Spurs from breaking into ring main

[scousespark]

Well, it clearly depends on what circles one moves in, what one reads and what TV etc. one watches. Maybe you don't watch Newsnight or business-related programmes!

I see and hear it used quite a lot, but only ever with the meaning that stillp assumed (Small or Medium Enterprise). If you type "SME" into Google, nearly all of the first few pages of hits (and maybe most of the rest of the 100,000+ hits!) relate to that meaning. I gave up trying to determine what page one had to get to to find a hit which assumed BAS's meaning!

Kind Regards, John

It is on the first page returned by Google in the right hand column in the 'See results about' box, second entry. It is a common term in IT and was around in the mid 90's when I had a brief career as a systems analyst, before moving into the electrical installation.

 

[JohnW2]

It is on the first page returned by Google in the right hand column in the 'See results about' box, second entry. It is a common term in IT and was around in the mid 90's when I had a brief career as a systems analyst, before moving into the electrical installation.

So it does - I hadn't noticed that. Thanks. I was only looking at the 'hits' ('left-hand column'), and it remains the case that the vast majority of hits in the first few dozen pages (until I got fed up!) relate to "Small or/to Medium-Sized Enterprise".

It all goes to show that one has to be very careful about abbreviations which can have different meanings to different groups of people - and that, when there are potential problems, it is best not to use abbreviations at all! In most of the written work I do, I am not allowed to use any abbreviations (even 'very common' ones) unless they are defined (for the purpose of the document) within the document.

In this case, there must be scope for confusion, since an awful lot of IT companies (at least, of those I come into contact with) are actually Small or Medium-Sized Enterprises. By pure chance, I visited such a company early today and asked a few people what they understood by "SME". They all said "Small or/to Medium Size Enterprise".

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

Why is the term "Subject Matter Expert" and not simply "Subject Expert?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Because 'Subject Matter' needs a TLA, whereas 'Subject Matter Expert' needs a TLA.

 

[stillp]

Because 'Subject Matter' needs a TLA, whereas 'Subject Matter Expert' needs a TLA.

And, of course, "SE" is the international code for Sweden...

 

[JohnW2]

And, of course, "SE" is the international code for Sweden...

... not to mention South-East!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is that why RFC stands for Ring Final Circuit and not Radial Final Circuit?
Except, of course, it does.

No it doesn't.

It stands for Request For Comment.

No-one has suggested that anything "stops it being an abbreviation for something with the same initials" (which it clearly is). However, what is being said is that (from the point-of-view of common sense) if there is a common meaning for the abbreviation, then it is foolish to use it for something else (which has the same initials) unless one knows that one is talking to someone to whom it will have that different meaning.

Context is (often) everything. Which is why it truly never occurred to me that in the context of the sorts of people who are on committees that write technical regulations, and in discussing things within that context with someone who has been heavily involved with the writing of technical regulations, that person would see "SME" and think it meant small/medium enterprise and not subject matter expert.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

By pure chance, I visited such a company early today and asked a few people what they understood by "SME". They all said "Small or/to Medium Size Enterprise".

Just think - in the right circumstances you could ask someone "And what do you do?" and get the answer "I'm a miniature bearing SME working for the SME SME".

 

[JohnW2]

Just think - in the right circumstances you could ask someone "And what do you do?" and get the answer "I'm a miniature bearing SME working for the SME SME".

Hmmm. I don't think that I need to tell you that it would probably be particularly stupid to use one abbreviation with different meanings within one sentence (or, in most cases, within one conversation or document).

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

... Which is why it truly never occurred to me that in the context of the sorts of people who are on committees that write technical regulations, and in discussing things within that context with someone who has been heavily involved with the writing of technical regulations, that person would see "SME" and think it meant small/medium enterprise and not subject matter expert.

Well, as I understand it, stillp is/was such a person, and it clearly did not occur to him to think that your "SME" meant anything other than Small/Medium Enterprise - so your statement is clearly not true as a generalisation (if at all).

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hmmm. I don't think that I need to tell you that it would probably be particularly stupid to use one abbreviation with different meanings within one sentence (or, in most cases, within one conversation or document).

Well it worked with names/words for Abbot & Costello.

Well, as I understand it, stillp is/was such a person, and it clearly did not occur to him to think that your "SME" meant anything other than Small/Medium Enterprise - so your statement is clearly not true as a generalisation (if at all).

My statement was completely true - read it again (with added emphasis on the crucial part you have overlooked)

Which is why it truly never occurred to me that in the context of the sorts of people who are on committees that write technical regulations, and in discussing things within that context with someone who has been heavily involved with the writing of technical regulations, that person would see "SME" and think it meant small/medium enterprise and not subject matter expert.​

 

[JohnW2]

My statement was completely true - read it again (with added emphasis on the crucial part you have overlooked)

Fair enough - as you imply, I didn't read the structure of your sentence correctly.

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

Which is why it truly never occurred to me that in the context of the sorts of people who are on committees that write technical regulations, and in discussing things within that context with someone who has been heavily involved with the writing of technical regulations, that person would see "SME" and think it meant small/medium enterprise and not subject matter expert.

We often discuss SMEs in standards committees, since we are required to take the needs of small to medium enterprises into account when drafting. See:
https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/24306
http://www.iec.ch/about/brochures/pdf/trade_industry/mncsandsmes.pdf
www.iec.ch/.../The_case_for_active_participation_in_standardization_ 20160601.pptx
https://www.cenelec.eu/aboutcenelec/whatwestandfor/competitivenessforall/smes.html
https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/search-results/?q=sme

 

[stillp]

We often discuss SMEs in standards committees, since we are required to take the needs of small to medium enterprises into account when drafting. See:
https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/24306
http://www.iec.ch/about/brochures/pdf/trade_industry/mncsandsmes.pdf
www.iec.ch/.../The_case_for_active_participation_in_standardization_ 20160601.pptx
https://www.cenelec.eu/aboutcenelec/whatwestandfor/competitivenessforall/smes.html
https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/search-results/?q=sme

Which is why it truly never occurred to me that the abbreviation could refer to something else.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is it?

Even for people not in cardiac arrest?

That can't be good, surely.