Re: 'acronym' semantics

----- Original Message -----
From: "Etan Wexler" <ewexler@stickdog.com>
Subject: 'acronym' semantics


> All of your acronyms are abbreviations, by definition. The 'acronym'
element
> type has exactly the same fundamental semantics as the 'abbr' element type
> has. The 'acronym' element type merely adds the presentational hint,
> "Pronounce like a normal word".


Isn't that a bit like saying all of your <strong> elements have the same
fundamental semantics as your <em> elements, but with a presentational hint
that "emphasis should be stronger"? I've seen suggestions that
<strong>...</strong> should be replaced with <em><em>...</em></em>.

Back to acronyms and abbreviations. What about specifying the type of
abbreviation like this? -


<abbr type="initialism"
      title="Cascading Style Sheets">CSS</abbr>

<abbr type="abbreviation"
      title="Department">Dept.</abbr>

<abbr type="acronym"
      title="Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code">BASIC</abbr>

<abbr type="recursive"
      title="VISA International Service Association">VISA</abbr>

<abbr type="mnemonic"
      title="Web Standards Project">WaSP</abbr>

<abbr type="acronym"
      title="Abbreviating by Cropping Remainders Off Names to Yield
Meaning">acronym</abbr>


I know it looks a little long-winded, but it gives the purists an option to
give deeper meaning to an abbreviation, does it not?

Simon Jessey

w: http://jessey.net/blog/
e: simon@jessey.net