[NA] Pronouncing computer acronyms

Pi1otguy

Pi1otguy

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People at my job love to pronounce computer related acronyms. But there's 1 that doesn't seem to have a standard pronunciation. When referring to a SATA hard drive* how do you pronounce "SATA"?

I say "say-tuh" but have heard "es ah-tuh", "sah-tuh", and "serial ah-tuh" among others.

Do you pronounce other acronyms?
"Earl" (URL), "ah-kle" (ACL), "naz" (NAS), "eye-suh" (ISA), etc

*Yes, I realize SATA is really the interface and not a type of hard drive per se. I apologize if this usage bothers you just like "I got the internet at home." bothers me.
 
The only acronym I never pronounce like that is the dreaded ID - 10T error.
 
I seldom pronounce. Just never liked it.

At work, some genuis called our new centralized IT suport the End User Support Center. I may have been the only one that didn't call it You Suck.
 
Pi1otguy said:
People at my job love to pronounce computer related acronyms. But there's 1 that doesn't seem to have a standard pronunciation. When referring to a SATA hard drive* how do you pronounce "SATA"?

I say "say-tuh" but have heard "es ah-tuh", "sah-tuh", and "serial ah-tuh" among others.

Do you pronounce other acronyms?
"Earl" (URL), "ah-kle" (ACL), "naz" (NAS), "eye-suh" (ISA), etc

*Yes, I realize SATA is really the interface and not a type of hard drive per se. I apologize if this usage bothers you just like "I got the internet at home." bothers me.
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"Serial ATA" as opposed to Scuzzy (SCSI).

Nahze is right.

It was Eze uh and Ice ah.

Dub-dub-dub dot...

gigs
 
SQL is Sequel. Drives me crazy to hear it called S-Q-L.
WSUS is W-Suss. Not Wasoose as I hear a lot.
VRML is Vermil.
SATA is Say Tuh, not Sah tuh
ACL is Ah kul

I got a bunch more....sometimes I hate working in technology, because I have to hear such horrible mispronunciations.
 
SkyHog said:
SQL is Sequel. Drives me crazy to hear it called S-Q-L.
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Actually S-Q-L is correct and is what I say - as defined by the official ANSI SQL standard.
 
jesse said:
Actually S-Q-L is correct and is what I say - as defined by the official ANSI SQL standard.
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I take it they also say their organization is to be pronounced "A-N-S-I, not an-see?"
 
jesse said:
Actually S-Q-L is correct and is what I say - as defined by the official ANSI SQL standard.
Click to expand...

But what if I'm working in M$ SQL Server, do I have to follow ANSI standard of pronunciation?
 
JeffDG said:
But what if I'm working in M$ SQL Server, do I have to follow ANSI standard of pronunciation?
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You don't have to follow anything - but it's all ultimately based on the ANSI standard even if it's not always followed to the letter. You just need to realize that when people say "S-Q-L" they're actually being more correct, not less.
 
JeffDG said:
But what if I'm working in M$ SQL Server, do I have to follow ANSI standard of pronunciation?
Click to expand...

:D I like this response.

Additionally, Steve Wilhite, the creator of the .GIF file format, pronounces the extension "JIF" like the peanut butter.....but yet, some people insist that the correct pronunciation is GIF with a hard G.

I tend to think the creator, and not the people that come in afterward to set standards should get to nail the pronunciation. For what its worth, the ANSI editor that made the determination that its S-Q-L also says SQL stands for "SQL Query Language," not "Structured Query Language."

Its "Sequel."
 
SkyHog said:
:D I like this response.

Additionally, Steve Wilhite, the creator of the .GIF file format, pronounces the extension "JIF" like the peanut butter.....but yet, some people insist that the correct pronunciation is GIF with a hard G.

I tend to think the creator, and not the people that come in afterward to set standards should get to nail the pronunciation. For what its worth, the ANSI editor that made the determination that its S-Q-L also says SQL stands for "SQL Query Language," not "Structured Query Language."

Its "Sequel."
Click to expand...
..and there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying S-Q-L. It's certainly not more incorrect and is correct according to the standard.
 
jesse said:
..and there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying S-Q-L. It's certainly not more incorrect and is correct according to the standard.
Click to expand...

Guess I'll call it a personal pet peeve then. Sounds to me like someone calling it D-O-S instead of dos, or P-N-G instead of "Ping" (which I've been corrected on a few times by people that insist its P-N-G).
 
OK, somebody has to do it...

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S-Q-L or see-qwell? Oh, you mean Oracle S-Q-L or see-qwell, not Mickey Soft Squeal server, right?
 
The dork highway's jammed with broken heroes who tried too hard to pronounce abbreviations.
-harry
 
SkyHog said:
SQL is Sequel. Drives me crazy to hear it called S-Q-L.
WSUS is W-Suss. Not Wasoose as I hear a lot.
VRML is Vermil.
SATA is Say Tuh, not Sah tuh
ACL is Ah kul

I got a bunch more....sometimes I hate working in technology, because I have to hear such horrible mispronunciations.
Click to expand...

I still remember Sister Mary Holypicture telling me that each syllable requires at least one vowel.

From the above list, only SATA appears pronounceable. None of the others contain adequate vowels to satisfy the rules set down by Sister Mary Holypicture.
 
One of my favorites. Click the link for the video

And if you're a player of World of Warcraft, you'll understand some of the inside jokes. If not a fan, it's still funny anyhow.

ROFLMAO (rof-el-mah-ow)
 
SkyHog said:
:D I like this response.

Additionally, Steve Wilhite, the creator of the .GIF file format, pronounces the extension "JIF" like the peanut butter.....but yet, some people insist that the correct pronunciation is GIF with a hard G.
Click to expand...

I've heard it as "JIF" for windows and "GIF" for macs.

And yes, I refer to ACL as an "ack ul"

I always spell out URL, but will use "dub dub dub"

From the History Books:
RSTS - ris tus
SCOPE - scope (just like's it's spelled)
Digital Equipmen Company - either "dek" or "digital"
Old 360/370 error code "SOCK7"

and the list goes on....

The one that really annoys me - GUI. "gooey"

We are our own worst enemy.
 
Since I've learned Linux/UNIX, Microsoft's offering is now "Win-doze", not "Windows".
 
murphey said:
The one that really annoys me - GUI. "gooey"
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to which I usually reply "Get a Clue-ey" (CLUI) ... :D

and then there's the Vax, on which we ran DCL but occasionally used "Eve" (pronounced like the name, but the acronym was ___ ? :) ) and Eve liked TPU for cool stuff.

We all looked forward to attended Decus (DEE-cus) every year.
 
mikea said:
That's my neighbor, Ogre. I have to get with him to get a picture.
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Go for it!

Extra bonus style points if you get him to wear his Capital One TV commercial outfit.

Double bonus points if you wear one too, Mike! :goofy:
 
Y'all forgot the most abused one of all...

RADAR, which is an acronym and should always have all letters capitalized. IMHO. YMMV.

"RAdio Detection And Ranging..."
 
Areeda said:
Wow, we can argue about anything, can't we?
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They are arguing the fine points of pronunciation of nonexistent hatcheted up run together words for a genre that is based on languages which are written in such a manner as to completely totally massacre every rule invented for grammar.

And they think WX report abbreviations are bad...
 
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