Customer-friendly word for "landline"

[Syed Zaeem Hosain (Syed.Hosain@aeris.net)]

The telecom industry (that I am in) has come up with so many acronyms and terms for simple reasons:

_Unlike_ other industries, the need to interact (people and systems) between multiple vendors/suppliers, multiple industry organizations and regulatory bodies, and multiple _nations_, drives a HUGE number of international standards ... so that everyone speaks a "common language"!

And, because there are so many touch points, the sheer number of terms needed is absolutely huge. Thus, if we had to use the full term/phrase _each and every time_ we spoke or wrote about something, it would get unwieldy instantly.

Hence, acronyms and commonly used terms abound. "POTS" is common and instantly understood. So are "landline", "wireless" and "wireline" - these are more generic and do change a bit in context (unlike POTS).

It would be surprising to me if there was any real confusion. Or any confusion that lasted any length of time anyway!

Regardless of which, we _sometime_ refer internal people (and customers) to this:

	http://www.amazon.com/Newtons-Telecom-Dictionary-25th-Telecommunications/dp/0979387337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296841211&sr=8-1

to explain any term as needed.

Regards,

Z

-----Original Message-----
From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Scott Prentice
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 8:53 AM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Re: Customer-friendly word for "landline"

Keep in mind your underlying reason for trying to differentiate between different types of phone systems. Just because a phone is "wired" 
doesn't mean that it's POTS .. an IP-based phone system may look just like a POTS system, but technically, isn't (is VOIP considered a "landline" .. I dunno). Also, you might have a "mobile" phone that's not really cellular, but radio or other form of "wireless". I'm no expert in these things, but the line isn't always clear, especially to the average reader.

I'd be careful in even bothering to differentiate between the various systems unless it is really crucial to what you're documenting. No matter how you describe it, unless you go into great technical detail, it's likely to be confusing or wrong for some situations.

Cheers,

...scott


Böðvar Björgvinsson wrote:
> What is wrong with landline? Is it bad that it is easily 
> understandable? Should you really try to find a word that no none 
> understands without a Masters degree in English?
>
> It seems to me that there is an ongoing snob for Latin-based words, 
> acronyms (Latin) and abbreviations (Latin) (or shorts (Humanly 
> understandable language)) in England and the US, which means that you 
> have to constantly refer to a dead language. How much time, effort and 
> ink do you think is spent on explaining "English" words to the 
> English-speaking?
>
> Let's use the simple words when we can.
>
> KISS
>
> Bodvar Bjorgvinsson
>
> 2011/2/4 Syed Zaeem Hosain (Syed.Hosain at aeris.net) <Syed.Hosain at aeris.net>:
>   
>> We mostly use "wireless" and "wireline" to distinguish the two (my company is in the wireless data business for cellular).
>>
>> On fewer occasions, simply "landline" and "POTS".
>>
>> Depends on the audience. :)
>>
>> Z
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com 
>> [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of John 
>> Posada
>> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 2:03 PM
>> To: Alan T Litchfield
>> Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com; Butler, Darren J CTR USAF AFMC 
>> WR-ALC/ENGLTB
>> Subject: Re: Customer-friendly word for "landline"
>>
>> Maybe nothing, just exploring alternative...look like there really 
>> aren't any...thanks anyway
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 4:59 PM, Alan T Litchfield <alan at alphabyte.co.nz> wrote:
>>     
>>> Telephone?
>>>
>>> What's wrong with landline?
>>>
>>> Alan
>>>       
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