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  • From: David Demers <david AT designNation.com>
  • To: "InterNetWorkers" <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Geek Slang
  • Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 14:03:30 -0400


this is straight from webster's:

jargon - 1 - nonsensical, incoherent, or meaningless talk. 2 - a hybrid language or dialect. 3 - the specialized language of a trade, profession, or similar group <computer jargon>.

slang - 1 - the nonstandard vocabulary of a particular culture or subculture, consisting typically of arbitrary and often ephemeral coinages and figures of speech marked by spontaneity and occasional raciness. 2 - the language particular to a group.


one thing i have found interesting about jargon/slang is how it is often used to test an individual's competence or authenticity. business and computer folks use "specialized" terms to talk amongst themselves more succinctly, share a certain comradery, or test an individual's competence regarding a certain matter. the same thing seems to happen amongst individuals within non-work related subcultures (ie. hippy, raver, hip hop, etc.). while i find myself using certain terms in either context from time to time, i can't help but think that it leads to a certain elitism. n-e-1 else share my concern?


This caught my eye on www.rc3.org yesterday; a NY Times article that seems
to be a tad partisan in its treatment of what the author terms 'geeks', and
the slang they ostensibly use: (registration required)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/27note.html

Rafe had his usual succinct comments, and a link to the bland rebuttal by
the maintainer of the hackers dictionary, Eric Raymond:
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/28/kakutani/


I was slightly miffed, took the bait, and have written my own diatribe
against the both of 'em: http://www.komejo.com/writings/slang.html

Enjoy!
Joe K





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;) david demers
design nation, inc.
po box 1407
cary, nc 27512
tel: 919.274.7475
fax: 919.854.1546
http://www.designnation.com



  • Re: Geek Slang, David Demers, 07/03/2000

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