As a member of this list for quite a few years (and, chronologically, one of the older members), let me comment on some of this stuff.
1. Of FFU, WOMBAT, USMA and BWMA, only WOMBAT is an acronym. The others are simply initials (sometimes called initialisms). (Check your dictionary.) 2. Nobody can "own" a set of initials. They can trademark a logo that uses initials, but that doesn't prohibit others from using the same initials, just as long as they don't use the logo. 3. I find nothing childish about FFU (which is only intended to be a shorthand form on this list). When it was first introduced here, it was accepted with equanimity and often used by everyone, including the late Joe Reid, a former Rhodes Scholar, computer pioneer, and President Emeritus of the Canadian Metric Association. (Joe died at the beginning of last year at the age of 90.) 4. Let's distinguish between the discussions on this list and the objective of those discussions. It doesn't matter whether or not the discussions themselves advance the cause of metrication. What matters is whether they provide us with encouragement for and approaches to advancing that cause. The actual advancing cannot take place in this list, simply because those we seek to convince or influence aren't participants here. 5. We've had disruptive members of this list before and we'll have them again. That's life. Fortunately, the list manager, Don Hillger, possesses the ultimate weapon. He can exclude those who make participation hell for the rest of us. Unfortunately, they can return with a new email address. Fortunately, Don can exclude them again. 6. Anything that doesn't deal with SI (not S.I., by the way) is off topic. Most of us stray somewhat off topic from time to time, especially if the diversion is interesting. However, starting a new message thread with a discussion that is totally off topic isn't really helpful to our fellow participants. I'd put a message thread that excoriates us for using a shorthand form that is now well-established here in that category. This message is intended as a one-off. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
