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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Access to justice and advice sector issues  →  Thread

Abbreviating

Patrick Hill
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Housing & Welfare RightsHARP/Assertive Outreach, manchester

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Good day everyone,

I’m not sure that this is the correct field in which to place this, but here we go anyway:

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve noticed that the use of abbreviations has increased considerably lately.  Although I’ve understood most of them, there has been the odd one or two that have left me asking colleagues their meanings.  Is there any chance of putting the full wording first and the abbreviations in brackets afterwards please?

Thank you.

Patrick.

Gareth Morgan
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CEO, Ferret, Cardiff

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Yes (Y)

Patrick Hill
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Housing & Welfare RightsHARP/Assertive Outreach, manchester

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Okay (ok)

Thanks Gareth

Patrick

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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LMAO 😊

1964
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Deputy Manager, Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit

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LOL!

Dan_Manville
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ROFL

ROBBO
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Welfare rights team - Stockport Advice

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Apart from ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) of course

Mike Hughes
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EIS IR or ESA C? Or is that ESA (IR) and ESA (C) or indeed ESA (MT) and ESA (C)?

I fear you may have opened a door which may never shut.

FTT and UT.

Is it the TS or HMC&TS; or just TS?

MAH
SWRDAS

Patrick Hill
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ROBBO - 13 February 2014 01:56 PM

Apart from ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) of course

Employment Support Allowance!  So that’s what it means!  Thank you, I wasn’t sure.

Patrick.

Patrick Hill
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Tony Bowman - 13 February 2014 03:27 PM
Patrick Hill - 13 February 2014 08:32 AM

Good day everyone,

I’m not sure that this is the correct field in which to place this, but here we go anyway:

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve noticed that the use of abbreviations has increased considerably lately.  Although I’ve understood most of them, there has been the odd one or two that have left me asking colleagues their meanings.  Is there any chance of putting the full wording first and the abbreviations in brackets afterwards please?

Thank you.

Patrick.


Do you mean specifically RNetters or advisers/colleagues generally?

Not sure I agree that use of abb’s (work-related ones at least) are increasing - although they do of course change and not everyone uses the same terms (IB or ICB for ‘incapacity benefit’ for example).

I suppose the growth of IM (instant messaging) and SMS (short messaging service) - you release no-one’s gonna keep that up for long - has contributed to growth of abbreviations in use generally.

I used to run an introductory basic benefit course for which I wrote an exercise about abbreviations. It was a fake case sheet entry punctucated with abbreviations of various benefits and processes. Mostly it was a pretty average exercise, but on those occassions where the trainees got creative, there was much joviality and laughter.

Thank you; this is most agreeable and helpful.  I was making particular reference to Rightsnet’ threads, but I suppose fingers could be pointed as WR’s folk generally.  I know that it is so much easier to abbreviate and it saves a lot of our valuable time in doing so.  However, when using sites such as this very worthy Rightsnet, I think it important to remember that there are advisors with different levels of experience and expertise using it.  It would be wrong, therefore, to assume that all readers of our posts will understand the sometimes overuse of abbreviations and some fairly obscure ones.

All that said mind, I’m guilty of abbreviating myself, particularly when I’ve had a pint or two and in deep discussion with our dear friends and colleagues who attend at NAWRA and GMWRAG and the like.


Patrick.

Gareth Morgan
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Patrick Hill - 13 February 2014 03:50 PM

our dear friends and colleagues who attend at NAWRA and GMWRAG and the like.

(North American Whippet Racing Association)

(Genetically Modified Wheat Reduced Alkaloid Genome)

shawn mach
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nawra’s all right ... http://www.nawra.com/

... though not so keen on lasa ... http://www.lasa.co.uk/

 

shawn mach
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gareth you beat me to it ....... (again)

nevip
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Bogof!

1964
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LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL!!

(and I do mean that. Tears running down face currently).

JFSelby
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IMO…TMI…OMG…......SWALK (for today)

Jon Blackwell
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I had to google “HARP” - I think I’ve got the right one - it’s something to do with making rockets safer.

Seriously, though, a lot a forums have a rule that abbrevations should always get explained on first use in a thread. I think that’s good practice (and it’s definitely a less off-putting for first time users). If that’s going to to be tedious for posters then maybe rightsnet could host a list of standards.


Occasionally, just relying on abbreviations has let to confusion - like this…

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/159/#757

 

Mick Quinn
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Welfare rights officer - Northumberland County Council

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TFIF…...think TGIF and replace one word. (Still confused?) rhymes with luck

NeverSayNo
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1964 - 13 February 2014 05:45 PM

LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL!!

Now this is one you have to be clear on as our PM knows only too well - laugh out loud vs lots of love.

It took me ages to work out LMFAO, which is apparently a populare beat combo with the kids.

nevip
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PAW - 14 February 2014 04:28 PM
1964 - 13 February 2014 05:45 PM

LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL!!

Now this is one you have to be clear on as our PM knows only too well - laugh out loud vs lots of love.

It took me ages to work out LMFAO, which is apparently a populare beat combo with the kids.

Right on!  Me and my homies got all their tunes.  They’re all that.  A’ight.