Spell out the fucking acronym already October 3, 2007 10:35 PM   Subscribe

Get together at SOTFAA?

So maybe it's one of those "if you don't know what it stands for, you aren't cool enough to come" type of things, but would it kill you to add a location (and even acronym explanations) of your proposed meetups up front, before the [mi]? (1, 2, etc).

Example: "Going to U.N.C.L.E (Toledo fetish conference) this month? Meetup? [mi]" Face it, there are a lot of conferences out there...
posted by SassHat to Etiquette/Policy at 10:35 PM (56 comments total)

SAVE ON O.J.
posted by Poolio at 10:45 PM on October 3, 2007


TL;DR
posted by ALongDecember at 10:51 PM on October 3, 2007


LS/MFT
posted by lekvar at 10:57 PM on October 3, 2007


Is this really a widespread problem? The last two posts are the only examples I can remember, ever...
posted by danb at 10:57 PM on October 3, 2007


I think someone needs to have a blood alcohol interlock put on their metatalk privileges.
posted by puke & cry at 10:59 PM on October 3, 2007 [1 favorite]


Was it somehow beneath you to inquire in-thread?
posted by hermitosis at 11:03 PM on October 3, 2007


Get together in my PANTS? [/quonsar]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:16 PM on October 3, 2007


A/S/L?
posted by felix betachat at 11:24 PM on October 3, 2007


Oh, and:

"...but would it kill you to add a location (and even acronym explanations) of your proposed meetups up front, before the [mi]? "

lol
posted by felix betachat at 11:27 PM on October 3, 2007 [2 favorites]


Get together in my PANTS?

IN IN UR PANTS
.               .
 \`-"'"-'/
   } 6 6 {
   =. Y ,=
   /^^^\ .
 /            \ )
(   ) - (   )/
  "'       "'
CHOKIN UR CHICKEN

posted by Poolio at 11:35 PM on October 3, 2007


What a stupid thing to bitch about. If you don't know what it means, you're not going to the conference, so the post doesn't apply to you. How simple is that.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 11:44 PM on October 3, 2007 [4 favorites]


laugh out loud
posted by strawberryviagra at 11:46 PM on October 3, 2007


ಠ_ಠ
posted by puke & cry at 11:55 PM on October 3, 2007


ಠ_ಠ
posted by puke & cry at 11:56 PM on October 3, 2007


ಠ_ಠ
posted by puke & cry at 11:56 PM on October 3, 2007


I agree ! lol
posted by kyleg at 11:58 PM on October 3, 2007

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posted by puke & cry at 12:08 AM on October 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

                /                                                  /               .'                                 /              .'                                  /   ______.   .'                                   /   / __/_//  '  OWOWOWOWOOWOWW                    /   / /  @"@    OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW                   /    \ G  ' >'  OWOWOWOWOWOWOWO  _.-'              /      \/.  C '  OWOWOWOWOW   _.-'                 /     .---\  / --.         _.-'                    /     /     \(     \    _.-'    HOLY GOD           /     /  \    \  (.  )  '    THE RAPE RAYS         /     /   /\       \ /                             /      \  |  \       \               __..--'      /   .'   \_\   )     )\\      __..--'             /  .'      ) \  |    /   \  -'                    / .'   _   '///` (   /\    \                       /.' _.-'  __     /    ) )    )                      '.-'..--'      /   ,' /    /                        .__---------- /__./  /    / --------------------a:f    ``--..  __//  /   )   /                      ejm           /    _J)   /)`-\                                    `-__/-'  ` \\  |(                                               `\   \  -..__                                         `--'       ``--..__                                                    ``--  
posted by puke & cry at 12:12 AM on October 4, 2007 [1 favorite]


The things that go on when admins are asleep...
posted by spiderskull at 12:21 AM on October 4, 2007


