Jargon is one of those things that gets a bad rap from journalists, and writers in general, because it's an evolved specialization of speech. When our lives require new terms to describe the issues we face on a daily basis, we create them. This specialization quickly distinguishes groups from the general population, which is why writers avoid jargon: it limits the audience for their work.
Here's a list I compiled while working as a consultant last year. I imagined a younger, college-educated me, teleported through time from 1985 into the meetings I was attending, and every time I heard a phrase that 1985-me would have tripped over or misinterpreted in its new context, I wrote it down.
Looking back over this list now, I wonder if there's every been a generation in human history that's had to learn so many new terms just to stay in business.
The list:
functionality
instance
ideation
ingestion
widget
problematic
schema
hot folder
objects
module
cloud
platform
Software as a Service (SaaS)
license
deep-dive
huddle
face-up
monetize
revenue stream
CPM/CPA/CPC
semantic
ontology
taxonomy
NDA
social media
SEO
Web 2.0
Web 3.0
remote
CBA
attribute
OOPS
business rules
DAM
DRM
GUI
Q1
support
project manager
map
versioning
TME
NLT
script
upgrade
server
alpha
beta
User Acceptance Testing
go-live
user testing
migration
specs
memory
impact
users
audience
target market
budget
slots
RAID
index
Blackberry
Crackberry
CPUs
box
AV
drive
heavy lifting
extraction
thumbnails
generation
API
keyframe
timeframe
usability
resource
"I'll get back to you."
up
down
multitasking
seat license
UGC
search
client
look-and-feel
wireframe
downsize
agnostic
content
outsource
telecommute
API
app
development
dev
rack
co-work
wifi
touchscreen
upscale
lowrez
hirez
VOIP
USB
vector
bitmap
noob
pwn
blog
Tweet
feed
XML
RDF
microformat
style
style sheet
HTML
CSS
tables
hack
smartphone
eBook
reader
silo
verticals
atomized
template
RSS
podcast
streaming
codec
wiki
mobile
heatmap
entity
extraction
structured
semi-structured
W3C
PMP certified
asset
Flash
slider
radio button
VC
Angel
golden handcuff
decision matrix
Agile methodology
scrum
data model
mashup
augmented reality
waterfall
iteration
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