You’re not alone! Jargon and shoptalk are common throughout the charity world, too, according to this article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Turns out I’m not alone, either.
The article profiles a some other plain English crusaders working in other fields, one of who said this nugget:
Jargon to me says, ‘I’m better than you, I’m smarter than you, I’m in the club, and you’re not,’ … Many organizations end up inadvertently excluding their constituents because of the language that they use.
Hear hear! More articles like this, please.
Thanks to Mary at the Herring Run Watershed Association for this tip!
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This is so true; one argument I’ve heard defending the use of jargon is that “people need to learn these words, so we need to use them more often.” I disagree — ‘watershed’ is a prime example. Find another word or phrase; my college faculty advisor is using ‘rivershed,’ which is not a lot better. I prefer ‘basin’ or even ‘drainage basin,’ because it brings a definite visual image to mind.
Jargon alienates not only potential supporters or constituents, but also potential partners and colleagues! The natural sciences need to be seen more holistically, and to accomplish that, we need some common language that we can use to communicate effectively with each other. We can’t find areas of common interest if we don’t know what to call them.
Hello from Los Angeles. Yes! This “jargon” post is right on. Buzz words and shop talk exclude instead of include. May we, the water-aware, always remember this as we discuss water issues in the public forum. Many folks, globally, are just waiting to jump into the water discussion to share new ideas which could save us all! BTW, let me thank you for the work that you do for the water cause. More people are paying attention each day because of folks like you. Don’t stop. YOU ROCK!