ACRONYMCOMPOOP
posted by Poolio at 12:26 AM on October 4, 2007


Is Poolio going to be there?
posted by Roach at 12:26 AM on October 4, 2007

##########WMBXYII+++;::,,,,P&C,,,,::::;;=+IW##############MRXIIt+==;:::,,,,,,,,,,,,::::;=++X##WW########WWBXVIti+=;::::,,,.,,,,,,,,,:::;;=+tW#W#WWWW###WMBRXVIIti=;:::,,,,,,,,,,,,:,::;;==+iR#WWMMW####WBRRXVYYIi+=::::,,,,,,,::::::::;;===+V#WWWWWW##WMBRRXVVYti+=;:::,,,,,,,:,::::::;;;=+iIM##WWW##WWMBRXVVVYIi+;;::::,,,,,,,,,::::::;;=+itR#WWMW##WMBBRRVXYIt+=;;;;::,,,,,.,,,,,::::;;=+itR#WWMW#WWMBBRRXXYIi=;;;;:::,,,,,..,,,,::::::;=+tX#WWWWWWMBMMBBBXIi=;;;;:::;;;,:,,,.,,,,::::;;=+iXW#MMWWWMMMBBBRYi====;;=iIYYYtIYti;;:,,,:;;;;=+iVWWMMWWWWWMBBRYi+====+iYVXXVXRRRRXVt+=:,:;:;==i+IW#WWWWWWMMBBXi+====+tItIti+iIVXXXVIti;,:;==iiIIIM####WWWWMBBYi++===+++==;::;==iIIIti+:,:;ittYBMRM######WMBBRIi+====;;;===+tYVYYIti+=:,,;=tYXBM##########MBRRI+====;;;;=tYBMWBtYYt+==;:::+RMMMMMMW######WWBBXt+==;;;;;=iYVBWWX:,ii====;::+RBMMBYIX######WWBBXt+=;;;::;;+tiIXRt:;==;;=;;::=XBMXYBVB##RIYW#WBBVi+=;;::,::;=+===+++=;;;;;;:,;YBMV=XBM#MIt==IXBRYi+=;;:::::::;;;;;=;==;:;;;::;tIVItVMM#ViII+;+XRIi+=;;::::::::::::;;;;::;;;;;;itiIYVRW#t+i+t+;IRIi+==;;:::::::::::::::::;;;;::=tiitYV##t=i==i+IRIi+==;;;::::,,,,,:,,,:;;;;;;::;+iiiiYW#I=i;=tiIRIi+===;:::::,,,,,,,,,:;;;;;;:,,;ii+iIW#X===++tIXIii+=;;;::::,,,,,,,,,::;=;;:,,.:;+++tM#R+==;=+iRVii+=;;;:::::,,,,,,,,,;=;;:::,,:;i++tB#B+==;===RXIi+=;;;:::::,,,,,,,,,;=;:;===;;+Ii+tR#Bi+++;+tXRIi+==;;:::::,,,,,,,,,=;;+YttiiIVY++tB#Mt++i=iIXXtii+=;::::::,,,,,,,,,==;iI;;+YBYIiitM#WX+++;;=YItii+=;;;::::,,,,,,,,:;++=;;;;ItYV+iIM#MWXi+=;;IItii+=;;;:::,,,,,,:,,:;;=+=;;=iYXt+iIW#MMMRIi==IYtti+==;;;:::,,,,,:::::;;==;;=+Yti+iIW#MMMWWBRRRYttii+=;;:::,,,,,,,:::;===;;;==IYtiiYW#MMMWW##RIVIti++==;;:::,,,,:::;;=;=;;;;=;iIYItVW#MMWW###RIXIti+++=;;::::,::::;;=;;;::,:=:=iIYYV##MMWW###WVXYtii+==;;;::::::;;:;;;:,,,,:;:;+IIYX#WMMW#####XXVIi++===;;:::::;;:;;:,,,:;==;;itItYR#WWMW#####RXXIti++===;:::::;;;::,::+iiiiiIYYYtYR#WMMWW####BXXItiii+===;;::;;;;===itIIIIIYVYVVIIB##MWWW####MXRVtti+=+==;:::;;;=ittti++++iiiiYVitM#WMMWW####WVRXItii++===;:::::::====;:;====+tYiIW##MMWW####WVVBYIti+++==;;;::::::::;::::===+tYtYW#WMWMW#####VIXRYIii++++=;;;::::,,::::::;=++iIIR##WMMMW#####XtIRRYtiii+++==;;:::::::::;=ittitIYW###WWW######XttYRXItt+++++=;=;:;;::;=+itIIIItIX###W#########XtiiYRRYti+i+====;;;;;;;=+ittttttIR#############XIiiiIRRYtii++==;==;;;;;;;==+iiitIMWW#W#########RIti++tXRVIti++====;;::::;;==iiitYMXVRB###W#####RIti+++iVBXIti+===;;;;;:;==+i+ittXBVYVX#########RItii++++YBXYIi+====;;=;;;=+iitIIRVYYVV########MXYti+++++=IMBYItii+==;;===++iittYBYIIYI#######WXVYtii+++===tMMVIItt++==+iiiiiiIIXRItItt######WXVVYtti++===+=tMWRVYItiiiiitittIIVMXIIItt#####MXYVYYItii+++====iM#MRXYItttIIIIIVXMWVIIIIt###WRVYYYYYItii+++==;==+R##WBRXXXXRRRBMW#BYIIItt#WBVYYIYYIIIttii++===;==+YM###WMMWMMMWW##XIIIIItRVYIIIIYYIIIttiii+=======+iXMWWWMMMMMWWWBYIYIIII
posted by puke & cry at 12:33 AM on October 4, 2007


