Why do you talk in markerting jargon?

[cyburbia]

I assume that most of us here are technology enthusiasts. Sure, we may have other interests, many of which are reflected in the primary subject matter of our message boards.

So, if we're just run-of-the-mill geeks, why are we increasingly talking like marketers?

A dedicated web host is now a managed hosting solution or just a managed solution. A web hosting account is a shared hosting solution. vBulletin was originally a message board, but some are now calling it a forum solution, or worse, a user generated content solution. In any case, it's an Apache-only solution, and buying the owned license gives you a longer solution. Jelsoft in the future won't be releasing any more programs, apparently, but will instead offer different solutions.

Seriously, to those that use the word "solution" to describe ... well, anything tech-related, why? It it because you're in marketing, you heard it so many times it just stuck, you want to sound "knowledgeable," or it it something else? What did you call tech-related nouns before the marketing drones started labeling everything as a "solution"? At home, do you really say you wash your dishes in an automated kitchenware hygiene solution? Do you take a dump on a personal liquid and solid waste disposal solution? Do you sleep on a personal slumber and rest solution?

[TruthElixirX]

In any case, it's an Apache-only solution

Wrong, it says if they implemented URL rewriting, it would then be an Apache only solution.

[cyburbia]

Wrong, it says if they implemented URL rewriting, it would then be an Apache only solution.

Whatever. Thanks for answering my question.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to let my two Iberian dihydrogen monoxide canine solutions back into my residential shelter solution, using the transparent access solution in the food consumption solution zone.

[TruthElixirX]

Whatever. Thanks for answering my question.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to let my two Iberian dihydrogen monoxide canine solutions back into my residential shelter solution, using the transparent access solution in the food consumption solution zone.

2 Iberian H20 canine dogs? dihydrogen= 2H. Monoxide = 1 oxygen, correct?

I'm not really sure what a water dog is.

Anyways, I did answer your question in a round about, smug, confusing way. It means no one really cares and I hardly see why it is that important of an issue. Hence why I disregarded everything and corrected you on your "Apache only solution" part.

[andrewpfeifer]

They're a company attempting to sell a product. Looking at it from a marketing perspective appears to be a smart thing to do, at least from a business perspective.

How professionial is a "company" going to look if all it says is: "uh..we sell some stuff that runs on servers. but you're all smart, so we don't need to describe any of it."

[Marco van Herwaarden]

There was once a time when internet and building websites was the exclusive area of technical educated people, communicating in their own "technical language". Things have changed and it becomes easier to create and maintain a website, even to those that don't have much of technical knowledge. This is one of the reasons that you will find more general terms used (like solution, a lot of cutomers are only interested in a solution and don't care what technical stuff is behind that).

Some comments on you post:

A dedicated web host is now a managed hosting solution or just a managed solution.

A dedicated server can come with different support levels, from completly unmanaged/self-managed to fully managed where the hosting company maintains the server for you. Depending on your technical knowledge choosing a managed or an unmanaged solution can make a lot of difference.

A web hosting account is a shared hosting solution.

Webhosting comes in a great variety of solutions. A shared host is just 1 technical implementation of a hosting solution.

[cyburbia]

Maybe marketing folks like to use the jargon, but what about the customers that do it? I mean, we're talking about normal customers -- not marketing folks who look like they fell out of some stock photo that features attractive people huddled around a laptop or staring upward at skyscrapers, but normal Webmasters -- calling vBulletin a "user generated content solution." Doesn't that seem riduculous?

Seriously, why not call a message board a message board? Do you really think more people will buy it when it's called a "forum solution?" Do people really want to hear jargon?

BTW: Iberian dihydrogen monoxide canine solutions = Portuguese Water Dogs.

How professionial is a "company" going to look if all it says is: "uh..we sell some stuff that runs on servers. but you're all smart, so we don't need to describe any of it."

Simple. Describe it in plain English.

Sell a word processor, not a word processing solution.
Sell message board software, not a user generated content solution.
Sell a content management system, not a content management solution.
Sell a photo gallery, not an image management solution.
Sell blogging software, not a personal interactive weblog solution.

Clearly I'm in the minority, though, and it appears that the pod people have taken over the English language. At least one person agrees with me. Really, I hope the term goes the way of the swoosh logo, WWWBoard, and a Republican-controlled Congress.

