Let's try to avoid unnecessary abbreviations

What’s a cMP? I’m trying to figure out the acronym but have come up short :cry:

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cMP = classic Mac Pro

(not that I use it myself [never really sure where the cut-off would be] but see it plenty on the web)

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My guess was cylindrical MacPro

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I’m not militant about this in TidBITS Talk discussions (though I regularly edit titles to expand them), but I would never use abbreviations like MBP for “MacBook Pro” or cMP for “classic Mac Pro” in TidBITS because they’re unnecessarily exclusionary jargon. No one should have trouble understanding text purely because they don’t know how to expand an unnecessary abbreviation.

The tech world is rife with jargon and abbreviations that we can’t avoid. There’s no point in expanding abbreviations like POP and IMAP—the expansions don’t explain the abbreviations and the abbreviations are vastly more common—but avoiding unnecessary abbreviations makes what we write more accessible to a wider audience.

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I suggest the principle to follow is that the first time something is mentioned it should be in full (e.g. “classic Mac Pro”), but if it is going to be used frequently write “classic Mac Pro (cMP)” and then feel free to use cMP from there on. An example more frequently seen here: “Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC)” the first time and then CCC elsewhere.

But, I agree some acronyms are so embedded in the technology or language that we should just use them. POP, IMAP, SSD, … all the way to those we don’t normally capitalise - e.g. laser.

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Can we still use MMMM* (aka M4) in discussions of the Mac Studio?

* the Mythical Midrange Mac Minitower

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Having written many papers in my life…that’s the way I’ve always done it.

Using the full term followed by its abbreviation in parentheses is a good approach. However, it’s still most effective for common terms where the abbreviation is at least as recognizable as the full term and is likely to be understood by many people. The term “classic Mac Pro” is not common enough to warrant abbreviation; it confused several highly experienced individuals here, including me.

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TL;DR

:smiley:

Dave

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I often take this a step further and make the expanded form a hyperlink to addition information about it, e.g., “Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC).”

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That’s the standard for formal documents. For informal ones, like these kind of pages, I find it better to just make up a barely plausible expansion and then ask the author about, e.g., their coherent multiprocessor. :wink:

I fully support not using abbreviations / capitalsims / acronyms unless on their first mention, as some have suggested above, they are first written in full and followed by the short version inside parenthesis. After that, if used again it is acceptable just to use them. (This is expected in formal papers, as someone else has mentioned but is good practice in ensuring that all your readers understand to what you are referring.)

This one was particularly interesting because it has a lower case ‘c’ and upper case ‘MP’ - That, of itself can create confusion because often such particulars are overlooked.

This abbreviation is also interesting because if one checks it without the small ‘c’, i.e. as ‘CMP’ it shows how frustrating using such terms can be for those who aren’t initiated:

CMP

CMP Connection Management Protocol
CMP Communications plenum cable
CMP Cooperative Marketing Partner
CMP Certified Meeting Professional
CMP Chemical Mechanical Polishing
CMP Compare
CMP Camp (street suffix)
CMP Civilian Marksmanship Program
CMP Code des Marchés Publics (French: Procurement Code)
CMP Centre Médico-Psychologique (French community mental health center)
CMP Change Management Process
CMP Camp On
CMP Computational
CMP Corps of Military Police (various locations)
CMP Condensed Matter Physics (various organizations)
CMP Crédit Municipal de Paris (French bank; Paris, France)
CMP Central Maine Power Company
CMP California Museum of Photography
CMP Commission Mixte Paritaire (French Parliament)
CMP Chemical Mechanical Planarization
CMP Container-Managed Persistence (Enterprise Java Beans)
CMP Creative Media Production (various organizations)
CMP Communications in Mathematical Physics (Springer publication)
CMP Crapped My Pants
CMP Cloud Management Platform (various companies)
CMP Calabogie Motorsports Park (Canada)
CMP Coastal Management Program
CMP Corrugated Metal Pipe
CMP Contrats et Marchés Publics (French: Public Contracts and Markets; LexisNexis)
CMP Chinese Medicine Practitioner
CMP Compensatory Mitigation Plan (various locations)
CMP Certificate Management Protocol
CMP Chip Level Micro Processing
CMP Camshaft Position
CMP Cisco Meeting Place
CMP Chip Multi Processor
CMP Control and Monitoring Processor
CMP Content Management Platform
CMP Container Managed Persistence
CMP Connection Manager Profile
CMP Caching Multicast Protocol
CMP Centre de Médecine Préventive (French: Center for Preventive Medicine)
CMP Comprehensive Master Plan (various locations)
CMP Chemicals Management Plan (Chemical Substances; Canada)
CMP Certificate Management Protocol (Internet protocol)
CMP Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
CMP Clamavi de Profundis (musical group)
CMP Comprehensive Management Plan
CMP Cardiomyopathy
CMP Civil Money Penalty
CMP Credential Maintenance Program (Green Building Certification Institute)
CMP Current Market Price
CMP Câmara Municipal do Porto (Portugal)
CMP Controlled Materials Plan (US War Production Board)
CMP Comprehensive Maintenance Plan (education)
CMP Closed Material Procedure (law; UK)
CMP Cytidine 5’-Monophosphate
CMP Contract Manufacturing and Packaging (publication)
CMP Chemistry and Molecular Physics (various schools)
CMP Camshaft Position Sensor
CMP Chip Multi-Processor
CMP Configuration Management Plan
CMP Congestion Management Program
CMP Circuits Multi-Projets (French computer service organization)
CMP Certified Meeting Planner
CMP Captioned Media Program
CMP Case Mix Programme (patient outcomes)
CMP Certified Music Practitioner
CMP Complete Meeting Package (convention/hospitality industry)
CMP Command Module Pilot (US NASA Apollo missions)
CMP California Mathematics Project (California)
CMP Centre Microélectronique de Provence (French: Microelectronics Center of Provence; est. 2003)
CMP Conservation Management Plan
CMP Canadian Mounted Police
CMP Colegio Médico del Perú
CMP Clomipramine
CMP Crisis Management Plan
CMP Coastal Migratory Pelagics
CMP Creative Management Platform (advertising)
CMP Collections Management Policy (various organizations)
CMP Complete Metabolic Panel
CMP Central de Movimentos Populares (Portuguese: Popular Movement Center; Brazil)
CMP Centre Mondial de la Paix (French: World Center of Peace)
CMP Capacity Management Process
CMP Conceptual Master Plan (various organizations)
CMP Connected Mathematics Program
CMP Common Mid-Point (reflection seismology, GPR)
CMP Construction Management Professionals (various locations)
CMP Condition Management Programme (UK government initiative)
CMP Conseil Marketing Publicité (French: Marketing Advertising Council)
CMP Case Management Program
CMP Chamber Music Program (various organizations)
CMP Common Minimum Program (Indian politics)
CMP Community Master Plan (various locations)
CMP Configuration Management Process
CMP Central Metabolic Pathway
CMP Construction de Mécanique de Précision (French: Construction of Precision Mechanics)
CMP Cercle Magique de Paris (French: Magic Circle of Paris; Paris, France)
CMP Chondromalacia Patella
CMP Communications Message Processor (US DoD)
CMP Clean Marina Program
CMP Community Music Program (various locations)
CMP Capital Markets Project (various locations)
CMP Common Mid Point (seismic exploration)
CMP Chamber Music PLUS (Tucson, AZ)
CMP Canadian Military Pattern
CMP Court Mediation Program (various locations)
CMP Chip Level Multiprocessing
CMP Commercial Multi Peril (insurance)
CMP Certified Massage Practitioner (designation)
CMP Carbon Management Programme (UK)
CMP Congestion Management Procedure (various organizations)
CMP Chemo-Mechanical Polishing
CMP Cholet Mécanique de Précision (French: Cholet Precision Mechanics; Cholet, France)
CMP Contract Management Plan
CMP Cellular Multi Processing (Computer architecture designed by Unisys Corp)
CMP Coalition for Medical Progress
CMP Central Maintenance Panel
CMP Carreaux et Mosaïques de Provence (French tile company)
CMP Cable Management Panel
CMP Course Management Plan
CMP Compliance Monitoring Program
CMP Community Meeting Point (UK)
CMP Comprehensive Medical Plan
CMP Command Message Processor (US DoD)
CMP Colégio Municipal Pelotense (Portuguese: College Hall Pelotense; Brazil)
CMP Class Maintenance Plan
CMP Conference Meeting Package (various locations)
CMP Cornell Migrant Program (Cornell University; New York)
CMP Christian Music Place
CMP Copenhagen Malmo Port
CMP Courts Métrages de Providence (French: Short Films of Providence; film enthusiasts’ club)
CMP Cow Milk Protein
CMP Complete Metabolic Profile
CMP Certified Mulligan Practitioner
CMP Common Message Processor
CMP Cooperative Marketing Program
CMP Certified Medical Planner
CMP Continuous Monitoring Program
CMP Canadian Mind Products
CMP Concomitant Medical Problem
CMP Cooperative Marketing Partner (DEC)
CMP Companion Virus (virus scanners)
CMP Committee for Missing Persons (Cyprus)
CMP Compogravure Munsch Packaging (French packaging supply company)
CMP Continuous Mill Plate (steel manufacturing)
CMP Combat Marksmanship Program (US Marine Corps)
CMP Critical Measurements Program (Missile Defense Agency)
CMP Career Motivation Program (various organizations)
CMP Comité Mixte à La Production (French)
CMP Cooperative Mobility Program (Center for Technology, Policy, and Industrial Development, MIT)
CMP Certified Management Professional (London Academy of Professional Management, London, England)
CMP Complaint Mediation Panel (New York County Lawyers’ Association)
CMP Child Maintenance Premium (UK)
CMP Complete Mentoring Program (software)
CMP Community Manufacturing Partnership
CMP Constrained Market Pricing
CMP Chemical Measurement Process
CMP Capacitively-coupled Microwave Plasma (usually seen as CCMP)
CMP Chemicals, Metals and Pesticides (Pits)
CMP COE Message Processor
CMP Certified Magic Professional
CMP Christian Movement for Peace (Peru)
CMP China Main Port
CMP Cost Management Process
CMP Cash Management and Payments
CMP Call My Phone
CMP Coastal Monitoring Program
CMP Câmara Municipal de Portel
CMP Component Portion (ANSI)
CMP Civiel Medisch Personeel
CMP Chris Moses Productions
CMP Counter Military Potential
CMP Cervical Myofascial Pain
CMP Coupled Model Project
CMP Corrective Measures Plan
CMP Corporate Maintenance Philosophy
CMP Communication Module Processor
CMP 1-(1’,4’-Cyclohexadienyl)-2-Methylaminopropane (found in methamphetamine)
CMP Climate Modeling Program
CMP Community Mediation Project
CMP Cruise Missiles Project
CMP California Medical Physics, Inc.
CMP Custom Mass-Production
CMP Critical Materials Program
CMP Common Management Protocol
CMP Citizen’s Monitoring Program
CMP Computational Map Processor
CMP Cooperative Management Protocol
CMP Constrained Mirror Placement
CMP Command Monitor Panel
CMP Control & Maintenance Panel
CMP Constant Monthly Prepayment
CMP Community Managed Project
CMP Cutting, Making, Packing
CMP Contract Monitoring Point
CMP Conventional Munitions Plan
CMP Chapel Management Personnel
CMP Contract Material Planning
CMP Columbus Midrange Engine Plant (Indiana)
CMP Connecting Math and Physics
CMP Cheyenne Mountain Air Station Message Processor
CMP Channel Module Processor
CMP Communication Management Process (ITI)
CMP Configuration/Change Management Plan/Procedures
CMP Compact Model Potential
CMP Current Maintenance Plan
CMP Central Message Processing
CMP Critical Maintenance Plan
CMP Chocolate, Marshmallow, and Peanut
CMP Corpo Musicale di Parre

