4 ms·

My only complaint with it is that they use the acronym UCL without defining it.

ASalazarMX 2y ago
I understand why you complain, but UCL is obviously an acronym of a university, and most people won't care much which specific university did this. The ones that do can readily find it. I'm much more annoyed when three-letter jargon with more than one meaning is used without context.
ranit 2y ago
Immediately under the title you will find: > by University College London Therefore repetition may not be necessary.
- Stedag 2y ago
  I read the parent as sarcasm and chuckled.
hammock 2y ago
Your complaint is valid, despite the fact this article is a press release/byline being republished from University College London. UCL doesn't even enumerate (expand? is there an alphabetic variant of "enumerate"?) the acronym on its home page: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/
- fluoridation 2y ago
  >expand? is there an alphabetic variant of "enumerate"? In this context it would be either "expand" or "explicitate" (because the operators thought the meaning was so obvious that leaving it implicit was enough).
  - istultus 2y ago
    I would use "elucidate" first and foremost, but "decipher" or "unravel" also work.
- latexr 2y ago
  Technically the full name is on the homepage if you look at the footer, which has the full address. Looking around the website, they seem to take the branding seriously as being UCL, which is less generic than the full name which looks more like a description than a name. I’ve seen other colleges do the same. We can argue if that’s a good or bad decision, but it seems to be intentional.
bb123 2y ago
I think this is a branding thing. They refer to themselves pretty much everywhere as "UCL".
wenc 2y ago
UCL is a widely known acronym, like MIT. It’s not as famous as MIT but still known to anyone in academia and most in the anglosphere.
- seanw265 2y ago
  Related: there is a small college in NYC named "LIM", which used to stand for "Laboratory Institute of Merchandising." A few years back they updated their branding and now the name quite literally stands for nothing. They are just "LIM" now. A former acronym, reduced to a mononym.
  - anamexis 2y ago
    It's the same for KFC (the fried chicken chain). It officially no longer stands for anything, they're just called KFC.
    - dylan604 2y ago
      Reebok => RBK The trend to be meaningless is a confusing decision to me. Guess it's a good thing that's not my department
    - emmelaich 2y ago
      Then I think they went back? At least in Australia, in 2019.
    - rascul 2y ago
      Says "Kentucky Fried Chicken" on the web site though. https://www.kfc.com/ https://www.kfc.com/
- tokinonagare 2y ago
  Yes, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) is a well known acronym. It's not a reason not define it in an article, in case other universities share the same acronym.
  - 2y ago

I understand why you complain, but UCL is obviously an acronym of a university, and most people won't care much which specific university did this. The ones that do can readily find it. I'm much more annoyed when three-letter jargon with more than one meaning is used without context.

ranit 2y ago

Immediately under the title you will find: > by University College London Therefore repetition may not be necessary.

Stedag 2y ago
I read the parent as sarcasm and chuckled.

hammock 2y ago

Your complaint is valid, despite the fact this article is a press release/byline being republished from University College London. UCL doesn't even enumerate (expand? is there an alphabetic variant of "enumerate"?) the acronym on its home page: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/

fluoridation 2y ago
>expand? is there an alphabetic variant of "enumerate"? In this context it would be either "expand" or "explicitate" (because the operators thought the meaning was so obvious that leaving it implicit was enough).
- istultus 2y ago
  I would use "elucidate" first and foremost, but "decipher" or "unravel" also work.
latexr 2y ago
Technically the full name is on the homepage if you look at the footer, which has the full address. Looking around the website, they seem to take the branding seriously as being UCL, which is less generic than the full name which looks more like a description than a name. I’ve seen other colleges do the same. We can argue if that’s a good or bad decision, but it seems to be intentional.

bb123 2y ago

I think this is a branding thing. They refer to themselves pretty much everywhere as "UCL".

wenc 2y ago

UCL is a widely known acronym, like MIT. It’s not as famous as MIT but still known to anyone in academia and most in the anglosphere.

seanw265 2y ago
Related: there is a small college in NYC named "LIM", which used to stand for "Laboratory Institute of Merchandising." A few years back they updated their branding and now the name quite literally stands for nothing. They are just "LIM" now. A former acronym, reduced to a mononym.
- anamexis 2y ago
  It's the same for KFC (the fried chicken chain). It officially no longer stands for anything, they're just called KFC.
  - dylan604 2y ago
    Reebok => RBK The trend to be meaningless is a confusing decision to me. Guess it's a good thing that's not my department
  - emmelaich 2y ago
    Then I think they went back? At least in Australia, in 2019.
  - rascul 2y ago
    Says "Kentucky Fried Chicken" on the web site though. https://www.kfc.com/ https://www.kfc.com/
tokinonagare 2y ago
Yes, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) is a well known acronym. It's not a reason not define it in an article, in case other universities share the same acronym.
- 2y ago