EDIT: Okay, some others.

http://www.text-centric.com/2006/09/22/its-time-for-some-new-cliches/

"“Solution” is so vague as to be meaningless. If you absolutely must use it, please explain what your solution acutally encompasses."

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EKF/is_40_46/ai_69238418

"At the top of our jargon list is the tired, overworked "solution." It seems products are no longer just that, but solutions. Everything is a solution, and the people that make solutions are, you guessed it, "solutions providers." As one Electronic News writer pointed out, this is essentially meaningless. If someone asks me the time and I tell them, I'm a solution provider. Perish the thought."

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/04/Columns/Cliche_cachet.shtml

"Trite business cliches are the comfort food of Corporate America and, of course, it tends to overindulge. The result is a loss of clarity in what business is really trying to communicate."

[Cromulent]

You say use plain English, then you say :

Sell blogging software, not a personal interactive weblog solution.

If you have never used the web before this is not plain English.

Sell a content management system, not a content management solution.

If I was a new user on the Internet and someone tried to sell me a Content Management System (or a Content Management Solution for that matter) I would think they were talking about a bookshelf or something...

Most of these descriptions are meant for people who don't know what the Internet terminology is and the companies assume that they don't need to be hand held with basic English. At least that is my interpretation of it at least.

The more people understand what something is the more the company is going to sell.

[cyburbia]

The more people understand what something is the more the company is going to sell.

But they don't understand the jargon to begin with. There's so many articles online about how marketing jargon is confusing to non-tech types.

If you have never used the web before this is not plain English.

Would someone who has never drunk beer before feel more comfortable if you called it a "robust fermented malt and hop-infused alcohol-based personal relaxation and intoxication solution?"

Joe Blow, who has never been on the Internet, would probably be less confused with "message board" or "forum" than a "user generated content solution".

Still, if you want to feel like an "insider" and use the word "solution" to describe everything and anything, go ahead. To others, though, you'll sound just like a lawyer that uses legalese in day-to-day life - which very few do. I'm not saying people should talk like three-year olds, but that if they're letting marketing-speak influence the vocabulary they use, they're sipping on the Kool-Aid.

[Quillz]

I assume that most of us here are technology enthusiasts. Sure, we may have other interests, many of which are reflected in the primary subject matter of our message boards.

So, if we're just run-of-the-mill geeks, why are we increasingly talking like marketers?

A dedicated web host is now a managed hosting solution or just a managed solution. A web hosting account is a shared hosting solution. vBulletin was originally a message board, but some are now calling it a forum solution, or worse, a user generated content solution. In any case, it's an Apache-only solution, and buying the owned license gives you a longer solution. Jelsoft in the future won't be releasing any more programs, apparently, but will instead offer different solutions.

Seriously, to those that use the word "solution" to describe ... well, anything tech-related, why? It it because you're in marketing, you heard it so many times it just stuck, you want to sound "knowledgeable," or it it something else? What did you call tech-related nouns before the marketing drones started labeling everything as a "solution"? At home, do you really say you wash your dishes in an automated kitchenware hygiene solution? Do you take a dump on a personal liquid and solid waste disposal solution? Do you sleep on a personal slumber and rest solution?

Why not?

[Cromulent]

But they don't understand the jargon to begin with. There's so many articles online about how marketing jargon is confusing to non-tech types.



Would someone who has never drunk beer before feel more comfortable if you called it a "robust fermented malt and hop-infused alcohol-based personal relaxation and intoxication solution?"

Joe Blow, who has never been on the Internet, would probably be less confused with "message board" or "forum" than a "user generated content solution".

Still, if you want to feel like an "insider" and use the word "solution" to describe everything and anything, go ahead. To others, though, you'll sound just like a lawyer that uses legalese in day-to-day life - which very few do. I'm not saying people should talk like three-year olds, but that if they're letting marketing-speak influence the vocabulary they use, they're sipping on the Kool-Aid.

I never said I did use them. The point I was making was that marketing terms are designed to make the product look interesting by bigging it up somewhat while still letting the user know what the software does.

Don't forget that at some point someone had to coin the phrase Content Managment System and Blog and when they did it just sounded like another geek term. It is only when a word enters popular vocabulary that these things are considered normal in everyday speech.

Don't forget that if your selling software for $1000+ you won't give a very good impression if you just use everyday terms for your software. It's sad but true.