Jargon, do we need it?

[ButSeriously]

I seen a report on TV the other night about jargon. They were discussing how few people understand it won’t admit to not understanding because it will make them look stupid. If this is the case are we in danger of having large amounts of misinformed people on our hands simply because the conveyor of the information wanted to look clever by using jargon that the recipient didn’t understand and wouldn’t admit to? The case study was centred around a local authority.

The report also stated that many people use jargon as a means to make them appear to be more clever than they are and concluded that this minority are creating a nation where the majority feel inferior.

In my view, the media, in particular television news reports, are guilty of “dumming down” their reports in order to reach the masses. Why then do government bodies who are dealing with the public on a daily basis, insist on taking the stance of talking rings around people in a way that they will never understand?

 

[Rabbie]

Possibly because simple English can be ambiguous and government bodies have to give correct accurate information even if the listener doesn't understand it.

 

[Banana]

jargon developed out of necessity, not necessarily because we want to obfuscate but to help speed up the communication.

My emails with the client and co-workers have had abberivations and jargons all over because we were keeping talking about it again and again, so it made no sense to say "Business Intelligence Development Studio" or "SQL Server Management Studio" or "Microsoft Access" but rather BIDS, SSMS and .mdb and we all knew what we'd be talking about.

The real trouble comes in the picture when we have new person joining in. The way I see it, it's ultimately up to the new person to ask what does that and this means. If they decide they're not going to make fool of themselves by not asking, they're doing themselves a major disservice. I've always made it a point to ask for definition in such cases.

 

[oumahexi]

I think there is a time and a place for it, as Banana and Rabbie point out. As a trainer, however, I always err on the side of ignorance. I don't mean ignorance in a derogatory manner, but the fact that the student is attending a course because they do not know about the subject, in such cases I think it is important to keep the course jargon free, and introduce abbreviations gradually.

I would not, however, expect to meet a mathematician at a party and have him talk to me in binary!

 

[Brianwarnock]

Of course there is a place for jargon and acronyms, it just has to be the correct place, how many people talking about RADAR and MODEMs know what they stand for.

In a previous existence I used to produce a technical newsletter, and one article Headed FSS - Full Screen Support started with something like
FSS facilitates the testing of IMS MPPs via BTS and TSO. This article was aimed at IMS application programmers, but I got complaints. In the next edition I informed people that we were purchasing a new machine from International Bisiness Machines, yep I got asked why we were moving from IBM.

Brian

 

[MSAccessRookie]

I think there is a time and a place for it, as Banana and Rabbie point out. As a trainer, however, I always err on the side of ignorance. I don't mean ignorance in a derogatory manner, but the fact that the student is attending a course because they do not know about the subject, in such cases I think it is important to keep the course jargon free, and introduce abbreviations gradually.

I would not, however, expect to meet a mathematician at a party and have him talk to me in binary!

There are 10 kinds of people in this world of ours:

• Those who understand BINARY

AND
​

• Those who do NOT understand BINARY

 

[Banana]

MSAR- you've been reading XKCD, haven't you?

 

[MSAccessRookie]

MSAR- you've been reading XKCD, haven't you?

As a matter of fact, I have read XKCD before, but my reference actually came from a T-Shirt that my daughter brought back from one of her CTY* Summer Educational experiences.


* (Center for Talented Youth) - Programs that are Sponsored by Universities in the US such as Johns Hopkins, St Mary's, and Dickenson.

 

[Banana]

Cool. I don't think XKCD was the one that originally came up with the expression though I'm quite sure it was the one that made it popular.

 

[MSAccessRookie]

Cool. I don't think XKCD was the one that originally came up with the expression though I'm quite sure it was the one that made it popular.

I will have to try to locate it to see if there is an XKCD reference.

 

[oumahexi]

Of course there is a place for jargon and acronyms, it just has to be the correct place, how many people talking about RADAR and MODEMs know what they stand for.

Please feel free to post this on the QI post

 

[oumahexi]

As a matter of fact, I have read XKCD before, but my reference actually came from a T-Shirt that my daughter brought back from one of her CTY* Summer Educational experiences.


* (Center for Talented Youth) - Programs that are Sponsored by Universities in the US such as Johns Hopkins, St Mary's, and Dickenson.

I want one. But I'm wondering if it'll melt if I put it on my daughter (poor wee mite, she's naturally blonde - I did buy her a t-shirt already that says "please speak slowly, naturally blonde")

 

[ButSeriously]

Yes, I can see the need for jargon, but I don't see the need to use it for those who are not aquainted with its meaning. Is the answer education? Do we need to qualify the jargon as a footnote so that everyone gets the picture?

 

[MSAccessRookie]

I want one. But I'm wondering if it'll melt if I put it on my daughter (poor wee mite, she's naturally blonde - I did buy her a t-shirt already that says "please speak slowly, naturally blonde")

I can't find the one like my Daughter has, but maybe this one will interest you. There are also some others on this page that I found interesting.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/frustrations/5aa9/?cpg=ab

 

[Pauldohert]

Is jargon shortening what needs to be said or elongating it.

My pet hate is listening to experts use 1, 2, 3, ,4 ... sentances to say yes or no, with no explanation offered for their reasoning.



I know we all avoid closed questions and closed answers, but we are hoping for more surely.

So if its jargon for yes or no, I can do without it.

Yes/No?

 

[Brianwarnock]

Yes, I can see the need for jargon, but I don't see the need to use it for those who are not aquainted with its meaning.

That's something everybody who has posted agrees with.
Doesn't seem much left to discuss.

Brian