Acronyms are a pretty poor way to communicate

Sometimes they work. DNA is a great example. But that’s because it’s almost shorthand for the real thing.

On the other hand, in situations where not everyone knows what one means, acronyms tend to delay the transmission of information, not expedite it.

Here’s a simple rule to follow to ensure you don’t slow anyone down: don’t use an acronym unless everyone of your readers’ knows what it means.

Even then, if it comes down to matter of a few extra keystrokes, just type it out. No one wants to spend an extra second or minute or hour decoding reductions.