Thursday, August 12, 2010

TMA: Too Many Acronyms

My Computer files and email inbox are awash, overflowing, drowning in the acronyms used by various funding agencies, academic institutes, media outlets, and assorted other organisations.

I'm sure many of my readers have the same issue. However, my problem is Compounded by working on (mainly) Breast Cancer in British Columbia, Canada - with American, British, and Canadian Collaborators. So the same letters tend to occur over and over:
  • A is for Agency, Alberta, Alliance, America, American, or Association
  • B is for Breast, British, or Broadcasting
  • C is for Canada, Canadian, Cancer, Center, Centre, Centres, Collaborative, Columbia, Consortium,  Corporation, or Council
  • F is for Foundation or Fund
  • I is for Innovation, Institute, or Institutes
  • N is for National or Network
  • S is for Science or Society

R is always for research and H is always for Health, for which I suppose I should be grateful.

Put any of these letters together in any Combination, and I probably have a matching folder somewhere.

Let's see, I have folders for the following: AACR, ACRI, BCCA, BCCRC, BCCF, CBC, CBCF, CBCRA, CCSRI, CFI, CIHR, CRUK, GBC, NCE, NCI, NCIC, NIH, NSERC, and OICR.

So today, Checking my Credit Card Balance online, I was Confused to see a payment to an entity Called BCF.

Very Confused.

Was there a new player in town? The British Columbia Foundation? The Breast Cancer Fund? The Broadcasting Centre Foundation? British Central Fund? Boring Christmas Food? Burgeoning Cat Fur? Big Chaotic Frenzy? Bring Cath Fudge?

And why the Bloody Cockeyed Fuck am I giving them money??!!

Until I realised the item was related to our upcoming trip to Vancouver Island.

A trip that necessitates paying a reservation fee to BC Ferries.

I think I need to get out more.

20 comments:

  1. Thank you for your donation for The Beast's Cat Food.

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I'm at work, I often need to tell myself BOHICA, otherwise I might be FUBAR.

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  3. Wow. Blog Comments, Fast!

    Lisbeth: Big Compliment! (Frolics!)

    Bob: Bugger. Can't Fund. (I have 2 other hungry, pointy little mouths to feed!)

    Thomas: BOHICA? Couldn't Fathom (Had to Google it)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Battle? Cat Feud? (My two will win. Or do I have to nominate just one? I bet Saba can kick his ass. Or just sit on him and squash him).

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  5. Any acronym with double letters - like AACR, BCCA, BCCRC, BCCF - should immediately Be Banned Because they are Crap! Triple-letter acronyms should never be mentioned outloud.

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  6. Lisbeth, I've alerted the Beast to the fact that Bob's Co-ordinating Fight, Behind Cath's Futon. Bring Cat Food. Banned: Catnip, Flamethrowers.

    Silver Fox, yes, it's just too damn Crap and Confusing!

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  7. Hahahahahahaha!
    What is with you today, you're even more funny than usual.

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  8. It gets more fun when there is overlap between entire acronyms. In my world, ACS may stand for American Chemical Society, American Cancer Society, or Affiliated Computer Services (to whom I submit payments for student loans).

    ReplyDelete
  9. I feed off the LOLs from my hilarious commenters

    Also, it's sunny and I have discovered that I have some astonishing new powers (post coming tomorrow).

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Biochem Belle - our comments crossed. That is indeed very inconsiderate of those agencies - at least I don't have any duplicated acronyms! (Probably because the BC / Canadian / breast cancer funding agencies often work together and are well aware of the potential for confusion!)

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  11. Also, it's sunny and I have discovered that I have some astonishing new powers (post coming tomorrow).
    Um no. The greenness is because you drank too much last night.

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  12. This is clearly some attempt at some LOST style brainwashing shit!

    *runs screaming from post, having lost all sanity*

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  13. You mean, you have no truck with:
    Canadian Agency for Technology in Health

    And

    Education Network for National Institutes of Science

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  14. ScientistMother, I don't have a folder for that acronym, just lots of angry red flags in my email inbox :)

    Bob, that is SO NOT TRUE! (but only because Mr E Man dropped & broke a couple of bottles of beer last night before I could have another one)

    Hermie, I haven't seen Lost (hangs head in geek shame). Or I should say that I haven't seen it YET - I'm planning to watch the first season this autumn and winter. I've managed to do really well at not finding out any major spoilers!

    UR, I know! I mean, WTF, right?!

    SUIRAUQA, I love it! I'm gonna use that. Do you think people would donate to those organisations?

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  15. Do you think people would donate to those organisations?
    Not unless you create a folder with those names... :)

    ReplyDelete

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