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by yjftsjthsd-h
2306 days ago
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I'll defend it. Not the elitism, but using jargon/abbreviations/etc. When you're writing something for a larger audience, you should of course target that audience. But when you're on the "inside" writing for people who already have the background knowledge, it's unnecessary friction to stop and think "what terms would a newbie need defined in this?" It breaks the flow of writing/discourse and is probably mostly not needed, because someone coming in not knowing the terms in play can either go look them up, or just ask in their own post. (Granted, this also depends on that being easy; either a jargon dictionary being available, or the forum members being friendly to newbie questions.) I think it's also understandable to apply a small amount of gatekeeping, insofar as that continual beginner questions in the middle of an advanced discussion are just a distraction. The answer to that should be directing them to a more beginner-friendly subforum, but FWIW I do understand why people sometimes act poorly out of frustration. |
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If you're writing a paper, define every acronym the first time you use it.
If you're in a forum with a set of acronyms known to all, define them in a sticky or the forum readme.