with the most experience, info and help. And frankly, over accommodating users who come on for a few weeks every few years in preparation for a trip at the expense of alienating board regulars seems ridiculous to me.

Exactly

 

[dae3dae3]

The majority dont want to type out Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party every time we are referring to it.

That isn't what I'm suggesting. I've explained it four or five times now.

 

[gericoronado]

Sorry, there is nothing confusing about the post to me. I understood 100% of it and had I been writing it, would have probably written it the same way.

Me too! I'm new here...really new... and I understood it that post just fine. Sure the "A&E" is a new one but it's very easy to remember.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Sort of off topic, but...

It's funny because for me, I always refer to the Frozen royalty as Elsa & Anna. So a natural abbreviation (for me) would be E&A. But A&E has taken hold here, so I go with it. Anyone else?

 

[gericoronado]

This board is free and extremely helpful.

This newcomer completely agrees!!!!