On 8/20/2018 5:13 PM, Barry Scott wrote:
On 20 Aug 2018, at 17:07, Chris Barker via Python-ideas
<python-ideas@python.org
<mailto:python-ideas@python.org>> wrote:
> Summary: I look at the phrase 'strike a balance' in different languages,
It is interesting that you picked up on "strike a balance" which has
been a standard English phrase for a very long time rather than
the much
more resent, (and itself a form of jargon), "dumbing down".
The other point is that the use of Jargon is often as a form of
shorthand so as to avoid excessive verbosity, (or long windedness).
We are (maybe) mingling two issues here -- there is an important
distinction between idiomatic expressions ("striking a balance",
"dumbing down") and technical terms (jargon).
If you want to make it easier for non-native english speakers to
understand -- minimal use of idiomatic expressions is a good idea.
They really don't serve much real purpose, other than making the prose
more colorful and friendly (to those that understand it). Sometimes a
bit of brevity is gained, but not much.
The technical writing course I went on as an engineer years ago
recommenced "Controlled English" in documentation.
Its good for none english speakers and the lack of colloquial expression
means English speaks are not miss lead.
As you say this is nothing to do with jargon.
Technical jargon, on the other hand, can be very helpful for precision
and compactness.
It also means you will understand other people doing the same activity.
Be they musicians or programmers.
(side note -- are all domain-specific technical term "jargon"? I tend
to see "jargon" as having a negative connotation -- specifically that
it isn't required for technical specificity. That is, "jargon" is
language that is unnecessarily domain specific)
I found this definition:
"J/argon/. A special language belonging exclusively to a group, often a
profession. Engineers, lawyers, doctors, tax analysts, and the like all
use /jargon/ to exchange complex information efficiently.
/Jargon/ is often unintelligible to those outside the group that uses it."
To me, 'jargon' refers more to in-group replacements for common words
(slang) than to technical terms. 'Hack the bug' for 'Fix the program
error' is an example of the former. 'Use a coroutine' uses a technical
term that needs several sentences and some preliminary knowledge about
functions to explain.
In any case, docs should avoid slangy jargon and explain technical terms.
Not all group members remember to avoid jargon > when talking to people
outside the group.
If you are on the outside looking in at the people that will not explain
in plain english you could well consider jargon as a bad thing.
I think it's pretty important to use the common domain specific terms
in introductory texts -- how else will folks learn them? So I make a
distinction between *using* a technical term, and *introducing* a
technical term.
Yes.
--
Terry Jan Reedy
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