hm, that needs a little work i guess.
posted by puke & cry at 12:35 AM on October 4, 2007


is that bill cosby?

how come they stopped making puddin' pops?
posted by sergeant sandwich at 12:44 AM on October 4, 2007


You know, I didn't know what all those conference things were about either. But then I did a google search for them, because I didn't want to bother (or wait for) other people. I now know what the acronyms stand for and what the conferences seem to be about.

It was pretty effortless, I strongly recommend it.
posted by philomathoholic at 12:51 AM on October 4, 2007


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posted by Rhomboid at 1:01 AM on October 4, 2007 [1 favorite]


It's been a long time, Jimmy. Give me a call, buddy.
posted by strawberryviagra at 6:46 AM on October 4, 2007


lame callout
posted by special-k at 6:56 AM on October 4, 2007


Someone doesn't get invited to conferences...

Also, how come they stopped making Picture Pages?
posted by Rock Steady at 6:57 AM on October 4, 2007


I didn't realize that this was worthy of crabbiness.

Then, yes, it would kill me to expand the acronym or post the location.
posted by rachelpapers at 7:03 AM on October 4, 2007


You're gonna have a hell of an easier time working this mission on an individual basis, SassHat, rather than trying to get everyone on board with you at the get-go. I don't mean this to be too pointed, but "Why can't everyone say and do as I expect them to" missions suck, and are a great indicator that a user needs to find a tree to sit under for a while (NO MALL FOOD COURTS).
posted by carsonb at 7:20 AM on October 4, 2007


What a stupid thing to bitch about. If you don't know what it means, you're not going to the conference, so the post doesn't apply to you. How simple is that.

On the other hand, I'm not sure anyone would turn down a local who wanted to join the conference attendees for beers one night. So including a location rather than just a conference name might be helpful.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:42 AM on October 4, 2007


*googles ASIS&T, first hit = 'ASIS&T The American Society for Information Science & Technology', sees that it's in Milwaukee, goes to other thread to say "Awesome!"*

Total time = 10 seconds

Total time to create this post complaining about not knowing what the acronym stood for = Probably greater than 10 seconds.
posted by quin at 9:37 AM on October 4, 2007


What I was aiming at was that if the trend continues, every time a mefite goes to a conference we're going to have a "Are you heading to the TYRAILIAIABG?" post. I understand you are all important people with exciting academic/work-related conferences to attend, but just because someone doesn't know what the acronym is doesn't mean they wouldn't want to go.

