* How three little letters can mean so many different things
In our recent discussion of MTUs and the various definitions of MTUs, we asked you to let us know of acronyms that you often see causing confusion and promised that we’d publish a summary of your responses.
Of course, the first response that we got from a couple of readers was a response that MTU is an abbreviation – not an acronym. The readers pointed out that by some definitions, an acronym should be something that makes a word that can be pronounced. The example cited was that “radar” was an acronym, while MTU was an abbreviation.
We’re going to take a bit more liberal definition by allowing abbreviations and acronyms to be interchangeable. After all, we could have an endless debate as to whether a frame relay DLCI (Data Link Connection Identifier) is an acronym or an abbreviation. For years, the frame relay community has pronounced DLCI as if it were spelled “delcie.”
That said, one reader started the list with:
ATM: Telecom term for the high-speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode protocol, but more affectionately known as an Automated Teller Machine.
AAA: Telecom term for Authentication, Authorization and Accounting, otherwise used for roadside assistance or special discounts for die-hard American Automobile Association members.
SMS: Short Message Service (wireless instant messaging) vs. System Management Server (corporate IT tool to manage enterprise resources).
We also use the confusion about acronyms and terminology as a way to distinguish implicitly the background of a person. As our voice, data, and IT infrastructures converge, our differential vocabulary often causes confusion until all are clued in on the context.
MAC is a favorite example. To a LAN-oriented person, it’s obviously the “Media Access Control” layer of a protocol. For instance, Ethernet and token ring are examples of MAC layers. At the same time, a voice-oriented person hears MAC and immediately thinks of “Moves, Adds and Changes” to the telephone system. And the IT person sees it as an alternative to a PC.
