What to say to a client:
You did not clearly state your problem. Instead, you proposed a specific solution, and being less accustomed with the solution domain, you could have possibly selected an inappropriate solution. Let me solve your problem, instead of providing you a solution.
The Real Reason for Acronyms is to distinguish a class of people. If one knows the secret code, one is accepted in the group. All professions have their own secret code which is used to establish one’s position in the group, especially when an acronym has several meanings.
There ain’t no plain English! I woke up in Sydney one morning with a pounding headache, went to the corner and asked the cop where the nearest drug store was. Met many interesting people that morning who had no sense of humor. Also found out that what I wanted was called a chemist’s. Same English language, but it damn sure wasn’t plain :)
burntfinger1 hits on two critical truths in his post. The first is that all professions create their own language, for whatever social or practical reasons. The practice was adopted in the military (who had large logistical problems long before IT culture evolved), for practical reasons to streamline communication and, yes, save writing (think swift horse and later telegraph).
The second point is more profound: how seldom users in need can clearly communicate what they need; You did not clearly state the problem: Instead, you proposed a specific solution, and being unfamiliar with the solution domain, you selected an inappropriate solution. Had you asked “where could I get a couple aspirin for an aching head” your day would have been less interesting and your headache likely lessened rather than added to.
How many times has that happened to you on IT projects? A user, customer or client comes to you with a solution in mind, and this mindset leads to a great many additional headaches for both IT and users!