Defining Jargon in Terms of Jargon

by Dwayne Phillips

We invent new ways of being lazy in communicating. It sort of sets us apart from the ignorant masses.

I did a Google search on “Kubernetes.” The result:

"Kubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications."

Oh, containerized applications. Of course.

Jargon in terms of jargon. That isn’t new, but it seems to be gaining popularity.

“Oh, you don’t know the jargon ‘containerized applications?’ Well, you obviously are behind the times or behind the curve or some disdainful position of inferiority to me. I won’t soil myself by speaking English. And besides, that is too much work for me.”

Sigh. Well, we try to move on and push back the edge of ignorance or something. Kubernetes manages jargon which points to another layer of jargon which points to another layer of jargon and so forth. After several years of attempting to understand Kubernetes (just one example), I still haven’t been able to peel back all the layers of jargon. There is yet another layer that I must dig through to find a foundation.

Perhaps this is one of those tests that some people feel obligated to apply to other people. If you cannot pass the test, you do not deserve to be with us.

More than likely, this is just another version of being lazy. It is too much work to understand something well enough to explain it in plain English.

We struggle on. Someone will enter the room one day and explain Kubernetes or something else in plain English. At that time either the someone will be given untold riches for their efforts or the jargon of the day will collapse as everyone else will see that the emperor has no clothes.