May 1, 2016 at 11:48 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Buzzword Bingo
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
May 2, 2016 at 9:09 am
Jargon is great when it is used, as you have said, as a "...commonly used communication shortcut."
The two key words here are commonly and shortcut. Common implies all or most will understand. And shortcut, in that it concentrates the focus, and shortens the discussion. All great.
Alas, many want to impress, and to sound current. I remember the first time I heard a business person tell the group they wanted to "reboot" a project. I suspect that has been a problem with communication for ages, and will continue.
To all of you who strive simply want to communicate, and not impress, I salute you.
And now, I have a SNAFU to attend to!
The more you are prepared, the less you need it.
May 2, 2016 at 9:14 am
For me, perhaps the most confusing acronym is ... DBA.
Some DBAs are far more accomplished in knowledge and experience than others. Some (such as the esteemed 'Phil Factor') are wizards of T-SQL; others seem little better than backup-and-restore jockeys. Some are accomplished data analysts and schema designers; others wouldn't know first normal form if it hit them on the head.
'DBA' is a terrible acronym, because it covers too broad a range of experience and abilities; it truly doesn't set the expectations one might have of another bearing that title.
May 2, 2016 at 9:18 am
I've noticed this problem a lot regarding data warehousing--people use the jargon but have a vague idea of what it means.
For example, a consultant with 20+ years of experience comes in and insists he's designing "Type 4" dimensions. Wanting to clarify this for myself, I looked in Ralph Kimball's texts on data warehousing, and found that type 4 is something totally different than what he was advocating. Everyone just took him seriously without questioning, because of his experience & because of the official-sounding term.
May 2, 2016 at 10:13 am
porter.james (5/2/2016)
I've noticed this problem a lot regarding data warehousing--people use the jargon but have a vague idea of what it means.For example, a consultant with 20+ years of experience comes in and insists he's designing "Type 4" dimensions. Wanting to clarify this for myself, I looked in Ralph Kimball's texts on data warehousing, and found that type 4 is something totally different than what he was advocating. Everyone just took him seriously without questioning, because of his experience & because of the official-sounding term.
Good catch!
I've noticed that beyond types 1,2 & 3 that the definitions are always, and sometimes seem to change. I have an older Kimball article on type 6 (1+2+3). A few years later I saw another article on what they called type 7.
The more you are prepared, the less you need it.
May 2, 2016 at 11:57 am
... Everyone just took him seriously without questioning, because of his experience & because of the official-sounding term.
That seems to happen a lot, especially if the person speaks loudly with authority.
May 3, 2016 at 1:04 am
GoofyGuy (5/2/2016)
For me, perhaps the most confusing acronym is ... DBA.Some DBAs are far more accomplished in knowledge and experience than others. Some (such as the esteemed 'Phil Factor') are wizards of T-SQL; others seem little better than backup-and-restore jockeys. Some are accomplished data analysts and schema designers; others wouldn't know first normal form if it hit them on the head.
'DBA' is a terrible acronym, because it covers too broad a range of experience and abilities; it truly doesn't set the expectations one might have of another bearing that title.
Couldn't agree more. Specially because the meaning of the term DBA changes across countries as well. In the UK, most of the job application make a very clear distinction between DBA (the database gatekeepers) and the developers (Report and databases developers).
When I read articles on SQL Server Central about DBAs I find some things I can relate to as a Business Intelligence Developer (such as query tuning, indexing, T-SQL, SSIS & SSAS performance monitoring, etc) and some other things that goes well over my head (such as powershell programation, etc). It seems that in the US, the DBA refer to both the developement side and the maintenance/production side.
May 3, 2016 at 2:41 am
Kyrilluk (5/3/2016)
...It seems that in the US, the DBA refer to both the developement side and the maintenance/production side.
I find that it can be the same here in the UK as well.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
May 3, 2016 at 5:32 am
Years ago I stopped in to see my boss, just taking a break really. He was about to leave and invited me to join him at a meeting with the CEO, so I followed along, coffee in hand and sat in the back near a window, just listening. Soon the CEO is talking about all the problems we had with customers due to our bad data model. I perked up then, as my time owned that. I listened some more as this was all new to me, fighting off the urge to be defensive. Then I realized some of the sentences were...buzzwords strung together. I waited for a break and asked if she could clarify what she meant by data model (and you can see how this might make me look less than capable). Her reply - the questions and the set of answers we were using for phone interviews, that was the data model. I finished my coffee enjoying the window view!
The other side of jargon is that it's often required to fit into the culture. I'll grant it can be overdone, but I can just picture someone saying "structured query language" about 30 times a day and annoying everyone nearby.
May 3, 2016 at 9:59 am
Andy Warren (5/3/2016)
...The other side of jargon is that it's often required to fit into the culture. I'll grant it can be overdone, but I can just picture someone saying "structured query language" about 30 times a day and annoying everyone nearby.
I've always found it interesting that there are different sets of 'jargon', which have different extents or range of culture. The broadest form of jargon approaches dialect or national slang (Americans, unlike their British cousins, don't usually use words such as 'bespoke' or the expression 'take the mickey'). Closer in, corporations, professions, and human families all have their own jargon.
May 3, 2016 at 10:08 am
GoofyGuy (5/3/2016)
Andy Warren (5/3/2016)
...The other side of jargon is that it's often required to fit into the culture. I'll grant it can be overdone, but I can just picture someone saying "structured query language" about 30 times a day and annoying everyone nearby.
I've always found it interesting that there are different sets of 'jargon', which have different extents or range of culture. The broadest form of jargon approaches dialect or national slang (Americans, unlike their British cousins, don't usually use words such as 'bespoke' or the expression 'take the mickey'). Closer in, corporations, professions, and human families all have their own jargon.
It is quite strange and amazing how close Anthony Burgess had it with A Clockwork Orange.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
May 3, 2016 at 10:59 am
Ah, Anthony Burgess - a more brilliant polymath one might not find!
May 3, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Even the term 'database' can mean many different things, depending on whether you are running on SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 mainframe or AIX, Access, or just the textbook definition.
May 4, 2016 at 6:19 am
TLA is the most confusing acronym for some people, followed only by FLA.
(Three letter acronym and four letter acronym)..
May 4, 2016 at 10:43 am
Big Data is my pet hate - people mostly have no idea what it means, and then use it when they only mean Rather Large Data! :w00t:
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