Extensive use of abbreviations and acronyms was primarily a convenience for writers, when writing was done by hand and then by typewriter, there is less justification for it now when most writing is done by computer.
This is a claim I don’t understand. Most people with computers can’t type much faster than they can write.
Incidentally, there are much worse examples than RMS. For example, FLT is Fermat’s Last Theorem, Fermat’s Little Theorem, and Faster Than Light Travel. Note that the first two of these are in the same area of study and only have a one word difference.
All of that said, I don’t think this is really a big deal. Humans do context recognition really well. A lot of language is much more ambiguous than it would seem at first glance. It is very rare that acronyms create actual confusion.
Faster Than Light is FTL, not FLT. Of course, that can also be For The Loss, colloquially.
In general, I agree with you about context recognition. LEO can be Low Earth Orbit or Law Enforcement Officer, but we rarely find ourselves in a situation that seriously confuses the two.
I also haven’t ever seen FLT anywhere; whenever people are discussing speeds in excess of c, it’s always FTL. What books are you reading, that use that apparently nonstandard abbreviation?
FLT stands for “faster-than-light travel” specifically, while FTL is used in other sentences involving “faster-than-light”, like FTL drive, or even FTL travel.
I’ve really never (until this thread, at least) seen FLT used instead of FTL travel. Usually, the context is clear enough that the “travel” part can be omitted anyway.
The only acronym I’ve ever seen for this is FTL (Faster Than Light)...granted that was in the context of sci-fi not technical discussion, and there are probably other phrases with FTL as an abbreviation.
This is a claim I don’t understand. Most people with computers can’t type much faster than they can write.
Incidentally, there are much worse examples than RMS. For example, FLT is Fermat’s Last Theorem, Fermat’s Little Theorem, and Faster Than Light Travel. Note that the first two of these are in the same area of study and only have a one word difference.
All of that said, I don’t think this is really a big deal. Humans do context recognition really well. A lot of language is much more ambiguous than it would seem at first glance. It is very rare that acronyms create actual confusion.
I have discovered a truly remarkable propulsion system, which this reference frame is too small to contain.
Faster Than Light is FTL, not FLT. Of course, that can also be For The Loss, colloquially.
In general, I agree with you about context recognition. LEO can be Low Earth Orbit or Law Enforcement Officer, but we rarely find ourselves in a situation that seriously confuses the two.
For what it is worth, Wikipedia lists Faster Than Light Travel or variations thereof under both FTLand FLT.
It does, but I notice that the FLT acronym is not found anywhere on the actual faster than light page.
I believe FLT, Faster than Light Travel, is the more common of the two. Never actually seen FTL in that context.
I’ve only ever seen FTL, at least in science fiction (books, TV, etc.).
I also haven’t ever seen FLT anywhere; whenever people are discussing speeds in excess of c, it’s always FTL. What books are you reading, that use that apparently nonstandard abbreviation?
FLT stands for “faster-than-light travel” specifically, while FTL is used in other sentences involving “faster-than-light”, like FTL drive, or even FTL travel.
I’ve really never (until this thread, at least) seen FLT used instead of FTL travel. Usually, the context is clear enough that the “travel” part can be omitted anyway.
The only acronym I’ve ever seen for this is FTL (Faster Than Light)...granted that was in the context of sci-fi not technical discussion, and there are probably other phrases with FTL as an abbreviation.