0
Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Hi-tech Bafflegab
Hi-tech babble baffles many
Most people are confused and flummoxed by the jargon used to describe new technology, says a survey.
Terms such as MP3 and Bluetooth are only understood by a small number of people, a report by a consumer research group found.
The findings are bad news for the industry, as it suggests that the baffling terms are putting people off buying the latest gadget.
"The technology industry must simplify its vocabulary so that consumers around the world can better understand the benefits technology can bring to their lives," said Patrick Moorhead, chairman of AMD's Global Consumer Advisory Board, which commissioned the study.
More than 1,500 people in the US, UK, China and Japan took part in the survey, which looked at how far consumers understood jargon used to described new gadgets.
The results showed that people were perplexed by many of the terms routinely bandied around by technology firms.
Just 3% of those surveyed got a perfect score on a quiz, which included terms such as MP3 - a digital audio file - and Bluetooth - a short-range technology which uses radio waves instead of wires.
Even the word megahertz, commonly used in advertisements for home computers, mystified many.
Only slightly more than half correctly identified the definition of megahertz - a measurement of the processing power of a computer chip.
Even people who knew about technology where baffled by some words. Only a third knew what a DVR was.
DVR stands for digital video recorder - a gadget that records shows on a hard drive instead of video tape and usually allows you to pause live TV.
The survey makes gloomy reading for an industry which is counting on consumers snapping up new gadgets.
It showed that many people are delaying buying products such as digital cameras because it is all seen as too complex and difficult to understand.
Instead nearly two-third said they "wish to have things work and not spend time setting up."
"The hi-tech industry is spending more than $10 billion a year in the US alone advertising the speeds and feeds of the products," said Mr Moorhead, "but the industry is not getting the full value of their advertising dollars."
The study did offer are some signs of hope for the technology industry. It suggested that people who already have home computers were likely to buy most gadgets such as DVD players.
The survey was commissioned by a research group set by chip maker AMD.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/3054210.stm
Published: 2003/07/08 10:20:10 GMT
© BBC MMIII
Most people are confused and flummoxed by the jargon used to describe new technology, says a survey.
Terms such as MP3 and Bluetooth are only understood by a small number of people, a report by a consumer research group found.
The findings are bad news for the industry, as it suggests that the baffling terms are putting people off buying the latest gadget.
"The technology industry must simplify its vocabulary so that consumers around the world can better understand the benefits technology can bring to their lives," said Patrick Moorhead, chairman of AMD's Global Consumer Advisory Board, which commissioned the study.
More than 1,500 people in the US, UK, China and Japan took part in the survey, which looked at how far consumers understood jargon used to described new gadgets.
The results showed that people were perplexed by many of the terms routinely bandied around by technology firms.
Just 3% of those surveyed got a perfect score on a quiz, which included terms such as MP3 - a digital audio file - and Bluetooth - a short-range technology which uses radio waves instead of wires.
Even the word megahertz, commonly used in advertisements for home computers, mystified many.
Only slightly more than half correctly identified the definition of megahertz - a measurement of the processing power of a computer chip.
Even people who knew about technology where baffled by some words. Only a third knew what a DVR was.
DVR stands for digital video recorder - a gadget that records shows on a hard drive instead of video tape and usually allows you to pause live TV.
The survey makes gloomy reading for an industry which is counting on consumers snapping up new gadgets.
It showed that many people are delaying buying products such as digital cameras because it is all seen as too complex and difficult to understand.
Instead nearly two-third said they "wish to have things work and not spend time setting up."
"The hi-tech industry is spending more than $10 billion a year in the US alone advertising the speeds and feeds of the products," said Mr Moorhead, "but the industry is not getting the full value of their advertising dollars."
The study did offer are some signs of hope for the technology industry. It suggested that people who already have home computers were likely to buy most gadgets such as DVD players.
The survey was commissioned by a research group set by chip maker AMD.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/3054210.stm
Published: 2003/07/08 10:20:10 GMT
© BBC MMIII
Top answer
[/nq] I'd like to see how that question was put. Megahertz is a mesurement of frequency, nothing more. sig is in the post
- [/nq] I'd like to see how that question was put.
