Comments on: Falling Into The “Pop Language” Trap http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/ Everything about writing and marketing white papers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:48:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Michael Scully http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-61637 Michael Scully Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:04:45 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-61637 Get a load of this (heehee): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jxaY14ddrY Get a load of this (heehee):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jxaY14ddrY

]]> By: Jonathan Kantor http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-339 Jonathan Kantor Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:45:19 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-339 I think it's a classic example of MBA's that don't want their readers to think that their content is the writing equivilence of wearing "white socks" if they don't use one or more of these overhyped terms. In graduate school, the writers that filled up their blue books during an exam with the most BS were the ones who were rewarded with an A. The groupthink here is that by inserting these trendy business terms into their white papers, they can appear fashionably "hip" to their readers as they were to their professors in their business ethics class. I think it’s a classic example of MBA’s that don’t want their readers to think that their content is the writing equivilence of wearing “white socks” if they don’t use one or more of these overhyped terms.

In graduate school, the writers that filled up their blue books during an exam with the most BS were the ones who were rewarded with an A. The groupthink here is that by inserting these trendy business terms into their white papers, they can appear fashionably “hip” to their readers as they were to their professors in their business ethics class.

]]> By: Michael Stelzner http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-338 Michael Stelzner Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:57:47 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-338 I love the livey discussion! Thanks and keep it coming. The real challenge is how we get our clients to stop using these words??? I love the livey discussion! Thanks and keep it coming.

The real challenge is how we get our clients to stop using these words???

]]> By: Bob Bly http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-337 Bob Bly Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:33:37 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-337 I've written for high tech companies for 25 years ... and I am pretty comfortable assuming an IT professional knows what I mean by scalable. Having said that, I never use the word by itself ... I always add, "which means it can easily grow as you grow, accommodating as many as 10,000 users or more" ... or something like that. I’ve written for high tech companies for 25 years … and I am pretty comfortable assuming an IT professional knows what I mean by scalable.

Having said that, I never use the word by itself … I always add, “which means it can easily grow as you grow, accommodating as many as 10,000 users or more” … or something like that.

]]> By: Dianna Huff http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-336 Dianna Huff Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:27:14 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-336 I agree with David. Because I'm a contributing editor at MarketingSherpa, I, too, get press releases. When I wrote that press release on my blog announcing David's manifesto, I simply plugged in the gobbleygok words I found in the releases I have sitting in my inbox. I found the exercise humorous and a bit frightening. Most of the time, I don't understand what press releases are telling me. I often have to read them two or three times. I also agree with David about explaining what jargon means. I think "scalable" is a lovely word; its meaning is precise. But not everyone knows what it means, and like Mike says, it's become overused. Because complex sales cycles often involve multiple influencers, some of whom aren't "techies," it pays to write things in plain English and to explain what jargon words mean. I agree with David. Because I’m a contributing editor at MarketingSherpa, I, too, get press releases. When I wrote that press release on my blog announcing David’s manifesto, I simply plugged in the gobbleygok words I found in the releases I have sitting in my inbox.

I found the exercise humorous and a bit frightening.

Most of the time, I don’t understand what press releases are telling me. I often have to read them two or three times.

I also agree with David about explaining what jargon means. I think “scalable” is a lovely word; its meaning is precise. But not everyone knows what it means, and like Mike says, it’s become overused. Because complex sales cycles often involve multiple influencers, some of whom aren’t “techies,” it pays to write things in plain English and to explain what jargon words mean.

]]> By: Kurt Andersen http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-335 Kurt Andersen Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:24:54 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-335 Your blog entry touches on a subject that is one of my pet peeves - ostensibly professional writers using meaningless terms simply because they're fashionable. It's a form of laziness. I would like to add the word "proactive" to the list because not only is it overused, it's misused. It does not mean preemptive or anticipatory. It means practical. Some people will insist that these terms are what clients want or expect, but if you convey a message effectively, clients usually won't notice that these terms are not included in the copy. Your blog entry touches on a subject that is one of my pet peeves - ostensibly professional writers using meaningless terms simply because they’re fashionable. It’s a form of laziness.
I would like to add the word “proactive” to the list because not only is it overused, it’s misused. It does not mean preemptive or anticipatory. It means practical.

Some people will insist that these terms are what clients want or expect, but if you convey a message effectively, clients usually won’t notice that these terms are not included in the copy.

]]> By: David Meerman Scott http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-333 David Meerman Scott Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:11:45 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-333 Bob and Mike - I receive about 100 press releases a day because one of the many hats I wear is as contributing editor at EContent Magazine. Scalable is just as Mike describes -- overused. It sometimes seems like people just use words that the analysts Gartner and Forrester uses to seem important. Bottom line to me is -- write for your buyers. If scalability is important for your buyers, then put it in, but describe what you mean by scalable, don't just use the word and leave it hanging there. If scalability is not important for your buyers, don't use the word, even if all your competitors and the analysts do. Bob and Mike - I receive about 100 press releases a day because one of the many hats I wear is as contributing editor at EContent Magazine. Scalable is just as Mike describes — overused. It sometimes seems like people just use words that the analysts Gartner and Forrester uses to seem important.

Bottom line to me is — write for your buyers. If scalability is important for your buyers, then put it in, but describe what you mean by scalable, don’t just use the word and leave it hanging there. If scalability is not important for your buyers, don’t use the word, even if all your competitors and the analysts do.

]]> By: Michael Stelzner http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-332 Michael Stelzner Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:36:38 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-332 Nettie and Bob; Thanks for stopping by! Nettie - Great resource on that Dimwit link you provided! Bob, having worked nearly exclusively with high-tech companies. I have to tell you that the use of the word "scalable" has itself scaled! It no longer means what I once did. I cannot tell you how many times I have been on calls with execs that mentioned scalability was a feature of their product and then when asked to provide an example, they talked about something that was not scalable. It has turned into a word of many meanings. It has gone into the world of overused jargon. Having said all of that, I think it is still a valid word. But I prefer not to use the word by itself. Mike Nettie and Bob;

Thanks for stopping by!

Nettie - Great resource on that Dimwit link you provided!

Bob, having worked nearly exclusively with high-tech companies. I have to tell you that the use of the word “scalable” has itself scaled! It no longer means what I once did. I cannot tell you how many times I have been on calls with execs that mentioned scalability was a feature of their product and then when asked to provide an example, they talked about something that was not scalable. It has turned into a word of many meanings. It has gone into the world of overused jargon. Having said all of that, I think it is still a valid word. But I prefer not to use the word by itself.

Mike

]]> By: Bob Bly http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-329 Bob Bly Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:37:16 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-329 "Scalable" is not puffery; it has a precise meaning not communicated as concisely as any other term, and it is factual. "World-class" is total puffery; it's a fancy way of saying your product is the best. And "the best" says almost nothing. It's a purely subjective, self-serving opinion from the least objective source on the planet -- the product manufacturer. “Scalable” is not puffery; it has a precise meaning not communicated as concisely as any other term, and it is factual. “World-class” is total puffery; it’s a fancy way of saying your product is the best. And “the best” says almost nothing. It’s a purely subjective, self-serving opinion from the least objective source on the planet — the product manufacturer.

]]> By: nettie hartsock http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-325 nettie hartsock Fri, 13 Oct 2006 21:14:39 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/10/12/pop-language-trap/#comment-325 Studying overused words in releases and in marketing content, is not a new phenomenon, although I would agree the results to this one are interesting. As a journalist, I would agree with the "leaders", "leading company" and "market leader" being completely overused and have been for years. As a writer I find tapping the "The Dimwit's Dictionary: 5,000 Overused Words and Phrases and Alternatives to Them" by Robert Hartwell Fiske is a great book for checking out overused phrases - http://www.amazon.com/Dimwits-Dictionary-Overused-Phrases-Alternatives/dp/0966517679 . Another site that is fun and that I listed as a resource in a WhitePaperSource.com newsletter is - http://www.buzzwhack.com/ . It's a great site for finding how many commonly used "buzzwords" we're all using and giving them a good whack! It's also sponsoring a contest right now for its latest Buzzword dictionary giveaway for whomever submits lists of commonly used buzzwords. Studying overused words in releases and in marketing content, is not a new phenomenon, although I would agree the results to this one are interesting.

As a journalist, I would agree with the “leaders”, “leading company” and “market leader” being completely overused and have been for years.

As a writer I find tapping the “The Dimwit’s Dictionary: 5,000 Overused Words and Phrases and Alternatives to Them” by Robert Hartwell Fiske is a great book for checking out overused phrases - http://www.amazon.com/Dimwits-Dictionary-Overused-Phrases-Alternatives/dp/0966517679 .

Another site that is fun and that I listed as a resource in a WhitePaperSource.com newsletter is - http://www.buzzwhack.com/ . It’s a great site for finding how many commonly used “buzzwords” we’re all using and giving them a good whack! It’s also sponsoring a contest right now for its latest Buzzword dictionary giveaway for whomever submits lists of commonly used buzzwords.

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