Comments on: Gustav track still very uncertain http://pjmedia.com/weathernerd/2008/08/28/gustav-track-still-very-uncertain/ Brendan Loy\'s hurricane blog Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:42:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Brendan Loy http://pjmedia.com/weathernerd/2008/08/28/gustav-track-still-very-uncertain/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Brendan Loy Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:53:58 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/weathernerd/2008/08/28/gustav-track-still-very-uncertain/#comment-298 Thanks for your comment, Anton. I take your point, and certainly, that would be the proper form if this was a more formal writing forum. But personally, I don't think phrases like "Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory," as opposed to "GFDL," really add much to the discussion -- both are meaningless to the average reader, except as a reference to "some computer model or other" -- and the former takes much longer to type, and is bulky & wordy on the screen. I figure, if people really want to know what GFDL stands for, they can Google it easily enough, but for present purposes, it's sufficient that they know it's an important computer model. The use of its acronym is really just to distinguish it from all the other computer models, not to tell people anything meaningful about it. Now, I do try to use "National Hurricane Center" on first reference, before switching to "NHC," because people know what that means. (Though I forgot to do so in this post.) Same with "National Weather Service"/"NWS" and other familiar, meaningful terms. But again, I just don't think wordy, scientific phrases like "Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory" really add anything. Thanks for your comment, Anton. I take your point, and certainly, that would be the proper form if this was a more formal writing forum. But personally, I don’t think phrases like “Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory,” as opposed to “GFDL,” really add much to the discussion — both are meaningless to the average reader, except as a reference to “some computer model or other” — and the former takes much longer to type, and is bulky & wordy on the screen. I figure, if people really want to know what GFDL stands for, they can Google it easily enough, but for present purposes, it’s sufficient that they know it’s an important computer model. The use of its acronym is really just to distinguish it from all the other computer models, not to tell people anything meaningful about it.

Now, I do try to use “National Hurricane Center” on first reference, before switching to “NHC,” because people know what that means. (Though I forgot to do so in this post.) Same with “National Weather Service”/”NWS” and other familiar, meaningful terms. But again, I just don’t think wordy, scientific phrases like “Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory” really add anything.

]]> By: Anton http://pjmedia.com/weathernerd/2008/08/28/gustav-track-still-very-uncertain/comment-page-1/#comment-297 Anton Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:44:53 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/weathernerd/2008/08/28/gustav-track-still-very-uncertain/#comment-297 Thanks for your blog, Nerd! Please, when using acronyms such as GFDL, please use the full form first to introduce it (e.g. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL)) Thanks again, Anton Thanks for your blog, Nerd!

Please, when using acronyms such as GFDL, please use the full form first to introduce it (e.g. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL))

Thanks again,
Anton

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