Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms

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list_of_acronyms [2022/01/13 09:46] – wikiownerlist_of_acronyms [2022/01/13 13:00] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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   * **ArcGIS** - This is actually a combination of an acronym (ARC) and an initialism (GIS), seldom referred to as an acronysm and even more seldom written acronism (ăkˈrə-nĭzˌəm), and should not to be confused with an anachronism (ə-năkˈrə-nĭzˌəm) which is something different altogether.  ArcGIS stands for Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System.  Very few people know this, and even fewer care.  Now, however, ArcGIS simply refers to the suite of software products produced by ESRI (defined below).   * **ArcGIS** - This is actually a combination of an acronym (ARC) and an initialism (GIS), seldom referred to as an acronysm and even more seldom written acronism (ăkˈrə-nĭzˌəm), and should not to be confused with an anachronism (ə-năkˈrə-nĭzˌəm) which is something different altogether.  ArcGIS stands for Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System.  Very few people know this, and even fewer care.  Now, however, ArcGIS simply refers to the suite of software products produced by ESRI (defined below).
   * **ARIA** - Accessible Rich Internet Applications   * **ARIA** - Accessible Rich Internet Applications
-  * **EROB** - Engineering Research Office Building 
   * **ESRI** - Environmental Systems Research Institute - The acronym (pronounced 'ez-ree') is now the preferred usage however, it is still spoken as an initialism, particularly by long-time (i.e. old) ESRI software users.   * **ESRI** - Environmental Systems Research Institute - The acronym (pronounced 'ez-ree') is now the preferred usage however, it is still spoken as an initialism, particularly by long-time (i.e. old) ESRI software users.
   * **FOMO** - Fear Of Missing Out -  The sense that when you're presented with new information, whether via email, seeing a new article in your Facebook or Twitter feeds, or scrolling through notifications on your phone, that if you don't stop everything and consume it immediately, you're going to miss out on something super important that everybody else in the world knows about but you.   * **FOMO** - Fear Of Missing Out -  The sense that when you're presented with new information, whether via email, seeing a new article in your Facebook or Twitter feeds, or scrolling through notifications on your phone, that if you don't stop everything and consume it immediately, you're going to miss out on something super important that everybody else in the world knows about but you.
   * **JSON** - (pronounced "jason" according to its inventor, Douglas Crockford) JavaScript Object Notation   * **JSON** - (pronounced "jason" according to its inventor, Douglas Crockford) JavaScript Object Notation
   * **LiDAR** - Light Detection and Ranging   * **LiDAR** - Light Detection and Ranging
-  * **PEMP** - Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan 
   * **SMART** - As used in 'Smart Goals.'  Stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based.  That's all we really know about this having never been able to successfully set a Smart Goal.   * **SMART** - As used in 'Smart Goals.'  Stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based.  That's all we really know about this having never been able to successfully set a Smart Goal.
   * **SQL** - Stands for **S**tructured **Q**uery **L**anguage.  Even though many people pronounce this as a word (sequel), and thereby making it an acronym, that's wrong. It's really an initialism (see below in the Initialism section) and it should be pronounced that way.  (BTW, SEQUEL, was a real acronym back in the 70s when it stood for **S**tructured **E**nglish **Que**ry **L**anguage, but was dropped because it was a trademark of an airplane company.)   * **SQL** - Stands for **S**tructured **Q**uery **L**anguage.  Even though many people pronounce this as a word (sequel), and thereby making it an acronym, that's wrong. It's really an initialism (see below in the Initialism section) and it should be pronounced that way.  (BTW, SEQUEL, was a real acronym back in the 70s when it stood for **S**tructured **E**nglish **Que**ry **L**anguage, but was dropped because it was a trademark of an airplane company.)
   * **SWOT** - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats - Used as a structured planning method to evaluate these key areas of an organization.    * **SWOT** - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats - Used as a structured planning method to evaluate these key areas of an organization. 
-  * **TAN** - Test Area North, nka SMC 
   * **WYSIWYG** - Pronounced (WIZ-ee-wig) - Stands for "What You See Is What You Get."  The phrase was originally created by Flip Wilson's character Geraldine and it inspired researchers at PARC (and elsewhere) to create the acronym for computer software.   * **WYSIWYG** - Pronounced (WIZ-ee-wig) - Stands for "What You See Is What You Get."  The phrase was originally created by Flip Wilson's character Geraldine and it inspired researchers at PARC (and elsewhere) to create the acronym for computer software.
