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DSL Versions - v - Standards

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kitz:
Whilst I'm having a better day for typing (and thus confidence to bring up the topic), I have a huge favour to ask please.

I'm sure it's something most of us has been guilty of from time to time...  and that is using technology (ITU-T) specification name rather than the standard version name.    I'm not talking about using incorrect terms such as 'fibre', but the use of G.xxx.x names.   ie
ADSL2+   ITU-T G.992.5
VDSL2    ITU-T G.993.2
G.INP     ITU-T G.998.4
G.FAST   ITU-T G.9700

In days gone by, I wouldn't have had any difficulty knowing which is which, but now are times when I find it hard to immediately differentiate.   Over the past few months it's become increasing difficult and many occasions I've had to actually refer back to the main site before I knew which technology was being talked about.   

It's embarrassing to admit defeat with something that once came instinctively, but having FM means that quite often numbers & letters (and even words) blur.  Although I may have thought I'd typed the right spec - its not actually what the forum software decides to print it out as ;)
I'd kept quiet for a while, because it's frustrating that on bad days to say I struggle, BUT it's also made me increasingly aware that the average person in the street just wouldn't have a clue either. 

One of the reasons the main site is so popular is that 15yrs ago I was able to read the real heavy tech journals & white papers and be able to put things across in a way that Joe Bloggs was more likely to be able to comprehend.   I don't think I quite knew what I was letting myself in for, because back then there wasn't even the likes of Wikipedia to explain some of the topics I was covering. 
IMHO the reason it worked was I tried to be technically correct, yet where ever possible avoid any terms that could easily confuse or come across as jargon.   You all know I hate the misuse of the word 'fibre' with a passion,  but if we have any chance of helping (and educating) other consumers,  then we should be using the version name rather than the ITU-T spec number. 

I don't mind if when talking about technical journals etc if you use the standards, but I'm referring to the help threads where using the numbers are likely to just go straight over the head of the general public.  I really value the input made by the regs, so I hope you don't see this as criticism as it's aim is to point out that if I struggle, then I've no doubt many others will too and that sometimes it's best to use the simpler & common terms to aid understanding.

Cheers guys :)     

jelv:
Fully support this. The problem is that some of the numbers are so similar. You haven't included the other ADSL versions. Ive mixed up G992.3 (ADSL2) and G993.2 (VDSL2) before now as they are exactly the same digits with the last two swapped round and I don't have any issues like you (at least I think I don't!).

As we sometimes see modem stats posted with the numbers, would it be possible to have a button in the headers above the forums which popped up a handy reference table with all the numbers and names? It could sit beside Rate your ISP

kitz:
Thanks jelv.  The list was just a small sample, there's many more I could have mentioned and not just limited to G numbers - there's others such as RFCs etc.
It was the G numbers that got me started on thinking how hard and confusing it must be for the average person to understand nvm anyone with dyslexia

Several years ago I (unsuccessfully) searched for an SMF mod which would automatically pop up over certain words to give a brief resume of their meaning.   Because there wasn't it's why we started our own Glossary


The only thing I came across that may also help is the poster making use of BBCode by inserting [acronym] or [abbr] tags in their own posts eg

G.992.5
DLM



--- Code: ---[abbr=ADSL2+]G.992.5[/abbr]
[acronym=Dynamic Line Management]DLM[/acronym]

--- End code ---



--- Quote ---would it be possible to have a button in the headers above the forums which popped up a handy reference table with all the numbers and names? It could sit beside Rate your ISP
--- End quote ---

Whilst not a popup as such, adding a link to the Glossary underneath the Rate your ISP would be doable.

jelv:
You could possibly use the word censor to automatically replace G.992.5 with [acronym=ADSL2+]G.992.5[/acronym] which would then automatically insert that in to everybody's posts.

Only one issue with that cunning plan - there's no mouseover on touch screen devices such as phones!

jelv:
Wouldn't the Glossary be more suited to the Wiki? The table of ITU-T specs. would definitely be good on there.

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