If you say you're going to have a meetup during Conference X, and take the two seconds to say it's being held October 22 in Cleveland, well maybe I'm in Cleveland that week visiting my aunt and will come by. Or maybe I'll skip over the thread because I'm not hip with your trade/academic-specific acronym. Yes, we can google, but overall wouldn't the poster be interested in having people on board? "Come to my birthday party, if you want my address look it up in the phone book."
posted by SassHat at 10:17 AM on October 4, 2007


Total time to create this post complaining about not knowing what the acronym stood for = Probably greater than 10 seconds.

I find this line of reasoning really frustrating. Take your 10 seconds. Now multiply it the number of people who read MetaTalk because they're interested in meetups. Which took less time now?

Also frustrating is the idea that every suggestion like this in MeTa is because the person who made it is somehow annoyed and complaining. It's possible to be offering up a suggestion you think might help make the site better without it being some sort of entitlement driven temper tantrum.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:24 AM on October 4, 2007


Funny thing is, I was able to figure out this acronym & knew to read this thread, and ignore the other two. But yes, a location would be nice - perhaps it's a gathering that I'd be interested in but never heard of. MetaTalk could again enrich my life if the location was there.

And now I'm going to have a Pudding Pop. They still make them. Or at least, they're selling them again. Perhaps they were kept in a secret vault for 15 years & they're the same ones made years ago, but they still taste damn good.
posted by Iamtherealme at 10:36 AM on October 4, 2007


It's possible to be offering up a suggestion you think might help make the site better without it being some sort of entitlement driven temper tantrum.

Sure, but that seems a lot less plausible when the post title is "Spell out the fucking acronym already." Notice to potential MeTa posters: if you want a nice reception, be nice. If you want people to treat you as a fuckwad, act like one.
posted by languagehat at 10:51 AM on October 4, 2007


True, SassHat does seem kind of annoyed. But I made a similar request (about print versions of pages) a couple of weeks ago and got nearly exactly the same response--even though I didn't use the word 'fucking' at any point in my post. It seems to me that no matter how nicely you phrase this sort of thing, a few of the responses will basically amount to 'this is both too trivial and too ridiculously demanding for you to ask about, go away'.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:00 AM on October 4, 2007


Notice to potential MeTa posters: if you want a nice reception, be nice.


If somebody gets in your face and calls you a cocksucker, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the posters will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to remember that it's metatalk. It's nothing personal.... I want you to be nice until it's time to not be nice.
posted by dersins at 11:17 AM on October 4, 2007


The reason you get those responses jacquilynne (and SassHat) is that you're asking folks to behave a certain different way because you think the way they're doing it is annoying. That raises the hackles of some people, even if you're really nice about it. We've all agreed here that behaviors that can get innocent viewers fired or thrown in jail or dead are not cool, but past that it's the internet baby and you gotta take it as it comes.
posted by carsonb at 11:36 AM on October 4, 2007


Steve: Being called a cocksucker isn't personal?
Dalton: No. It's two nouns combined to elicit a prescribed response.
Steve: What if somebody calls my mama a whore?
Dalton: Is she?

