Earth to IT industry - do you speak English?
A new report commissioned by AT Communications Group surveys small business owners and discusses the way vendors talk about IT.
Apparently more them would rather move house or get married than go through the agony of buying a new information and communications technology system.
Why? Apparently:
The research suggests that instead of providing comprehensive yet easy-to-understand information about the goods and services which could improve a business’ fortunes, the ICT industry is bamboozling business owners and managers with complex information which dissuades them from purchasing new technology.
I agree. They even promise a campaign to champion the use of ‘plain English’ in the technology sector.
The problem is that they need to take their own medicine. I suggest they start with their company website. Here is the text on the home page with my opinions in square brackets.
Networking Business - Integrating Technology
As a business systems integrator [JARGON], ATC (AT Communications Group Plc) is recognised [PASSIVE VOICE] as one of the UK’s leading [HYPE] communications providers.
Holding the highest accreditations [HYPE] from the world’s leading manufacturers and carriers [HYPE], ATC provides comprehensive, best of breed [BUZZWORD] voice, data, mobile and video solutions [BUZZWORD], specialising in IP technology [TECHIE TERM]. Catering for any size and type of organisation, from 2 users to 20,000, ATC looks at your business’ [APOSTROPHE PROBLEM] exact needs in order to design the optimum communications platform [WHAT?] to provide a direct return on investment and maximum business efficiency [too many nouns, too much BS].
Plus they have a sideways scrolling marquee text on the page. Yuck!
I promised myself I wouldn’t have a go at companies like this any more but they sent me a press release about the importance of ‘plain English’ in talking about technology. C’mon guys, you can do much better.
Roy Jacobsen wrote:
The gobbledegook habit is hard to break. The toughest thing is admitting you have a problem.
Posted on 06-Oct-06 at 6:43 pm | Permalink
Roy Jacobsen wrote:
(I mean, just ask lawyers!)
Posted on 06-Oct-06 at 7:30 pm | Permalink
Carlo Cardilli wrote:
Matthew,
love your blog. Do us all a favour and show us how you would say it. Or run a rewrite contest awarding marks for brevity and readability.
Posted on 06-Oct-06 at 9:02 pm | Permalink
Robert wrote:
If you don’t mind, I’d like to link this post to my growing collection on Technobilge as an example of business’s fondness for appearing to be clever by talking in acronyms.
Posted on 07-Oct-06 at 8:19 am | Permalink
Matthew Stibbe wrote:
Robert - Post Away!
Carlo - Happy to post any reader’s suggested improvement. I did write to the PR who sent me the press release offering to do a free rewrite. Haven’t heard anything.
Posted on 08-Oct-06 at 8:32 am | Permalink
Carlo Cardilli wrote:
That PR blather is so bad I wouldn’t know where to start. The signal-to-noise ratio is close to zero. When you take the noise out there’s nothing left.
Posted on 17-Oct-06 at 4:00 am | Permalink
Suz wrote:
I agree with Carlo Cardilli. I copied/pasted that company’s statements into a Word file, printed it and carried it with me one day intending to mark it up or completely rewrite it.
But I never could decipher their basic message. What is it the firm does for its clients? Advise on the technology? Sell them the techology? Broker their technology purchases?
Pfooey. The only thing for sure I could figure out: they yak a lot of techno-babble and take clients’ money.
Posted on 22-Oct-06 at 2:12 pm | Permalink
Daniel Clarke wrote:
How is “your business’ exact needs” an apostrophe problem?
When adding ’s to the end of a word to indicate possession, it’s acceptable - common, even - to omit the s when the possessor ends in letter s. For example, “Jesus’ disciples” or “James’ mother”.
Posted on 18-Apr-07 at 12:16 am | Permalink
Hate technobabble: Speak to me in clear and simple terms | iScatterlings wrote:
[...] my sentiment, Matthew Stibbe across at Bad Language has a point to make as well. Click here to read Matthew’s Bad language [...]
Posted on 07-Jan-08 at 1:24 pm | Permalink