   * **YAGNI** - Stands for "You Aren't Gonna Need It" - a principle of extreme programming (XP) that states a programmer should not add functionality until deemed necessary.   * **YAGNI** - Stands for "You Aren't Gonna Need It" - a principle of extreme programming (XP) that states a programmer should not add functionality until deemed necessary.
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   * **aka** - also known as   * **aka** - also known as
   * **API** - Application Programming Interface   * **API** - Application Programming Interface
-  * **ATR** - Advanced Test Reactor, fka RTC, fka TRA 
-  * **CDO** - Campus Development Office 
   * **CIDR** - Classless Inter-Domain Routing   * **CIDR** - Classless Inter-Domain Routing
-  * **CITRC** - Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex 
-  * **CR** - Cultural Resources 
   * **CSS** - Cascading Style Sheets   * **CSS** - Cascading Style Sheets
-  * **DOE** - Department of Energy 
   * **DYK** - Did you know   * **DYK** - Did you know
   * **DYC** - Do you care   * **DYC** - Do you care
   * **e.g.** - from the Latin //exemplī grātiā// ‎(“for example”)   * **e.g.** - from the Latin //exemplī grātiā// ‎(“for example”)
-  * **EM** - Emergency Management 
   * **EPA** - Environmental Protection Agency   * **EPA** - Environmental Protection Agency
-  * **ES** - Emergency Services 
-  * **EV** - Electric Vehicles 
   * **FDGC** - See FGDC   * **FDGC** - See FGDC
   * **FGDC** - (sometimes referred to as FDGC) stands for Federal Geographic Data Committee, see [[https://fgdc.gov/|FGDC.gov]] for more details than you probably want to know, including excruciating details on [[https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/events/iso-geospatial-metadata-implementation-forum/index_html|metadata]].   * **FGDC** - (sometimes referred to as FDGC) stands for Federal Geographic Data Committee, see [[https://fgdc.gov/|FGDC.gov]] for more details than you probably want to know, including excruciating details on [[https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/events/iso-geospatial-metadata-implementation-forum/index_html|metadata]].
   * **fka** - formerly known as   * **fka** - formerly known as
   * **FOUC** - Flash Of Unstyled Content (also flash of unstyled text or FOUT) - the condition where a web page appears briefly with the browser's default styles prior to loading an external stylesheet, due to the web browser engine rendering the page before all information is retrieved.  Related problems include flash of invisible text (FOIT) and flash of faux text (FOFT).   * **FOUC** - Flash Of Unstyled Content (also flash of unstyled text or FOUT) - the condition where a web page appears briefly with the browser's default styles prior to loading an external stylesheet, due to the web browser engine rendering the page before all information is retrieved.  Related problems include flash of invisible text (FOIT) and flash of faux text (FOFT).
-  * **FTE** - Full-Time Equivalent - a measure of how much funding is available,  e.g. a funding level of 1 FTE means there's enough money to pay for a standard employee for one-year.  Note that this applies to a standard employee. Funding for sub-standard employees is adjusted accordingly. 
   * **FTP** - File Transfer Protocol   * **FTP** - File Transfer Protocol
   * **FYI** - For Your Information   * **FYI** - For Your Information
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   * **IE** - Internet Explorer.  Many people confuse IE with a web browser.  Technically, IE is a Microsoft Internet document viewer.  A true web browser will open and display web-based files that conform to the W3C standards. IE opens and displays web-based files that conform to Microsoft's standards.   * **IE** - Internet Explorer.  Many people confuse IE with a web browser.  Technically, IE is a Microsoft Internet document viewer.  A true web browser will open and display web-based files that conform to the W3C standards. IE opens and displays web-based files that conform to Microsoft's standards.
   * **i.e.** - from the Latin //id est// (‎“that is”)   * **i.e.** - from the Latin //id est// (‎“that is”)
-  * **IM** - Information Management, an organization at INL, fka IT 
-  * **INL** - Idaho National Laboratory, fka INEEL (Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory), fka INEL (Idaho National Engineering Laboratory), fka NRTS (National Reactor Testing Station) 
-  * **IRC** - INL Research Center (Fun Fact: IRC is actually a nested, or double, initialism) 
-  * **IT** - Information Technology, nka IM 
   * **L10N** - Localization, the letter "l," followed by 10 letters, followed by "n"   * **L10N** - Localization, the letter "l," followed by 10 letters, followed by "n"
-  * **LMR** - Land Mobile Radio 
-  * **MFA** - Stands for Multi-Factor Authentication, which is a process all computers at INL are required to go through so that users now use their employee badge in addition to a PIN to login.  The net result is increased difficulty in doing one's job, multiple logins to access things, and decreased productivity due to the lack of ability to run some applications or do what were simple tasks like copying or renaming files.  This initialism is often used in verb form as in "I've been MFAd" to indicate that the person's computer has gone through the process and now has limited capability. 
