4 ms·

I think everyone can learn from "Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon." I love this fact very much. Jargon is necessary when publishing scient

I think everyone can learn from "Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon." I love this fact very much. Jargon is necessary when publishing scientific papers or presenting technical material. When it comes to marketing, the moment there is jargon - I smell bullshit (even if it isn't). Honest, truthful marketing is so much more valuable and impactful. Reminds of the stark difference between how Steve Jobs spoke and how Satya Nadella speaks. Every time I hear Satya, I feel like I am listening to a pre-recorded HR blessed robot.

Animats 8y ago
"Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon." DARPA did adhere to that back then. I was doing networking work during that period. And at a networking conference, one DARPA staffer asked me what I thought of a theoretical paper on Internet congestion control. I said "I've read it, but I don't understand it." They replied "We don't understand it either. That's why we're not funding them any more."
seanmcdirmid 8y ago
Jargon are just words, abstractions. I mean, even the term HR is considered a jargon term if you aren’t familiar with the concept. Nadella isn’t speaking to you, but to a bunch of shareholders, his messaging is extremely optimized for that target audience (I learned this when working for MS). Likewise, Jobs was talking to you, his messaging was similarly optimized to a different audience.
- BadThink6655321 8y ago
  Yes, jargon is just words. But words can clarify or confuse, enlighten or darken, convey truth or lies, exaggerate or be accurate. As someone famous once said, “if you can’t explain it so your grandmother gets it, then you don’t understand it.”
  - seanmcdirmid 8y ago
    Just because you don’t doesn’t mean you can’t. Again, you speak and explain for your intended audience, who is often not your grandma.

Animats 8y ago

"Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon." DARPA did adhere to that back then. I was doing networking work during that period. And at a networking conference, one DARPA staffer asked me what I thought of a theoretical paper on Internet congestion control. I said "I've read it, but I don't understand it." They replied "We don't understand it either. That's why we're not funding them any more."

seanmcdirmid 8y ago

Jargon are just words, abstractions. I mean, even the term HR is considered a jargon term if you aren’t familiar with the concept. Nadella isn’t speaking to you, but to a bunch of shareholders, his messaging is extremely optimized for that target audience (I learned this when working for MS). Likewise, Jobs was talking to you, his messaging was similarly optimized to a different audience.

BadThink6655321 8y ago
Yes, jargon is just words. But words can clarify or confuse, enlighten or darken, convey truth or lies, exaggerate or be accurate. As someone famous once said, “if you can’t explain it so your grandmother gets it, then you don’t understand it.”
- seanmcdirmid 8y ago
  Just because you don’t doesn’t mean you can’t. Again, you speak and explain for your intended audience, who is often not your grandma.