Why do people use acronyms?

· Bits and Bobs 9/29/25
  • Why do people use acronyms?
    • Because people know having a "distinctive handle to a specific useful thing" is useful, and it doesn't matter what the actual word is, as long as it's distinctive.
    • Same reason that Amazon has so many slop brands, they don't need a good word, just one that's novel that they can trademark.
    • The acronym is a kind of jargon, a compact package of meaning that is fast to communicate but blossoms into a richer understanding in the right listener.
    • For example, PRD is a magic word. It means a distinctive set of practices, uses, expectations. It is distinctive.

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