-  * **MFC** - Materials and Fuels Complex - fka Argonne West, aka ANL-W 
-  * **MSDS** - Material Safety Data Sheet, nka SDS 
   * **nka** - now known as   * **nka** - now known as
   * **P13N** - Personalization, the letter "p," followed by 13 letters, followed by "n"   * **P13N** - Personalization, the letter "p," followed by 13 letters, followed by "n"
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   * **PII** - Personally identifiable information. Examples include: Full name/usernames, Home address/mailing address, Email address, Credit card numbers, Date of birth, and Phone numbers.   * **PII** - Personally identifiable information. Examples include: Full name/usernames, Home address/mailing address, Email address, Credit card numbers, Date of birth, and Phone numbers.
   * **PIN** - Personal Identification Number, used for just about everything in the world.   * **PIN** - Personal Identification Number, used for just about everything in the world.
-  * **QAP** - Quick Access Plan 
-  * **RTC** - Reactor Technology Center, aka TRA, nka ATR 
-  * **SDS** - Safety Data Sheet, fka MSDS 
   * **SFTP** - SSH FTP (File Transfer Protocol), essentially Secure FTP   * **SFTP** - SSH FTP (File Transfer Protocol), essentially Secure FTP
-  * **SMC** - Specific Manufacturing Capability, fka TAN 
   * **SQL** - Stands for Structured Query Language and although most people pronounce this as a word, and therefore consider it an acronym, that's wrong.  It's really an initialism and it should be pronounced that way.   * **SQL** - Stands for Structured Query Language and although most people pronounce this as a word, and therefore consider it an acronym, that's wrong.  It's really an initialism and it should be pronounced that way.
   * **SSH** - Secure Shell   * **SSH** - Secure Shell
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   * **TL;DR** - short for "too long; didn't read" - Internet slang to say that some text being replied to has been ignored because of its length.  Variations include: **ToS;DR** - "Terms of Service; didn't read", **iN;DR** - "iNotes; didn't read",   * **TL;DR** - short for "too long; didn't read" - Internet slang to say that some text being replied to has been ignored because of its length.  Variations include: **ToS;DR** - "Terms of Service; didn't read", **iN;DR** - "iNotes; didn't read",
   * **TMI** - Too Much Information, or Three Mile Island, depending on the context.   * **TMI** - Too Much Information, or Three Mile Island, depending on the context.
-  * **TRA** - Test Reactor Area, aka ATR 
   * **URL** - Uniform Resource Locator and is a reference to a resource on the Internet.  It's usually just referred to as the web address.  Some people will pronounce this as if it was an acronym (earl) but that's wrong, and just sounds stupid.   * **URL** - Uniform Resource Locator and is a reference to a resource on the Internet.  It's usually just referred to as the web address.  Some people will pronounce this as if it was an acronym (earl) but that's wrong, and just sounds stupid.
   * **UX** - Guess this is an initialism with a typo.  It's used to mean User Experience.   * **UX** - Guess this is an initialism with a typo.  It's used to mean User Experience.
   * **VCS**  - Version Control System, e.g. GIT or SVN   * **VCS**  - Version Control System, e.g. GIT or SVN
-  * **WCB** - Willow Creek Building 
-  * **WCC** - Warning Communications Center 
   * **XKCD** - Ok, this is **NOT** an initialism.  According to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xkcd | this]], it's "just a word with no phonetic pronunciation." I'm putting it here, anyway, because this is probably where someone will go to look for it. [[https://xkcd.com/ | XKCD]] (or xkcd) is "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language."   * **XKCD** - Ok, this is **NOT** an initialism.  According to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xkcd | this]], it's "just a word with no phonetic pronunciation." I'm putting it here, anyway, because this is probably where someone will go to look for it. [[https://xkcd.com/ | XKCD]] (or xkcd) is "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language."
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