Jargon

Jargon, as a general reference to the technical language that is used by some particular profession or other group, is a neutral concept. In the right context, for a particular audience, jargon can serve as verbal shorthand for well-understood concepts. For example, technical terms are usually all right to use in content for a technical audience that expects a higher level of technical rigor.

However, in the wrong context, jargon is little more than technical slang that makes technology more difficult for many users. Many acronyms and abbreviations fall into this category. This category of jargon affects nearly all uninitiated users at least some of the time, especially worldwide users. In many cases, jargon is difficult to translate and can cause geopolitical or cultural misunderstandings.

Do not use jargon if any of the following is true:

  • You could easily use a more familiar term.

  • The term obscures rather than clarifies meaning. Be particularly wary of terms that are familiar to only a small segment of your customers, such as the term glyph to mean symbol.

  • The term is not specific to computer software, networks, operating systems, and the like. That is, avoid marketing and journalistic jargon. For example, don’t use leverage the new technology to mean “to take advantage of the new technology.”

Testing for jargon

If you are familiar with a term, how can you tell whether it is jargon that you should avoid? If the term is not listed either in the Microsoft Manual of Style or your project style sheet, consider the following:

  • If you are not sure, consider it jargon.

  • If an editor or reviewer questions the use of a term, it may be jargon.

  • If the term is used in newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times, or in general interest magazines, such as Time or Newsweek, it may be all right to use for some audiences.

  • If the term is used in technical periodicals such as CNET (http://www.cnet.com), it is probably all right to use for a technical audience. However, be aware that technical magazines often adopt a more idiomatic style than is appropriate for a worldwide audience, and that magazine style can include usages that would be considered slang.

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