TLA /T-L-A/ n.
[Three-Letter Acronym] 1. Self-describing abbreviation for a
species with which computing terminology is infested. 2. Any
confusing acronym. Examples include MCA, FTP, SNA, CPU, MMU,
SCCS, DMU, FPU, NNTP, TLA. People who like this looser usage
argue that not all TLAs have three letters, just as not all
four-letter words have four letters. One also hears of `ETLA'
(Extended Three-Letter Acronym, pronounced /ee tee el ay/) being
used to describe four-letter acronyms. The term `SFLA' (Stupid
Four-Letter Acronym) has also been reported. See also YABA.
The self-effacing phrase "TDM TLA" (Too Damn
Many...) is often used to bemoan the plethora of
TLAs in use. In 1989, a random of the journalistic persuasion
asked hacker Paul Boutin "What do you think will be the biggest
problem in computing in the 90s?" Paul's straight-faced response:
"There are only 17,000 three-letter acronyms." (To be exact,
there are 26^3 = 17,576.) There is probably some karmic justice
in the fact that Paul Boutin subsequently became a
journalist.
Node:(TM), Next:TMRC, Previous:TLA,
Up:= T =
(TM) //
[Usenet] ASCII rendition of the trademark-superscript symbol
appended to phrases that the author feels should be recorded for
posterity, perhaps in future editions of this lexicon. Sometimes
used ironically as a form of protest against the recent spate of
software and algorithm patents and `look and feel' lawsuits. See
also UN*X.