RE: <abbr></abbr> - use once or use many?

For me, once a page - but because web pages are ephemeral and not read as journals would be, if the page is long then repeat the abbreviation at the beginning of a notional section within the page - where a person may start reading from. Another location indicator could conceivably be at the beginning of each hash navigation section which a robot may recognise.
 
If an article goes over more than one page, then repeat the abbreviation on every page.
 
HOWEVER as IE ignores <abbr> but recognises <acronym> then I tend to use <acronym> even though it is semantically wrong - its pragmatism.
 
As some screen readers parse the HTML of a page, putting too many <abbr><acronym> tags will limit understandability as then every occurance will be read.
 
Regards
 
John

 -----Original Message----- 
 From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org on behalf of Matthew Smith 
 Sent: Sat 23/07/2005 08:26 
 To: WAI Interest Group 
 Cc: 
 Subject: <abbr></abbr> - use once or use many?
 
 


 Hi
 
 Whilst guidelines call for <abbr></abbr> to be used on the first
 occurrence of an abbreviation, I have always tended to use it on all
 occurrences, to save the reader having to go back to look for the
 definition, should they forget it.
 
 What are others thoughts on this - use once, or use many?
 
 Cheers
 
 M
 
 --
 Matthew Smith
 Kadina Business Consultancy, South Australia
 Work: <http://www.kbc.net.au> Personal: <http://www.mss.cx>