From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG  Mon Jul 12 23:31:26 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9323E16A4CE
	for <doc@freebsd.org>; Mon, 12 Jul 2004 23:31:26 +0000 (GMT)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [65.173.111.5])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 33AFC43D55
	for <doc@freebsd.org>; Mon, 12 Jul 2004 23:31:26 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by wonkity.com (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id i6CNVPtZ043912
	for <doc@freebsd.org>; Mon, 12 Jul 2004 17:31:25 -0600 (MDT)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
	by wonkity.com (8.12.11/8.12.11/Submit) with ESMTP id i6CNVPnt043909
	for <doc@freebsd.org>; Mon, 12 Jul 2004 17:31:25 -0600 (MDT)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 17:31:25 -0600 (MDT)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: doc@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20040712171533.R43767@wonkity.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-1.5.3
	(wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Mon, 12 Jul 2004 17:31:25 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Handbook Acronyms
X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Documentation project <freebsd-doc.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-doc>,
	<mailto:freebsd-doc-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-doc>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-doc@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-doc-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-doc>,
	<mailto:freebsd-doc-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 23:31:26 -0000

In most books, the first use of an acronym or term is defined.  With the 
Handbook, that is probably not very helpful, since most users will not 
read it straight through and may miss the definition.

A glossary would help, particularly for HTML, where the definition is 
just a link away.  This fails on paper versions of the Handbook, though.

Ideally, the first use of a glossary term in a chapter would have a 
short definition:

     With NFS (Network File System), files may be...

In the HTML version, the entire "NFS (Network File System)" would be a 
link to the glossary.  Later references and links would just be "NFS".

If every acronym is defined in the glossary, is it possible to generate 
the link and definition the first time an acronym is used in a chapter?

-Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA