Appendix B

Traps in Terminology

There’s a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure.
And you know sometimes words have two meanings.
(Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven)

Misunderstandings are a common source of project problems, and most are hard to identify. Here is a list of terms and acronyms that I often found used with different meanings. Being aware of possible misunderstandings is a good first step in resolving them.