Information graciously provided by Jeffery.Kabachinski@med.ge.com

Acronyms – the essence of modern life

 

The most common questions I get asked about, as well as questions that I ask, are about the acronyms.  We are “blessed” in the biomedical industry as we deal with acronyms from the clinical side and the technical side.  Acronyms are a way of life.  If you don’t know the TLA (see glossary) you could find yourself in a SNAFU.

 

No one admits to not knowing the acronym – it’s a sure way to lose face.  Some time ago – I was faced with explaining myself to an IT engineer and I made up a few acronyms on the spot.  He just nodded his head and kept saying, “Uh-huh, Uh-huh”.  He didn’t want to admit that he had no idea what I was talking – but then, neither did I.  Try this sometime and see.  I’ve added a few of my acronym inventions to the glossary below.  If you’ve come up with a good one – I want to know about it: Jkabachinski@wi.rr.com

 

This issue’s IT World is about acronyms.  It is part of our ‘work’ language and since technology creeps into the ‘real’ world as well – they’re there wherever you turn.  Acronyms become words as they are pronounced rather than spelled out.  We don’t say L – A – N for local area network – we say ‘lan’.  Sometimes acronyms become so inculcated, we know what they mean – but can’t tell you what it stands for.  Where I work the employee performance system is referred to as the EMS.  When I first needed to use it, I asked my manager what the letters stood for - he didn’t know.  I asked others around me – no one knew.  I asked the human resources manager – she didn’t know, but we all knew what the system was and how it was used.

 

I find that a cheat sheet is handy.  I don’t put everything on it – just the current acronyms that I can’t seem to remember.  I have a little leather wallet thing that holds 3x5 note cards.  I keep it in my back pocket.  Most often I pull it out to take notes or write reminders to myself – a list of to-do’s.  I also keep my short list of acronyms in there.  Sometimes when pretending to take notes – I am actually looking up what has just been said.  This way I have a better chance of understanding what’s going on.

 

Just knowing what the acronym stands for goes a long way to understanding the concept behind the term.  For IT related terminology, I recommend Newton’s Telecomm Dictionary (now in it’s 18th edition).  Just a paragraph or two describing the term or acronym can make you a JIT-Genius.

 

Here then is an acronym starter list.  Just take the one’s you don’t know or have trouble remembering.  They are mainly beginner level terms that you probably already know and maybe a few that you didn’t. Remember - that if you don’t learn your TLA’s PDQ you could be SOL.

 

·        EIA/TIA – Electronics International Association and Telecommunications Industries Association jointly define the 568 and associated specs.

·        ISO/IEC  - International Standards Organization and International Electronics Community jointly define the 1/SC 25 DIS 11801 Class System.