What’s a cMP? I’m trying to figure out the acronym but have come up short 
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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?
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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
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. 
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 |
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”? 
(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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