Technical Jargon vs Plain Language

Developers should learn and use technical jargon to effectively collaborate with peers, understand documentation, and participate in technical discussions, as it enables precise and efficient communication of complex concepts meets developers should learn plain language to enhance their technical writing, documentation, and communication with non-technical stakeholders, such as clients or end-users. Here's our take.

Technical Jargon

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use technical jargon to effectively collaborate with peers, understand documentation, and participate in technical discussions, as it enables precise and efficient communication of complex concepts

Pros

• It is essential in contexts like code reviews, team meetings, and reading technical literature, but should be used judiciously to avoid alienating stakeholders or beginners
• Related to: communication-skills, documentation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Plain Language

Developers should learn Plain Language to enhance their technical writing, documentation, and communication with non-technical stakeholders, such as clients or end-users

Pros

• It is particularly valuable when creating user manuals, API documentation, project reports, or explaining technical issues to support teams, as it improves usability and reduces misunderstandings
• Related to: technical-writing, documentation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Technical Jargon is a concept while Plain Language is a methodology. We picked Technical Jargon based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Technical Jargon wins

Based on overall popularity. Technical Jargon is more widely used, but Plain Language excels in its own space.