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Writing out acronyms got reallllllly out of hand in the editing department of a
place where I worked. Had to do it for everything--CD-ROM, the works. And since
the editors never actually had to set foot in a classroom (tech training group)
or know the topics or do anything but enforce the weird strict set of rules, we
got stuff like this.
- In a servlets and JSPs class, in the HTTP section, the editors without asking
wrote out POST, i.e. the POST command, as Power On Self Test, since they found
POST in their Solaris acronym list. It was in the training materials for two
years. ;>
- In another class referring to ATM, don't remember the context but it wasn't
fonts or printing, the editors wrote it out as Adobe Type Manager.
And another editor anecdote that's not related to acronyms but is funny, a
writer doing a database class got back an editor's comment about the discussion
of non-normalized databases. The editor had crossed out "non-normalized
databases" and written in "unusual databases."
I'll go along with reducing unclear pronoun use, of course. Also I've found that
"get" can be really unclear, esp when combined with passive voice, since "get"
means both to go out and obtain something, and to just sit back and receive it.
Solveig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
solveig -at- getopenoffice -dot- org
OpenOffice.org Training and Books
www.getopenoffice.org
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