People sometimes forget that language is important. In tech, new gadgets and features often use new words to describe them. Fancy, futuristic terms are often used because the names often come from scientific researchers or science fiction authors. The words may be technically accurate or sound exciting, but they’re confusing to the majority of people. That can be a problem, especially if you’re trying to reach a mass audience. So use plain language.
When I was younger, I got excited about all the new terms. I felt smarter when I knew the lingo, and would talk about it with other friends in tech. Using the shiny new terms with everyone else would just get funny looks. Sometimes a new term catches on after a few years, and sometimes it never takes hold.
The term Virtual Reality is a good case in point. The term was coined in 1987 by Jaron Lanier. Most of the public didn’t hear the term until 1992, with the release of The Lawnmower Man. More than thirty years later, I still don’t think the term has caught on with the masses. Language is important. Gamers and tech-savvy people know it, but everyone else does not. If you want to reach the masses, you need to use plain language.
Virtual World is another good example. The online computer virtual world as we know it started in the late 20th century. First as chat rooms with avatars and eventually 3D spaces like Second Life and There in the early 2000s. Twenty years later, saying Virtual World still gets funny looks.
Reaching A Wider Audience
As I got older, I came to the realization that plain language is the way to go. Explaining a new technology, feature or program is already difficult, starting with hard-to-explain terms just adds another obstacle. Using plain language Andrew Pulrang wrote an excellent piece in Forbes a few years ago on that shed new light on the subject for me. Before that article, I just thought technical terms kept the masses away. I had not even considered how much more of a burden it could be for some.
You need to communicate in a language people easily understand if you want to reach a wider audience. There is a great top ten principles guide available at the National Archives, and the Center For Plain Language has a great five step list if you’d like to dive deeper.
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