Why is the IT industry still so incapable of realising that the negative perceptions that surround it are largely caused by its unceasing use of jargon and rubbish buzzwords?

I realise this is hardly a new topic. There has been plenty of navel-gazing in the past on this recurring theme, but I’m inspired to write about it again thanks to Atos Origin.

The IT services provider has produced a pretty good study of the key trends affecting business and IT over the next few years. It’s called Look Out 2008+, and you can find out more about it here: http://lookout.atosconsulting.com/introduction/welcome-look-out-2008 - it’s well researched and worth a read.

But the stand-out for me was on one of the opening pages of the printed version, where the headline proudly states:

“Why is Look Out different? …because it removes the hype and gives a pragmatic view of the art of the possible.”

No hype – but “the art of the possible” ?

In other words – “We won’t use buzzwords, and to prove it, here’s a naff buzzphrase.”

This sort of jargoneering has always annoyed me no end, as it does so many people in the IT community who find themselves labelled as geeks because whenever those outside the industry read anything about what we do, it is full of all this meaningless drivel.

Sometimes it’s fine, and sometimes IT jargon becomes part of everyday language – the internet, the web, broadband, for example – but mostly it harms the image of the industry.

Is it any wonder the tech sector is struggling to attract new people to help tackle skills shortages if the first thing potential candidates read about working in IT is full of jargon and buzzwords? How is that a way to make this seem like an exciting place to work?

I wish I knew the answer – the IT industry can hardly say it has not been told remorselessly that this is a problem, yet still it cannot do anything to change.

Cutting the hype? The art of the impossible, perhaps.