The Bridge

I think the major flaw in list questions is not only the size, but the approach that we take. I completely disagree with the popular approach of "one-per-answer" polling for list questions. I know, everyone loves the fun of the rating system that you can simulate with votes. However, I believe it...

Arda Xi

careful, there's a hot debate going on :)

Downvoter

oh, I can't stay

Downvoter

too much work today sadly

Arda Xi

we're discussing whether or not to rename mmorpg to massively-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game

Downvoter

2:44 PM

lol

alexanderpas

it's not possible! sigh! ;)

Downvoter

synonyms FTW

Arda Xi

I know

yeah, but we're talking about which should be the synonym

Mechko

if only this were taken more to heart

tzenes

I don't think we should

you're just being a jerk

Arda Xi

2:45 PM

so anyone who disagrees with you is a jerk?

tzenes

my argument was that acronyms are inheirently broke

no, you're metioning a subject of what we were arguing about

Mechko

oh no I agree that acronyms is broke

tzenes

and I don't mean that offensively

Arda Xi

it's impossible to not use acronyms

Mechko

I also agree that Arda's statement from way back, that we shouldn't base our strategy on what could happen should be taken more to heart

tzenes

2:46 PM

I believe there are alternatives

alexanderpas

it's [real-time-stategy], [turn-based-stategy], [rpg], [mmorpg], [framerate], [fps] etc etc etc (I'm willing to discuss [fps])

Arda Xi

StackOverflow uses vb, not visual-basic

and C#, not c-sharp

alexanderpas

also, no personal attacks!

tzenes

C# is actually its name

Arda Xi

the vb argument still stands

tzenes

2:48 PM

I don't like rpg

I understand the precidence, but it also has tags that aren't acronyms

Arda Xi

I could go on, sql instead of structured-query-language

alexanderpas

microsoft calls vb vbasic in the msdn url

tzenes

what's more it doesn't have to deal with the existence of new games

Arda Xi

I'm talking about SO, our example site

basically our parent

tzenes

sql has become a noun

Arda Xi

2:49 PM

it's the best basis we have to go on

alexanderpas

just like rpg

tzenes

that doesn't make it right

Arda Xi

so has RTS and all the others

at least among gamers

what..

tzenes

sql has become a noun amongst non-programmers

Arda Xi

errm..

antony.trupe

2:50 PM

but it's meaningless most of the time

alexanderpas

RPG is beyond gamers.

Arda Xi

I don't think there are many non-programmers whom know SQL

tzenes

Both my parents, my last 3 girlfriends, I could go on

its a big deal in business

Arda Xi

same goes for RPG I'm sure

alexanderpas

how about the [jrpg] tag ;)

tzenes

2:50 PM

none of the afformention would have known RPG

antony.trupe

could they distinguish a sql statement from a java statement?

tzenes

no, not in a million years

let me take another example

Arda Xi

but you're switching arguments all the time, nobody can give sql a new meaning because everyone knows it?

then the same thing would go for RPG surely

tzenes

google queries for sql: 91million, structured query language 400k

alexanderpas

exception: military

tzenes

2:52 PM

sql is the standard

by comparison

stats for rts: 21 million

alexanderpas

STRUCTURED query language

tzenes

realtimestrategy: 62 million

antony.trupe

sequence?

tzenes

sorry I wrote that out wrong

my typo

alexanderpas

edit typo

Mechko

2:53 PM

honestly, I don't think it's a big deal

tzenes

real time strategy is the standard

antony.trupe

how much rep do you need to be able to edit other people's chat messages?

tzenes

though, not as by much

Arda Xi

rpg: 57m, role playing game, 30m

tzenes

its not a big deal

Mechko

2:53 PM

I don't think we'll have another rpg or rts in gaming

tzenes

we're arguing philosophy

Arda Xi

google results are irrelevant

agreed

no we're not

how about a tbs?

2:54 PM

tv station

Arda Xi

we're arguing whether or not to abbreviate tags

tzenes

no

that is not what we're arguing

alexanderpas

[turn-based-stategy]

tzenes

I have no problem with abbreviations

Arda Xi

in your case, about whether an acronym could potentially be re-used somewhere in the future, and whether that is at all relevant

tzenes

2:54 PM

only acronyms

alexanderpas

if tbs is not known enough, we should not abreviate real time stategy.

Arda Xi

but instead you keep coming up with a red herring

antony.trupe

are't acronyms a subclass of abbreviations?

tzenes

yes

Arda Xi

@alexanderpas the two are not dependent on each other

tzenes

2:55 PM

I have no problem with the superset

Arda Xi

an acronym is an abbreviation

antony.trupe

so if you're ok with abbreviations, you're necessarily ok with acronyms

alexanderpas

@ArdaXi they are if you're trying to be consistent.

Arda Xi

@alexanderpas then we have to be consistent with every tag

tzenes

I think acronyms are broke, the same is not true for the super set of abbreviations, or the super set of all words

Arda Xi

2:56 PM

and we get back to the [massively-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game] problem

antony.trupe

ok, now I understand

tzenes

which I suggested has a solution

Arda Xi

the alternative is broken too

tzenes

abbreviating part of it

or breaking it into smaller tags

Arda Xi

you only proposed breaking it up in two tags

which are still too long

tzenes

2:58 PM

I did previously suggest abbreviating part of it

alexanderpas

@ArdaXi that depends on the size of the set. [mmorpg] is required by limits, so [rpg] is consistent with it.

Arda Xi

but what about, for example, wcf on so

tzenes

if you'll scroll back up

Arda Xi

there are not a lot of programmers who know what wcf means

yet it is abbreviated on SO

tzenes

windows communication foundation?

Arda Xi

2:58 PM

yes

Mechko

This is phuckin english. it's not a consistent language!

Arda Xi

wcf is specific to .NET, so many programmers won't know anything about it

tzenes

as I've mentioned before Stack Overflow is not infallible

Arda Xi

I just think that abbreviating everything is much more manageable than not doing so, if we want any kind of consistency

antony.trupe

I think it only needs to be unambiguous and understood by those already 'in'.

Mechko

2:59 PM

then again most programmers with a question about its about?

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