Our Consumer Place Glossary

Language can be a funny thing.

On this page we describe why we have chosen the particular words that are used on this website, and what we mean by each particular term that we use.

• Why do we use the word 'consumer'?
• Why have we chosen to describe activities that Our Consumer Place seeks to support and build using the word 'Developed' as opposed to 'Delivered'?
• Why have we chosen to describe activities that Our Consumer Place seeks to support and build using the word 'Initiatives' as opposed to 'Services'?
• A few words about acronyms
• Building the Glossary

Why do we use the word 'consumer'?

We use the term 'consumer' throughout this website and in the work we do as part of the Our Consumer Place team. It is important to understand the term and why it is being used, even if you don't like it. Click here to read our explanation.

Why have we chosen to describe activities that Our Consumer Place seeks to support and build using the word 'Developed' as opposed to 'Delivered'?

The word 'deliver' is what the postie does with a package. She delivers something to me. That something is already defined. That something exists, the same as a whole lot of other specific items that can be wrapped up as a whole, a package, and given to someone. Delivery is a one-way action, without any necessary involvement or action by me. Many of us have experienced services that have been 'delivered to us'.

'Develop' infers something new, something original. Develop infers the creation of something that has not existed before. It infers involvement of many, with many discussions, debates, exchange of opinions, all contributing to the process of producing an' end something' that is original.

Why have we chosen to describe activities that Our Consumer Place seeks to support and build using the word 'Initiatives' as opposed to 'Services'?

Services already exist. Services quite often are something that someone else (usually professionals) have decided would be 'good for us' or would be of 'benefit to us if we access them', or of benefit if 'we get with the program'. If we continue to replicate what already exists, then this is as good as it gets. Is that really good enough?

Let's explore the word 'initiative'.

From the Cambridge Dictionary:

Initiative (Judgement) - Noun - The ability to use your judgement to make decisions and do things without needing to be told what to do.

Initiative (New action) - Noun - A new action or movement, often intended to overcome a problem.

There are many aspects in this explanation that we like. "To use your judgement", "to make decisions" and "do things without needing to be told what to do" are examples of ideals we all hope society would uphold in interactions with us as people.

The second noun meaning, "a new action ….. intended to overcome a problem," also carries great ideals as we dream of a world of how it could be rather than as it currently exists. All of us have seen many problems with the world, and aspects of services, as it currently is, that need overcoming. Some of us have ideas of ways these problems could be overcome. These are initiatives.

Undoubtedly there will be much debate, discussion, and diverse opinions as to what is and what is not a 'Consumer Developed Initiative'. This is the way it should be. We at Our Consumer Place don't profess to know everything. But here's a few things we'd like you to consider and make up your own mind about.

Is a consumer run drop-in-centre a consumer developed initiative? Drop in centres have been around for years, and whilst it is true that very few have ever been run and controlled by consumers, is this really a new initiative? Or is it just more of the same, just in different hands?

Is a consumer run arts class, or a pottery class, or wood working group a consumer developed initiative? Many of us have experienced institutional services and their programs and some of us were even exposed to the degrading environments of sheltered workshops for the so-called disabled. Is any one of these considered to be a consumer developed initiative, simply because they are now run by consumers?

We feel sure that you all will have your own opinions about these things that we raise. We would like to know your opinions.

You can have your say on these and many other topics of discussion by becoming a member of Our Consumer Place. Go to www.ourcommunity.com.au/consumer/contactus to find out how.

A few words about acronyms

Some people love them and some people hate them.

Some people use them and some people don't.

Some people feel empowered because they have learnt how to handle them, and

Some people feel disempowered because they are lost.

Some people employ them because they help keep others awake and

Some people don't because they have been caught out themselves.

Sometimes they are used as important code for marginalised groups and sometimes they are used by the most powerful players to keep others at bay.

Whatever your view, acronyms are now part of the scene so it is probably useful to learn some rules about how to employ them with the greatest authority and sensitivity as possible.

