OK, so this post is called "is it too late?" It's been spawned from one of my newest findings - how long can it be left when someone's referring to an acronym to ask wtf it stands for?
I often deal with IT companies and Financial Directors (FCO or FD) who are particularly prone to using acrnoyms whenever they can - either it makes them look good or they genuinely are using acronyms to save time (LDAP, SBS, VCIO and more latterly DPA and PCI DSS). The thing about these is that because they are quite short they can be misinterpreted as incorrect full names. My example is DPA (Data Protection Act) which must be a royal pain to long serving organisations such as the Dudley Performing Arts or David Powell Associates, both who may well have been around longer than the Information Commissioners office.
My real concern is a very personal one, known to me as the Golden Minute - when you're in a meeting with new clients who want to impress you with their knowledge of the industry (normally web design and development which has started employing its own set of acronyms, don't get me started on LAMP, MVC or the exciting ones of CRUD, CRON, AJAX or CVS/SVN - more at http://1cm.me/EWBZz ) and then start mixing up their acronyms and creating their own versions which make little or no sense. What would you do? Normally I would interrupt them and correct them gently but if they're in full flow it can be a little uncomfortable to do this so you then adopt the professional approach of "storing" the acronym and then try NEVER to use it when delivering your reply.
No, the bigger issue is how long do you leave it before you can't ask what the heck a WRPM is, I've determined that the lower on the keyboard the acronyms letters exist, the less chance you have of guessing the damn thing. It can be quite an interesting and occasionally humourous game trying to "guess" what the acronym stands for. Tread carefully Reader as you have entered the Golden Minute. What happens now is that if you don't raise your hand and make it clear you want to know what WRPM stands for (it's nothing to do with Linux Distribution either, nice guess!) you have about 2-3 minutes to sit it out and try to guess what it means before you reach the metaphorical Acronym Rubicon - the point of no return. If you don't 'fess up and ask what it stands for, you can't now ask, all credibility will be lost and you will lose boardroom face, no you will need to struggle on manfully and then proceed to dodge all WRPM-related questions. Heaven forbid someone from the other side of the table asks what you think about the issues "with the context of WRPM-linked progress". You will be unable to ask any questions about the acronym now. The worst thing will be now trying to guess frantically around what the full term should be as you will look like a complete numpty.
My father was a soldier training cadets in the radio phonetic alphabet (alpha, bravo etc) and asked one young guy to spell his surname phoentically (Lawson in case you were wondering). So the poor guy did exactly what you shouldn't do, he guessed. The correct phonetical pronunication would be Lima-Alpha-Whisky-Sierra-Oscar-November, clearly the cadet had glanced over this chapter but taken very little on and proceeded to announce, "Sure Sarge, it's...erm.....Lima..?...Alpha....Whisky...(long pause, click of the fingers and boldly announces)...September, October, November...!" Short spell washing some tanks gave him time to think it over...
So the conclusion of this tale is for heavens sake, if you aren't sure what an acronym stands for, it's not a failing to ask - it'll save you time in the long run...
TTFN