AcronymFinder.com

I think that illustrates the problem fairly well.
Obviously many of these would readily be recognised when used within a particular field or context, however that will not always be the case and it oughtn’t to be assumed that every potential reader is au fait with the term.

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Shouldn’t the same be true of non-English terms like, ummm… “au fait”? :smile:

(I did figure it out: I highlighted it, control-clicked and clicked on “Look Up”. That doesn’t work very well for acronyms, though – it tells me that “CMP” means “Comprehensive metabolic panel”.)

One of my managers (when I was a corporate IT guy) used to evaluate newcomers to the department with an acronym expansion quiz. That was funny once but with weekly new hire meetings - it became extremely tedious. I was really happy when I got laid off of that job! (New hires there eventually equaled old hire lay offs…)

I guess I’m going to have to comply with this, but I see this as an extremely minor issue when there are much bigger fish to fry. Most of us on this list are tech-savvy people and know what these computer abbreviations mean! So we can’t even use SSD for Solid State Drive, anymore?

SSD is one of those abbreviations that’s better known and more frequently used than its expansion, so that’s fine.

Just avoid making up abbreviations that you wouldn’t see in a professionally edited publication, and all will be fine. If people start using SS for System Settings, for instance, comprehension drops precipitously.

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No, there is a significant difference between non-English terms and abbreviations, capitalisms and acronyms.

  • There are many foreign terms that have been integrated into the English language, which is, in any case, the equivalent of a multicultural society in the sense that it has collected words from many languages.
  • Most actual foreign terms, as opposed to modifications, are quite commonly used and known by English speakers, particular if they are first language speakers.
  • Foreign terms are specific words with a specific definition. They are not identically replicated with an entirely different definition or meaning.

I have to apologise for my game playing. I used ‘au fait’ quite intentionally, expecting that someone would question it on the grounds that some would not understand it, either. ‘Me bad’, I guess. However, it has given me the opportunity to point out the substantial difference between lack of understanding of a foreign term and lack of understanding of an abbreviation of some sort. One, of course, is simply a lack of facility in that foreign language or not ever having come across its meaning. Some of these words are common, of course, but others less frequently used. ‘Caveat emptor’, (buyer beware) is quite commonly understood for instance, whereas ‘carpe diem’ may not be so readily recognised.

Abbreviations of various sorts, on the other hand, as I showed, can refer to completely different names, concepts or whatever. Also, as someone else has pointed out, it is not unusual when searching to clarify one, that one will get just one answer that, while correct in itself, is wrong in context. Indeed, often one of the best clues as to the correct meaning or an acronym or such, is to consider its context. It is not, of course, infallible but can give strong clues. :-)

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And, of course, we should be considerate to all those poor AIs trawling our posts and getting confused about abbbreviations.

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As James Nicoll put it, “English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.”

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In discussions of Apple computers, I suspect cMP is most often used to mean cheesegrater Mac Pro.

The cheesegrater Mac Pro could still be the best Mac ever made.

This is probably more obvious to those who use Mac Pros, maybe not so much to those using laptops. This lack of clarity, even among the well-informed readers of TidBITS, illustrates the importance of writing out the whole term before falling back to an abbreviation.

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