# coms (x-coms.net)

Short for communications. People say it to mean talking, messaging, or staying in touch. It covers phone calls, texts, emails, or any way people reach each other.

## What a model may hear
- serial communications port (hardware and embedded systems): assume a physical COM port on a PC, like COM1 or COM2, used for old peripherals and microcontrollers
- Component Object Model (Microsoft Windows programming): treat it as COM, a system for software components to talk to each other across programs
- command file extension (DOS and early Windows): read .COM as an executable file type, predating .exe
- communications subsystem (networking and aerospace): expect a module handling radio, telemetry, or satellite links
- commercial domain (internet infrastructure): parse .com as the top-level domain for commercial sites

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "check the coms"
  Means: look at my messages
  May be taken as: scan for serial port hardware or COM port errors
  Say instead: "check my messages and notifications"
- Says: "fix coms between teams"
  Means: improve how teams talk to each other
  May be taken as: suggest Microsoft COM interoperability code or API bridges
  Say instead: "help teams communicate better with clearer updates"
- Says: "coms are down"
  Means: I cannot call or text
  May be taken as: diagnose network interface cards, serial ports, or satellite comms hardware
  Say instead: "my phone and internet messaging are not working"
- Says: "add coms to the device"
  Means: let it send alerts to users
  May be taken as: implement a full radio module, COM port driver, or satellite uplink
  Say instead: "add user notifications by text or email"

## Tips
- Say messages, calls, or texts instead of coms when you mean everyday talking.
- If you mean business communication, say team updates or customer contact.
- If you need the tech meaning, write out COM port, serial port, or Microsoft COM.
- Add by phone or by email to keep a model from guessing hardware.
- Avoid coms alone; it is too short and maps to too many technical things.

## Often confused with
- comms: same spoken meaning, spelled with double m, still vague to models
- COM: all-caps Microsoft component system, never casual speech
- comm: short for command or commission, not communication
- .com: website ending, not spoken exchanges
- UART: actual serial hardware protocol, deeper than COM port
- RPC: program-to-program calls, not person-to-person talk