Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!ihnp4!ihlpf!apxpecc From: apxpecc@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Jeffrey P. Horvath) Newsgroups: comp.sys.att Subject: Re: 6386 WGS - What does the suffix 'WGS' mean? Message-ID: <5308@ihlpf.ATT.COM> Date: 15 Jul 88 21:18:20 GMT References: <365@pyuxf.UUCP> <1403@lznv.ATT.COM> <25057@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <5282@ihlpf.ATT.COM> Reply-To: apxpecc@ihlpf.UUCP (Jeffrey P. Horvath) Organization: AT&T Network Systems, Lisle IL Lines: 15 In article <5282@ihlpf.ATT.COM> cem@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Malloy) writes: >In article <25057@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>, brand@janus.uucp (Graham Brand) writes: >> I have seen the suffix WGS appended to both the 6386 and the older >> 6300 machines. Is it an acronym for something and, if so, what? > >WGS is indeed an acronym. It stands for Work Group System. The older I think people should be clear about the use of the word "acronym" versus "abbreviation". Based on WEBSTER's Collegiate Dictionary, an acronym is a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term (as "radar" or "snafu"). An abbreviation is the shortened form of a written word or phrase. In my opinion, WGS is an abbreviation, NOT an acronym. I feel too many people within AT&T are quick to call their abbreviations acronyms without realizing that there is a world of difference between the two.