Eliminate jargons in websites

Jargon, popularly known as meaningless chatter, is a kind of specialized or technical language representing a particular group or profession, as in habeas corpus (law) and cursor (computer technology).

It is pointless saying no-no, when jargon specifically addresses learned and technical terms for audience and situation in which they are appropriate, but using them unnecessarily while addressing a general reader is certainly a violation of the basic rule — it would be pretentious and frustrating to your audience.

Jargon has three chief characteristics:

• Highly abstract often too technical in choosing diction, rhythm and passion — it shows a fondness for learned rather than popular words… maximize productivity for increase production or utilization of mechanical equipment for use of machinery.

• Overdose of passive verbs… If a plan does not work, its objectives were not realized.

• Conspicuous wordiness… With respect to employee reactions, management seems to have been inadequately advised.

Jargon comes together with inappropriateness, vagueness and wordiness into a segregated unintelligible style. And the style cannot create good impression but ambiguity for the reader.

So, keep your audience clearly in mind and use specific but common words instead.

Guidelines for analyzing your audience

While spending some time with Mr Joseph F. Trimmer’s great book Writing With a Purpose, I came across certain concepts on behavioral pattern of readers: I found it interesting and thus shamelessly sharing with you all…

Look! How he feels for readers while writing even a single sentence: do you have guts to follow his ideas?
The following is from his pen...

• Who are the readers who will be most interested in my writing?
What is the probable age, sex, education, economic status or social position?
What values, assumptions and prejudices characterize their general attitudes toward life?
What visual graphics will appeal to them?

• What do my readers know or think they know about my subject?
What is the probable source of their knowledge: direct experience, observation, reading or rumor?
Will my readers react positively or negatively toward my subject?
What sort of graphics are they used to seeing on this subject?

• Why will my readers read my writing?
If they know a great deal about my subject, what will they expect to learn from reading my essay?
If they know only a few things about my subject, what will they expect to be told about it?
Will they expect to be entertained, informed or persuaded?
Why will the overall design of my text appeal to my readers?

• How can I interest my readers in my subject?
If they are hostile toward it, how can I convince them to give my writing a fair reading?
If they are sympathetic, how can I fulfill and enhance their expectations?
If they are neutral, how can I catch and hold their attention?
What specific visual cues will interest my readers and enhance the subject?

• How can I help my readers read my writing?
What kind of organizational pattern will help them see its purpose?
What kind of guide-posts, transitional markets and graphics will they need to follow this pattern?
What (and how many) examples and visual illustrations will they need to understand my general statement?

Simplicity is the heart’s ‘Content’

Many people believe that using complicated sentences, age-old expression, literary jargon, Johnsonese enrich quality of writing and people like it…it is actually not so. Modern writing reflects different genre of ideas. We write for a purpose not for showing our literary skills. Keeping this idea in mind we should structure every sentence that can straightway say what we think.

It is really disappointing that many professional writers, who are engaged in print media and web rarely think of this matter. They keep on writing pages one after another without giving a second thought to their target audience. It should be remembered that your writing is meant for all age groups – from children to crack-jawed old people. Write to feed them all…

Besides age difference, location also plays an important role in such cases. Suppose you have used an expression, which carries significant meaning in your country while the same expression bears different connotation in another part of the world. Your effort will be in vain if such incident happens.

It is a crime when you write a simple thing in a round about way…reader will be least interested in your writing. The main reason is they won’t spend too long to decipher meaning of your sentence. If they face difficulty at the first read they would form a ‘first impression’ in their mind. And I am sure they would hesitate to read your write up in the next time.

When you are writing for a purpose, try to highlight that idea at the beginning instead of giving it in the middle or at the end unless otherwise reader will not be interested to read your article. Shed off unnecessary words for driving your point to the reader at the shortest time. Use of bombastic words, phrases and expressions is not a good sign of writing. These make copy unnecessary heavier.

There is no use of giving pain to others by using complicated sentences when you can express your ideas through simple ones. So, forget using complicated sentences. It will pay for you…