- Megahertz is a mesurement of frequency, nothing more.
- sig is in the post
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
9 Answers
0
[nq:1]Only slightly more than half correctly identified the definition of megahertz - a measurement of the processing power of a computer chip.[/nq]
I'd like to see how that question was put.
Megahertz is a mesurement of frequency, nothing more.
-- .sig is in the post
I'd like to see how that question was put.
Megahertz is a mesurement of frequency, nothing more.
-- .sig is in the post
00
0
(10 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english:
[nq:2]© BBC MMIII[/nq]
[nq:1]ObAUE: What's the meaning of the "©"?[/nq]
BBC 2003
-- Martin Ambuhl Returning soon to the Fourth Largest City in America
[nq:2]© BBC MMIII[/nq]
[nq:1]ObAUE: What's the meaning of the "©"?[/nq]
BBC 2003
-- Martin Ambuhl Returning soon to the Fourth Largest City in America
00
[nq:1] (10 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english:[/nq]
[nq:2] ObAUE: What's the meaning of the "©"?[/nq]
[nq:1] BBC 2003[/nq]
That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.
Phil
[nq:2] ObAUE: What's the meaning of the "©"?[/nq]
[nq:1] BBC 2003[/nq]
That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.
Phil
00
(11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english:
[nq:2] (10 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english: BBC 2003[/nq]
[nq:1]That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.[/nq]
It means "copyright." WTF are you on about? Do you want a whole course in copyright law?
-- Martin Ambuhl Returning soon to the Fourth Largest Ci
[nq:2] (10 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english: BBC 2003[/nq]
[nq:1]That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.[/nq]
It means "copyright." WTF are you on about? Do you want a whole course in copyright law?
-- Martin Ambuhl Returning soon to the Fourth Largest Ci
00
[nq:1] (11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english:[/nq]
[nq:2] That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.[/nq]
[nq:1]It means "copyright." WTF are you on about? Do you want a whole course in copyright law?[/nq]
Perhaps the implication was that the original poster didn't understand the concept of copyright enough to know not to repu
[nq:2] That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.[/nq]
[nq:1]It means "copyright." WTF are you on about? Do you want a whole course in copyright law?[/nq]
Perhaps the implication was that the original poster didn't understand the concept of copyright enough to know not to repu
00
[nq:1]On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 11:48:01 GMT, Martin Ambuhl (Email Removed) w=rote:[/nq]
[nq:2] (11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english: It ... about? Do you want a whole course in copyright law?[/nq]
[nq:1]Perhaps the implication was that the original poster didn't understand the concept of copyright enough to know not to republish the article in its entirety without permissi
[nq:2] (11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english: It ... about? Do you want a whole course in copyright law?[/nq]
[nq:1]Perhaps the implication was that the original poster didn't understand the concept of copyright enough to know not to republish the article in its entirety without permissi
00
[nq:1] (11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english:[/nq]
[nq:2] That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.[/nq]
[nq:1]It means "copyright." WTF are you on about?[/nq]
Were you too (a) blind or (b) stupid to notice the flagrant violation of copyright in the original post?
Or did you notice it, but think that copyright doesn'
[nq:2] That's what is stands for -- it wasn't an ASCII rant -- what does it mean.[/nq]
[nq:1]It means "copyright." WTF are you on about?[/nq]
Were you too (a) blind or (b) stupid to notice the flagrant violation of copyright in the original post?
Or did you notice it, but think that copyright doesn'
00
(15 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english:
[nq:2] (11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english: It means "copyright." WTF are you on about?[/nq]
[nq:1]Were you too (a) blind or (b) stupid to notice the flagrant violation of copyright in the original post? '[/nq]
If you are so stupid as to post questions without context, that's your problem. I answered the
[nq:2] (11 Jul 2003) in news:(Email Removed) / alt.usage.english: It means "copyright." WTF are you on about?[/nq]
[nq:1]Were you too (a) blind or (b) stupid to notice the flagrant violation of copyright in the original post? '[/nq]
If you are so stupid as to post questions without context, that's your problem. I answered the
0
Related Questions