Re: disadvantages

John P. McKiness (jmckines@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu)
Wed, 26 Feb 1997 22:21:30 -0600

At 04:25 PM 2/26/97 -0500, Bill Hamilton wrote:
>Wil Milan wrote
>
>>Paul Arveson wrote:
>>>
>>> {
>>> Um, I wish that we would not use so many specialized acronyms such
>>> as PC, EC, and ID. There are some newcomers lurking out there.
>>> }
>>
>>I second that. I am not a newcomer to these issues, but I am a relative
>>newcomer to this reflector, and in all the reading I've done over the
>>years I've never seen some of these acronyms. I've figured out that YEC
>>must mean Young Earth Creationist and TE must mean Theistic Evolution,
>>but I'm still trying to figure out EC and ID. If the purpose of this
>>list is to discuss and communicate ideas, I'd plead that use of private
>>acronyms is not helpful toward that end.
>>
>
>I have been an acronym-hater all my life, but I probably still indulge. I
>would rather we avoid acronyms, but realistically that wouldn't be
>universally observed. Perhaps we ought to put a glossary on our web page.
>
>In any case
>
>YEC = Young Earth Creationist
>PC = Progressive Preationist
>EC = Evolutionary Creationist
>ID = Intelligent Design
>TE = Theistic Evolutionist
>
>
>Bill Hamilton

I not only second the above, but request that as these are confusing terms
that if we use them, we define them the first time we use them in a message.
As in standard scientific writing, we should introduce the acronym after the
term it stands for the first time used, as in Young Earth Creationist (YEC)
are . . .

By the way what does IMO stand for?

John

**********************************
John P. McKiness
P.O. Box 5666
Coralville, Iowa (U.S.A.) 52241

jmckines@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
**********************************