Rules for consumers using acronyms

1. Don't use acronyms to show off -Sometimes we use acronyms because we are feeling afraid of the 'knowledge' of clinicians and bureaucrats and we want to find ways to match their authority. It's not a good idea if all it does is to disempower other consumers.
   
   
2. Encourage group members to always speak up if they don't know an acronym. There is no shame in not knowing acronym-filled 'bureaucratic speak'. Let people know that they need to speak up and that probably if they don't know the meaning of an acronym there will be others in the group who don't know it either. They will be doing the others a favour if they ask for an explanation.
   
   
3. Encourage group members to 'nicely' embarrass bureaucrats and clinicians who speak in 'medical speak' (including the constant use of acronyms).
   
   
4. Don't use acronyms and name dropping to curry favor with 'experts' outside your group.
   
   
5. Don't blast or condemn other consumers who accidentally drop into using acronyms. It's a very easy habit to get into when you are doing a lot of meetings. All you have to do is remind them.
   
   
6. Encourage the group to create a list, accessible to all group members, which documents the most common acronyms and what they stand for. Encourage all group members to add to this list whenever they hear a new acronym being used.
   
   
7. Remember that acronyms can be used by consumers to help cement group identity. For example, by creating acronyms that 'others' will most probably not get you can not only feel stronger but also sometimes get a laugh. These are not used to attack others; rather, they are used internally to give the group a language. Consumer groups both here and overseas have used acronyms in this way. For example, Clinicians Arrogance Disorder (CAD).
   
   
8. When you first use a long title for something (eg. Clinicians Arrogance Disorder) it should be written out in full and then followed by the acronym in brackets (eg. (CAD). From then on in that piece of writing just the acronym will do. This saves space and stops the reader from falling asleep and getting frustrated when they have to read the long name over and over again.

Acronyms in Speech

When speaking to others do not assume they know the meaning of the acronym you want to use. Always check that everyone understands. It is very disempowering to not know what everyone else is talking about and some people are too shy to keep interrupting to ask what is meant.

You can have a lot of fun with words and acronyms. Here's an example of some of the fun we've had with CDI as an acronym.

If we were to only use the CDI acronym, many people may be confused by its meaning, or our use. Here is a few examples of what CDI might stand for:

• Community Development Instigators
• Cosmopolitan Designer Interlopers
• Continuous Destructive Improvement
• Can't Defend Intolerance
• Can Deny Imagination
• Constant Delay Investigators
• Constant Denial Initiators
• Constant Development Intruders
• Committed Destructive Influences
• Considerable Diarrhea Imaginatives
• Can't Deny Individualism.
• Can't Digest Intoxicants

We could put them all into a story that might read something like this:

The Community Development Instigators, who were Cosmopolitan Designer Interlopers by trade, produced Continuous Destructive Improvement, whilst professing that they Can't Defend Intolerance. Their actions showed they Can Deny Imagination, with a group made up of Constant Delay Investigators, Constant Denial Initiators and who used Committed Destructive Influences, whose outcome was akin to Considerable Diarrhea Imaginatives. They stated they Can't Deny Individualism, but the real reason was they Can't Digest Intoxicants.

Now let's take this story and use only acronyms. It sounds like this:

The CDIs, who were CDIs by trade, produced CDI, whilst professing that they CDI. Their actions showed they CDI, with a group made up of CDIs, CDIs and who used CDIs, whose outcome was akin to CDIs. They stated they CDI, but the real reason was they CDIs.

Yes it's a shorter paragraph, but who knows what it means??????

The two statements we want to make here are about the difficulty of the continuous and over use of acronyms, and the other is that it is OK to have fun at Our Consumer Place.

Building the Glossary

This page is just the start of the Our Consumer Place Glossary. We could write a whole lot of words and their meanings, but how do we know what words people need and want explained?

Please go to the "Contact Us" page and let us know what words and terminology you would like explained. In this way you will build this section, rather than us dictating what it contains.

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