Too many acronyms - EBTS

Acronyms are a shorthand that people in a particular profession can use to refer to something quickly. But confusion reigns when an acronym is used outside of that profession. Here's the latest example.

As part of my job, I spend a considerable amount of time dealing with the Electronic Biometric Transmission Specification, a standard used by U.S. state agencies to send biometric data to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, "Electronic Biometric Transmission Specification" is a mouthful, so we bio-folks just call it the "EBTS."

However, you'd figure that four-letter acronym was pretty common, and that someone else would use it for an entirely different purpose. When I was reading this ebts.info page, my theory was put to the test.

At EBTS, we don't book everything. We book only quality.

This makes sense to me. While the FBI would ideally like to receive all biometric data for serious crimes, sometimes the data just can't be used. In that case, the FBI sends the data back to the submitting agency with a rejection notice.

But I continued to read ebts.info, and things got a little strange.

Our staff personally visits many hotels and properties every year, to compile recommendations that meet our rigorous standards.

Now with all of the debate about supposedly expensive conventions attended by government bureaucrats, is that something that you really want to advertise? Frankly, I've been impressed by the professionalism of the FBI people that I've encountered at the International Association for Identification conference and other conferences, but I'm sure there's some rowdy FBI person who goes to a convention and whoops it up. Under those circumstances, you may not want to advertise all of these hotel visits.

Unless...

We stand behind what we sell 100%, a guarantee you'll never get from an online travel site.

With over thirty years of combined experience in the travel industry, we've cultivated a portfolio of contacts that we'll use to help you create an unforgettable vacation. The relationships we've developed, permit us to offer our clientele room upgrades, access to special amenities, and rare opportunities—the touches that turn ordinary vacations into cherished memories.

Elena Borrero Travel Services, LLC offers exceptional travel experiences designed to help you explore the adventures of travel.

Yes, this EBTS is a travel agency, named after Elena Borrero. As far as I know, Borrero does not spend her days staring at fingerprint ridges.

And neither do the people from Frontier Booking International, a talent agency founded by the late Ian Copeland. Ian's brother Stewart was a member of the Police - the band, not a law enforcement agency. Another brother started IRS, the record company. And Ian and Stewart's father worked for the CIA - in this case, the real Central Intelligence Agency.