Comments on: The curse of social media jargon http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon Picking out patterns in the chaos Tue, 22 May 2012 22:04:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Suw Charman-Anderson http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7752 Suw Charman-Anderson Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:05:50 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7752 Carl, totally agree with you about corporate speak, and why it evolves. I think sometimes that one reason I'm not more successful is that I talk in plain English, and that makes people who are used to hearing jargon undervalue what I do. There really is a push towards more jargon and more bs, and that's a shame. I'm never going to start talking crap just to impress a new client, though, so I guess I'm doomed. Carl, totally agree with you about corporate speak, and why it evolves. I think sometimes that one reason I’m not more successful is that I talk in plain English, and that makes people who are used to hearing jargon undervalue what I do. There really is a push towards more jargon and more bs, and that’s a shame. I’m never going to start talking crap just to impress a new client, though, so I guess I’m doomed.

]]> By: Suw Charman-Anderson http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7751 Suw Charman-Anderson Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:04:09 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7751 Bree, I struggled to figure out what the very worst term is, but then I realised that even new, jargony terms by themselves, in the right context, can be meaningful so it's hard to single one out for special attention. But this post illustrates what I mean quite beautifully: http://brandautopsy.typepad.com/brandautopsy/2009/10/sbd_flaw.html Bree,

I struggled to figure out what the very worst term is, but then I realised that even new, jargony terms by themselves, in the right context, can be meaningful so it’s hard to single one out for special attention. But this post illustrates what I mean quite beautifully:

http://brandautopsy.typepad.com/brandautopsy/2009/10/sbd_flaw.html

]]> By: bree http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7689 bree Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:37:28 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7689 Hi, I've just come across this post - I am curious, what do think is the most over used social media jargon term? Hi, I’ve just come across this post - I am curious, what do think is the most over used social media jargon term?

]]> By: Carl Morris http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7616 Carl Morris Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:24:51 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7616 Yes and can we stop this whole "corporate language" silliness in general please? It's about having the honesty to state precisely what you mean. And the freedom at all times for others to say "actually I have no idea what you just said". Everybody should be required to read George Orwell's Politics and the English Language. The web has amplified certain things that have always existed offline. I think one of these is the potential benefit of creating jargon. Invent a compelling word or phrase that describes something useful and maybe you'll win stacks of kudos, blog buzz and page rank. Maybe golden invites to events. Language is a technology. If you invent new language you become the best person in the world to come and explain its use. It happened to the people who coined "post-structuralism", "positioning", "natural selection", almost any specialist term. It's a form of economic scarcity. Yes and can we stop this whole “corporate language” silliness in general please? It’s about having the honesty to state precisely what you mean. And the freedom at all times for others to say “actually I have no idea what you just said”.

Everybody should be required to read George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language.

The web has amplified certain things that have always existed offline. I think one of these is the potential benefit of creating jargon. Invent a compelling word or phrase that describes something useful and maybe you’ll win stacks of kudos, blog buzz and page rank. Maybe golden invites to events.

Language is a technology. If you invent new language you become the best person in the world to come and explain its use. It happened to the people who coined “post-structuralism”, “positioning”, “natural selection”, almost any specialist term. It’s a form of economic scarcity.

]]> By: Suw Charman-Anderson http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7588 Suw Charman-Anderson Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:36:32 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7588 Not sure it's valid to extrapolate from a poll of 100 teens on Facebook to "people", but yes of course sometimes (frequently) we have to explain what "social media" is. It's new terminology, but it is at least useful in so far as it marks out these new tools as being different from old ones, which they are. Of course the words to describe what we do aren't the words 'the public' use - 'the public' probably don't spend much time describing what we do. That's why we have to take them on a journey with us from out-group to in-group, when it's relevant. However, I'd caution against lumping the entire public into one group and assume they are all in the out-group. That's very woolly, to say the least. Some people actually do know what this stuff is all about, because they are happily doing it. Not sure it’s valid to extrapolate from a poll of 100 teens on Facebook to “people”, but yes of course sometimes (frequently) we have to explain what “social media” is. It’s new terminology, but it is at least useful in so far as it marks out these new tools as being different from old ones, which they are. Of course the words to describe what we do aren’t the words ‘the public’ use - ‘the public’ probably don’t spend much time describing what we do. That’s why we have to take them on a journey with us from out-group to in-group, when it’s relevant.

However, I’d caution against lumping the entire public into one group and assume they are all in the out-group. That’s very woolly, to say the least. Some people actually do know what this stuff is all about, because they are happily doing it.

]]> By: cyberdoyle http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7587 cyberdoyle Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:28:11 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2009/10/09/the-curse-of-social-media-jargon#comment-7587 one further thing to mention, the vast majority of the people don't understand the term 'social media' either. We did a survey of 100 teenagers, and asked them (on facebook) which social networks they belonged to. They nearly all replied 'orange, O2 etc' The words we use to describe what we do aren't the words the public use. They just use IT. they don't talk about IT. just saying... one further thing to mention, the vast majority of the people don’t understand the term ’social media’ either.
We did a survey of 100 teenagers, and asked them (on facebook) which social networks they belonged to. They nearly all replied ‘orange, O2 etc’
The words we use to describe what we do aren’t the words the public use. They just use IT. they don’t talk about IT.
just saying…

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