Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 35, No. 639.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
                      Hosted by DH-Cologne
                       www.dhhumanist.org
                Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org


    [1]    From: Dr. Herbert Wender <drwender@aol.com>
           Subject: Re: [Humanist] 35.638: acronyms that reify (63)

    [2]    From: Tim Smithers <tim.smithers@cantab.net>
           Subject: Re: [Humanist] 35.638: acronyms that reify (25)


--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date: 2022-04-05 15:47:55+00:00
        From: Dr. Herbert Wender <drwender@aol.com>
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 35.638: acronyms that reify

Willard

Few days ago I had a conversation about the translation of "Volldammpf":
"Full Steam Ahead is a command to move forward at maximum speed."
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Steam_Ahead)

In the wider sense the expression remains useful though nowadays the machines are
powered otherwise.

I would think that it's a similar case with the acronym IT because the meaning of
'information' in this constellation has broadened.

And PC? the C not enlarging in Computer but in Correctness. It seems to me that
the "P"does not restrict the acronym to the political sphere...

Kind regards, Herbert



-----Ursprüngliche Mitteilung-----
Von: Humanist <humanist@dhhumanist.org>
An: drwender@aol.com
Verschickt: Di, 5. Apr. 2022 6:21
Betreff: [Humanist] 35.638: acronyms that reify


              Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 35, No. 638.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
                      Hosted by DH-Cologne
                      www.dhhumanist.org
                Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org




        Date: 2022-04-04 05:10:01+00:00
        From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
        Subject: acronyms

My particular interest in acronyms at the moment centres on those that
in effect reify what was formerly something which provoked thought or in
some way drew attention. Thus, to go back to my example, 'artificial
intelligence' (the subject) --> 'AI' (the thing). In the opening few
seconds of Spielberg's "Artificial Intelligence", for example, the
change is visualised by the two words entering the screen from opposite
sides, crossing into each other and becoming "A.I." -- or is it "AI"?
Whatever the intent -- "artificial intelligence" is, after all, a
mouthfull, and so begging for abbreviation -- but the effect remains,
does it not?

Is this act of forgetting any different from what happens all the
time when we become habituated to words, objects, people?

Comments?

Yours,
WM
--
Willard McCarty,
Professor emeritus, King's College London;
Editor, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews;  Humanist
www.mccarty.org.uk


--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date: 2022-04-05 07:29:50+00:00
        From: Tim Smithers <tim.smithers@cantab.net>
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 35.638: acronyms that reify

Dear Willard,

You ask.

     Is this act of forgetting any different from what happens
     all the time when we become habituated to words, objects,
     people?

No.  It's no different.  I would say.

The ever present worry, as I see it, is that our attempts to
teach people -- PhDers, in my case -- results, not so much in
useful learning, but more this kind of forgetting, and then
reifying.

The struggle, as I feel it, is to increase understanding with
an always present critical questioning of what is meant, so
that we don't forget.

I'd like to see the AIs do this.

Best regards,

Tim



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