RE: proposed new definitions for abbreviation and acronym

On Sun, 18 Sep 2005, John M Slatin wrote:

>
> Yesterday I asked Gez if Roberto's proposed solution for Guideline 3.1
> Level 3 Success Criterion  (to make the SC read "A mechanism for finding
> the expanded form of abbreviations" is available, with a note indicating
> that both acronyms and initialisms are types of abbreviation) would
> work:
This is the best solution yet proposed. The definitional problem of
deciding what is an abbreviation, and what an acronym, can be thereby
relegated to the HTML techniques where it belongs. After all, the
distinction is only important because HTML 4.0 introduced two elements,
ABBR and ACRONYM, to serve very similar if not identical purposes, and I
think it is in the HTML techniques that appropriate usage guidance should
be offered. I also suggest it would be better not to propagate the HTML
abbreviation/acronym distinction into the text of the guidelines other
than to note that acronyms and initialisms are included as John proposed.

Received on Monday, 19 September 2005 01:34:50 UTC