[Nola22]

Hi,

I'm wondering if there is a glossary available on the site for those of us who may not be familiar with certain terms or acronyms. I've come across a few terms here that are new to me, and being a new member, I'd like to know what they are without becoming a bother. I don't wish to derail threads just to ask what certainly would come across as a peripheral question to people seeking deeper answers.

Thank you.

P.S. I also have a good feeling that even if I went ahead and asked, I'd not only get my answer, but get treated with respect and kindness. Still...

[FooZe]

I tried entering "acronyms" into Advanced Search and found several threads on the subject -- like this one.

Good hunting!

Perhaps of some use:

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html
http://www.online-medical-dictionary.org/
http://dictionary.webmd.com/default.htm

[Gus1234U]

yah, but what is the Blue Bar, and the Grey Bar, and the little names on those, and things, called ?

[Perna]

I think asking questions or PMing a friend you think might know is easier than trying to do a glossary as everyone would have different sorts of questions and I think it would be too hard to anticipate who would need to know what.

Your questions, Gus, for example, are computer questions about how bulletin board software like PC's work whereas TheByzantine gave wonderful links to psych terms. There's programming questions and software questions and psychology questions and personal interest/education questions or questions by non-native English speakers; how could anyone put all that into a single glossary? Kind of beyond the scope of the site?

[FooZe]

Originally Posted by Gus1234U

yah, but what is the Blue Bar, and the Grey Bar, and the little names on those, and things, called ?

If I notice DocJohn calling them by a particular name, I may include the term in what I call them: "the blue nav bar" or "the gray menu bar", for instance, for as long as I remember. I'm not saying I remember either of those ^ accurately. They're probably most useful when studying tech manuals or discussing technical matters with programmers, when a slightly wrong term could make a big difference.

Usually I describe the controls here by location and appearance ("the 'My Profile' button in the narrow blue bar near the top of this page") or, when practical, include a picture. "Here's what you use for including a quote in your post: "

If I'm not always sure I remember correctly what's called a nav bar and what isn't, I don't want to be counting on anyone else to, either.

[Nola22]

Thanks to everyone for your input and suggestions.

Fool Zero, the "acronym thread" is very helpful, and definitely made me more aware of some of the colloquial shortcuts present in some conversations here. I am sure those shortcuts not only save time, but anguish too, as people who are dealing with a particular issue may not want to read or type certain terms again and again.

Byzantine, many thanks for the links! I shall be sure to bookmark them. I have such an abiding affinity for good resources...

Perna, I am sure any type of glossary here would be an ambitious project in many ways, especially considering the variety of people and perspectives here, as you'd mentioned. However, if one was attempted, what if was put together as a wiki? That too might be quite chaotic! I was just wondering if some sort of database already existed, to tell the truth, but the idea of building one does hold some intrigue...

Also, I definitely will consider asking via PM as I go along. I must admit I'm the type who likes to find out for herself, though I don't mind asking either.

[boodles]

Can I just ask here, please, what is "SA"? Thanks.

SA = sexual abuse