/roadhousefilter
posted by quin at 11:39 AM on October 4, 2007 [1 favorite]


But I made a similar request (about print versions of pages) a couple of weeks ago and got nearly exactly the same response

jacquilynne, that's simply not true. I just reread your post and my memory was confirmed: some people agreed with you, others disagreed (surely you didn't expect 100% agreement?). There was no name-calling or shaming; there was only one jokey/snarky response, late in the thread ("one page, no ads. the humanity!"), which may be a record for MetaTalk. Methinks you may be a tad oversensitive. In any case, this is a very different thread, and one reason for the difference is that you were thoughtful and polite and SassHat was, well, sassy.
posted by languagehat at 12:16 PM on October 4, 2007


I'm gonna drive a monster truck through this thread if you don't cut out the RoadHouse BS
posted by Megafly at 12:28 PM on October 4, 2007


I'm gonna drive a monster truck through this thread if you don't cut out the RoadHouse BS

I used to fuck guys like you in prison.
posted by dersins at 12:52 PM on October 4, 2007


I had the exact same thought as SassHat when I saw the ASIS&T thread posted. And it's happened plenty of times before. I had no idea that SXSW stood for "South by Southwest". (OMG...I'm so uncool.)

I think that many people would find it really lame if I asked if anyone was going to be at an APS/AAPT/OSA/ASA/AAS/NSTA conference. Only the science/physics dorks (like me) on MeFi would have the slightest clue what those acronyms are. It's only polite to spell out acronyms that are not general knowledge to everyone.

(where was I suppose to drop these two pennies?)
posted by achmorrison at 1:46 PM on October 4, 2007


The advantage of using the acronym is that all the people who will be there will instantly recognize it, and you immediately lose all the lazy stupid people who would inevitably sully the meetup with their presence.

It's win-win.
posted by rocketman at 2:03 PM on October 4, 2007


Make sure to ask to see the spot where Teddy Roosevelt was shot when you're at the Hyatt.
posted by drezdn at 2:31 PM on October 4, 2007


As rocketman so trenchantly observed, there are in fact advantages to not spelling out the acronym. The acronym can serve as a shibboleth.

Those of you who recognize it can make use of it.

Those of you who do not have a few options:
1. Get annoyed, shortening the enjoyable parts of your life.
2. Look it up.
3. Realize that the post does not apply to you, and move on.

I agree that posting the city in my original post would have been helpful. With Google so close at hand, I will not be spelling out conference acronyms.
posted by rachelpapers at 2:42 PM on October 4, 2007


I'm not sure I was as annoyed as you think I was, but following the shibboleth logic of rachelpapers and rocketman, you would be right in thinking that I wouldn't necessarily want to associate with people who feel it is okay to be inconsiderate or impolite to others.
posted by achmorrison at 2:59 PM on October 4, 2007


a shibboleth.

I guess I have to agree with rachelpapers. After all, why would anyone want to mess with metafilter's long history of making people feel like outsiders through the use of inside jokes and other general faux-exclusive dickishness.
posted by dersins at 2:59 PM on October 4, 2007


some people agreed with you, others disagreed (surely you didn't expect 100% agreement?).

But the people who disagreed with me hauled out the 'it would only take you 2 seconds / 2 minutes / whatever timeframe to look this up, and you want the poster to do it?' argument, which is the one I find problematic. It makes no sense to me, and is usually delivered with a healthy dose of snark.
posted by jacquilynne at 3:04 PM on October 4, 2007


I'm all for inside jokes...but I'm not so sure that metafilter has a rich history of "faux-exclusive dickishness".

I think this thread belongs more to the etiquette side of the category. Like I said, post away all of your acronyms, I'll just mentally tag those posts as "not so considerate"...
posted by achmorrison at 3:42 PM on October 4, 2007


I'm just coming in here to remind everyone about our NAMBLA meetup.
posted by found missing at 3:58 PM on October 4, 2007


What? Where'd everybody go?
posted by found missing at 6:02 PM on October 4, 2007


Dude, you look nothing like Marlon Brando.
posted by chrismear at 7:01 PM on October 4, 2007


Wasn't it established that any acronym of more than 4 letters that wasn't readily recognized means "I'm quietly taking my pants off again"
I'm headed to as many of these meetups as I can!
posted by Iamtherealme at 9:37 PM on October 4, 2007


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