Going back to jargon for a moment, it can either be useful shorthand among those knowledgeable about a particular subject, or it can be a sign of intellectual laziness, or even dishonesty. Much postmodernism falls in the latter category -- if you haven't already, do read Richard Dawkins's review of Alan Sokal's Intellectual Impostures: http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/dawkins.html
Also, I'm sure you must have heard of the Sokal affair: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_Affair And the postmodernism generator is hilarious (scroll to bottom): http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo Most usage of jargon isn't so outright ridiculous, but it can be a sign of laziness -- especially for a professional writer, writing for a lay audience. Eschewing jargon and cliches forces one to think clearly, and therefore to write clearly. Else one can fall into the kind of bad habits Orwell mentioned in his marvellous essay, Politics and the English Language: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm Er, sorry, does it sound like I'm lecturing? I'm outta here! -- Amit Varma http://www.indiauncut.com
