Watch where you ‘P’ — OpenSorce Branding – Part 2

I have already commented on the power of snappy acronyms to aid in marketing an idea.  But like anything, be careful what you start because if OpenSource has taught us anything, having the freedom to go wherever the wind takes you may leave you explaining to everyone on how the boat ended up at SKULL Island.  I am not saying that you are going to be left to struggle with an 80 foot gorilla who goes by the name of Kong but let’s just say that after you fight through the ensuing confusion you might feel like you have.  What do I mean?  Take the usage of the word LAMP.  L . . . hmm for Linux.  Everyone agrees.  A . . . .Apache; M. . . . . . MySql;  P. . . . hmmmm. . . is that for PHP?  No . . . wait Perl. . . no wait Python?  The confusion begins to take hold.  There is an answer which makes sense and it goes like this.  When the term LAMP was first coined the ‘P’ was unequivocally for PHP.  However, over time people with different skills, tastes, and dispositions began to use the term to speak for what they were currently doing.  Only, the ‘P’ was no longer for PHP.  It was for Perl or Python.  Pick your favorite scripting language that begins with a ‘P’ and you can call yourself a LAMP developer.  Am I overstating this a bit . . . a little.   However, imagine the frustration when a LAMP developer walks through your door and he doesn’t know a lick of PHP code.  These problems can compound themselves.  Take for example the whole snafu known as JavaScript.  The story is classic and the public record has more then documented the impact and resulting confusion of this failed nomenclature.  Ironncially, just when you thought it was dead and buried and we had acknowledged the importance and difference of ECMAScript from Java along comes  Asynchronous Javascript And XML:  AJAX.    I have actually heard people suggest that ‘J’ stands for Java.  Ahhhh, no.  But why is this?  Ironically, it’s the legacy of that first sin committed so long ago and now it’s polluting everyone’s attempt at communicating about a new set of technologies and skills.  This irony continues in that the very terms that you use to be hip, cool, and in-the-know have now in fact cost you time and energy.  The LAMP developer you have just brought in to interview has no concept of the PHP code fragment you just put in front of him.  For him, the ‘P’ stands for ‘Perl’ and he is now looking at you as if you have just offended him.  So the next time you slough off an acronym and don’t bother to get it right. . . remember this post.  Presumably time is money and every day these types of confusions cost organizations lost productivity which translates to the bottom line:  longer to build the right team, longer to deliver, and more costly to innovate because the right resources are not there to deliver the goods.