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February 15, 2005
Decoding Business Buzzwords
From "scalable" to "enterprise," many words enter our business lingo, but some say they're just mumbo-jumbo. Here's the plain English explanation of buzzwords that can leave you going "huh?":
In the business world, we tend to be overly fond of fancy words and phrases, says a recent article from the Associated Press. For example, high-tech companies don't simply make products, they "provide solutions." And those solutions don't simply perform tasks, they give us "experiences."
In short, we've gotten carried away--something that tech terminology expert Alan Freedman realized when people started asking him to decode the marketing materials of technology companies. And this marketing speak is supposed to get people to purchase products.
Even Freedman, who's written technology encyclopedias for 25 years, is left confused by the latest slew of buzzwords. "The marketing people are so bad at hyping their products that, with all my experience, I'll have to read and reread and reread just to figure out what this thing does," Freedman, founder of The Computer Language Company Inc. in Pennsylvania, tells the Associated Press.
So here's a clarification of some words that are particularly annoying to many:
Scalable: This simply means that something can be expanded. Points out Fredric Paul, TechWeb editor-in-chief, who would love to banish this word for good, "My son is scalable, he's got built-in room to grow."
Enterprise: According to the AP article, Paul finds this word especially vexing, something that a Star Trek fan would say. Translation: "big company."
Viral marketing: A campaign that spreads very quickly. Supposed to be positive but sounds like something you don't want to catch.
Stickiness: A Web page quality that captures people's interest.
Blog: A combination of "Web" and "log." It's simply an online journal. More on it in this article.
Meanwhile, a hilarious Web log from Monster nominates 10 buzzwords for execution. Here's a few of them...
Best practices: Means a few so-so ways to get things done. Used when the best way eludes people.
FYI (For Your Information): Something to call a long e-mail thread of questionable relevance.
Action items: To-do's to pass off to other people in a meeting.
Think outside the box: According to the Monster post, "This is a way of saying, 'Don't think like you normally do--pretend you're someone smarter."
Any other words or phrases that you would like to see banished or that leave you scratching your head?
Sources:
Defining Tongue-twisting Tech Buzzwords
Associated Press, January 17, 2005
www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/01/17/buzzword.overkill.ap
Top 10 Buzzwords Better Left in 2004
The Monster Blog
monster.typepad.com/monsterblog/2004/12/top_10_buzzword.html
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18 CommentsAs a Technical Writer, I know that there are times when only specific words and phrases will do. However, for the most part, simpler is clearer and better. Sounding pompous does NOT mean you are more intelligent. Among my pet peeves:
- Advancement, when you just mean an advance (which is shorter, too)
- Impact used as a verb; affect is clearer
- Paradigm, when it's only an idea or concept.
Peeling back the onion.
Acronymous conversation.
Consensus, get real.
February 16, 2005 9:09 AMFYI is a very old term and is quite useful. It is used to inform others of information that may have some importance or interest to them.
February 16, 2005 9:13 AM"Synergy" is just a fancy word for "Teamwork". I think teamwork sounds better and synergy should be relegated back to its proper use - to describe the use of more than one medicine to combat a disease or infection.
February 16, 2005 9:18 AM"Safety" is one of these words that has totally lost is true meaning and is so over used that, from my point of view, is really meant to hide a multitude of "sins." All should state that no one wants anyone to get hurt or killed -- this is not the issue -- what has happened is we are afraid to that any risks and we hide behind "safety."
Probably, what amazes me the most is that when a "real" safety concern is brought to light the "safety people" don't see it as such, while the things that a reasonable person would delegate to the "back door" are seen as the most important "safety" concern since....
Another word that has lost it's meaning is the word "technology," today when one speaks about "technology" they are really stating: "oh, they know how to use a computer application program." When I was in High School this would have been called secretarial science. Technology is the application of science and most don't understand how technologically advanced, for argument sake, o-rings are today.
I can't stand the word delegate, which really means to dump work you don't like on someone lower on the food chain or totem pole.
February 24, 2005 4:28 PM"add value"...howzzzat!!
February 25, 2005 4:21 AMTeamwork? if I hear that once more I'll puke. My "team" sucks because of a couple of weak links. But they smile and get along well with others, that's what is really meant by teamwork.
February 25, 2005 6:30 PMMy pet overused words:
"Impact" instead of effect;
"Drivers" instead of leaders and
"Levers" instead of essential jobs or tasks.
