Comments on: Stockport Council declares war on jargon http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:38:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James Graham http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27203 James Graham Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:44:14 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27203 #9: D&D is perfectly legitimate behaviour in Southwark. After all, it has been sanctioned by the <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/incomingFeeds/article1891526.ece" rel="nofollow">Church of England</a>. I could say it is an ecumenical matter, but I won't. #9: D&D is perfectly legitimate behaviour in Southwark. After all, it has been sanctioned by the Church of England.

I could say it is an ecumenical matter, but I won’t.

]]> By: Angus Huck http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27148 Angus Huck Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:06:44 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27148 Most of these clichéd phrases are managementese, originate in the US (where else?), and I recoil instantly when I encounter them. The point about jargon having precise technical meaning is well made. To the layman, a "common mistake" is a mistake made frequently. To a lawyer, it is a mistake made by both parties to a contract. Used incorrectly, legal jargon can be a menace. The worst abuses of language are those inspired by ideology. Like the use of "faith" when "religion" is meant - "faith" carrying the unspoken suggestion that adherence to religion is something virtuous and requiring to be shown "respect". One that really does infuriate me is the placing of "lesbians" before "gay men", the assumption being that men are inherently wicked and should only be tolerated if they refrain from having sex with women. This dates from the days when the lunatic fringe of feminism was indulged by the left, and many gay rights activists were foolhardy enough to find common cause with it. Oh, and I cannot resist mention of Comrade Enver Hoxha, one of the worst abusers of language ever to live. Here is his list of the enemies of socialist Albania: "The American imperialists, the Soviet and Chinese social imperialists, Titoite, Euro-Communist and other modern revisionists, the international capitalist bourgeoisie and reaction." Most of these clichéd phrases are managementese, originate in the US (where else?), and I recoil instantly when I encounter them.

The point about jargon having precise technical meaning is well made.

To the layman, a “common mistake” is a mistake made frequently. To a lawyer, it is a mistake made by both parties to a contract.

Used incorrectly, legal jargon can be a menace.

The worst abuses of language are those inspired by ideology.

Like the use of “faith” when “religion” is meant – “faith” carrying the unspoken suggestion that adherence to religion is something virtuous and requiring to be shown “respect”.

One that really does infuriate me is the placing of “lesbians” before “gay men”, the assumption being that men are inherently wicked and should only be tolerated if they refrain from having sex with women. This dates from the days when the lunatic fringe of feminism was indulged by the left, and many gay rights activists were foolhardy enough to find common cause with it.

Oh, and I cannot resist mention of Comrade Enver Hoxha, one of the worst abusers of language ever to live. Here is his list of the enemies of socialist Albania: “The American imperialists, the Soviet and Chinese social imperialists, Titoite, Euro-Communist and other modern revisionists, the international capitalist bourgeoisie and reaction.”

]]> By: liblablog http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27141 liblablog Tue, 07 Aug 2007 23:33:58 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27141 Lib Dem Councillor in Southwark refuses to resign after drink driving conviction incurredd drunkenly from Council function. She is a Cabinet member. Council leader has backed her, but should she resign from the Council or from the Cabinet ? http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/southlondonpress/southwark/tm_headline=ex-mayoress-banned-for-drink-driving%26method=full%26objectid=19555819%26siteid=50100-name_page.html Lib Dem Councillor in Southwark refuses to resign after drink driving conviction incurredd drunkenly from Council function. She is a Cabinet member. Council leader has backed her, but should she resign from the Council or from the Cabinet ?

http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/southlondonpress/southwark/tm_headline=ex-mayoress-banned-for-drink-driving%26method=full%26objectid=19555819%26siteid=50100-name_page.html

]]> By: dizzy http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27096 dizzy Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:13:18 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27096 Who would have guess that such a post would produced a matrix-in response of milestone comments each acting as an enabler to the next huh? Who would have guess that such a post would produced a matrix-in response of milestone comments each acting as an enabler to the next huh?

]]> By: James Graham http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27093 James Graham Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:42:43 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27093 Mark #6: shurely downsizing? I've also <a href="http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/08/07/gobbledigook-not-dead-yet/" rel="nofollow">blogged about this</a> by the way. Mark #6: shurely downsizing?

I’ve also blogged about this by the way.

]]> By: Mark Pack http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27088 Mark Pack Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:15:35 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27088 I'm all for resizing the vocabulary envelope. I’m all for resizing the vocabulary envelope.

]]> By: Biscit (Simon Jerram) http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27087 Biscit (Simon Jerram) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:14:31 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27087 ...but I rush to add, eliminating buzzwords is still a good thing. …but I rush to add, eliminating buzzwords is still a good thing.

]]> By: Biscit (Simon Jerram) http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27086 Biscit (Simon Jerram) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:45:20 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27086 I'd say only the last item is an example of jargon- the rest are just management buzz-pharases. Jagon is technical language for which there is a readily available plain english alternative. (Technical concepts that are more than a couple of words in everyday English are neither Jargon, nor buzzspeak). Buzzwords are filler phrases that mean little and add nothing to the text. Unlike jargon, they do not render passages incomprehensible to most people, but they do make the writer look unimaginative, sheep like and foolish. The barriers caused by buzzwords are purely in terms of psychology and paletability. I’d say only the last item is an example of jargon- the rest are just management buzz-pharases.

Jagon is technical language for which there is a readily available plain english alternative. (Technical concepts that are more than a couple of words in everyday English are neither Jargon, nor buzzspeak).

Buzzwords are filler phrases that mean little and add nothing to the text. Unlike jargon, they do not render passages incomprehensible to most people, but they do make the writer look unimaginative, sheep like and foolish.

The barriers caused by buzzwords are purely in terms of psychology and paletability.

]]> By: nigelashton http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27085 nigelashton Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:08:59 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27085 Nice to see a Lib Dem council pushing the envelope on this one :-) Nice to see a Lib Dem council pushing the envelope on this one :-)

]]> By: Barry Scott http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27074 Barry Scott Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:53:04 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27074 This is an excellent idea. Anything that helps to make Council documents and webpages more accessible to the public can only be a good thing. It's very good to see SMBC thinking outside the box and going forward with this idea. ;) This is an excellent idea. Anything that helps to make Council documents and webpages more accessible to the public can only be a good thing.

It’s very good to see SMBC thinking outside the box and going forward with this idea. ;)

]]> By: dizzy http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27072 dizzy Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:36:06 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/stockport-council-declares-war-on-jargon-1138.html#comment-27072 Unfortunately, as someone in the comments has pointed out, they may not have done a good job of it. Unfortunately, as someone in the comments has pointed out, they may not have done a good job of it.

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