NE #32: What do PHP, Visa and Mandelbrot have in common?
Part 32 of the Nerd Encyclopedia on the undoubted joy of recursive acronyms.
PHP is one of the most popular languages on the . PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor and is a recursive acronym. Originally PHP was synonymous with Personal HomePage Tools. However, from version 3, there were fundamental changes, which is why they wanted to distinguish oneself from the predecessor and therefore chose exactly this name. In IT there are many sometimes more or less popular recursive acronyms, such as
- WINE : WINE Is Not an Emulator (Software),
- cURL : cURL URL Request Library (Software),
- RPM : RPM Package Manager,
- GNU : GNU is not UNIX (operating system,
- ATI : ATI Technologies Inc. (hardware manufacturer),
- NANO : Nano’s Another editor)
and many more, including VISA for Visa International Service Association.
Now the rumor is circulating that the B in the name of the famous mathematician for Benoit B Mandelbrot stands [NYTI1]. An allusion to one of his most famous legacies: The beautiful Mandelbrot ment is a recursive mathematical work of art!
One thing is certain: Mandelbrot as an initial has given itself in his autobiography. But that the B is for Benoit B. Mandelbrot stands is unfortunately not occupied — it is only an initial [THEG1].
According to another but unverifiable and probably not entirely serious legend, Bing stands for Bing is not Google… oh well!
