I like to think of myself as reasonably tech savvy. A good deal of my job involves the Internet, and I’ve built a few websites and written for some others with a satisfactory level of competence. I even have a Twitter account.

But I’ll confess that I routinely come across tech-related products and services that baffle me, whether it’s a new account that a PR firm picked up or a service or product I’m pitched for an article. Whether you’re the leading strategic solutions provider for the X5 generation network security consulting sector or the proud developer of a B2B client relationship analysis appliance, even after an explanation or product description is provided there are instances where I just don’t get it.

I brought this up with an account manager from a New York PR firm last week – who was calling to announce his firm’s latest client win; don’t ask – and he told me that journalists who cover technology know and appreciate the arcane terminology. I mentioned that he was calling me for a story and I had no idea what the client did, but he didn’t seem to think that was relevant and (speaking slowly) gave me the same explanation again.

Apparently, I’m not the only one with this problem. Paul McKeon, a former business reporter who now runs Atlanta-based Content Factor, feels the pain.

“When I was a business reporter, a mind-boggling frustration of mine--and every journalist for that matter--was that I had to spend countless hours deciphering the most obtuse corporate speak imaginable. Here these companies were pitching why they should be written about and I couldn't even understand what they did in the most basic sense.”

Paul’s having a little fun with the dilemma and he’s developed an online game to have players guess a company based on a description from its website or press release. It’s a subtle rib at marketing pros and worth a try.

As the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Worthen blogged this week, “Technology is difficult to understand without dressing up products with meaningless buzz terms and technobabble. Companies use these terms to make their announcements sound important, but all they do is make them inaccessible.”

Here’s a sample question from Paul’s quiz:

“____ revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information. The company’s award-winning technologies and software have redefined business, entertainment, and personal communications by setting new standards for producing and delivering content that engages people anywhere at anytime.”


That’s Adobe, in case you were wondering.

(Image: Samuel J. Scott)