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DAVID CUTLER editor-publisher dcutler@ioc.net

Say What?

Every convention, meeting or industry gathering these days seems to have a session or two on computerizing business. The e-commerce people eagerly participate, sensing enormous opportunity for their companies. Likewise, retailers, wholesalers, distributors and others in the distribution channel are straining to learn how their companies can use computer systems to energize and improve their businesses.

So far, so good. But then language begins to get in the way. The lumber folks, used to the traditional jargon of this business, suddenly are hearing and reading words and phrases from the technical world of the computer. As some computer presentations proceed, and the talk sinks slowly into a morass of techno babble, you can see the effect upon the audience. Formerly eager listeners place their pencils next to their papers, their bodies now leaning back in their chairs. Some look down the table at friends, shrug and smile; body language saying it all.

Every industry has its specialized language and computers certainly are no different. But cau- tion needs to be exercised when tossing out phrases like Web-enabled WAP phones and wireless PDAs, phototonic cross connect systems, quoting via a configured system, automated deployment of new site functionality, active matrix, optical Internet backbone, preconfigured for easy integration and configuration flexibility. Surely, there must be some better way to express all these things. Using plain, unadorned, basic English would be a good starting point.

But the lure of jargon is strong, and we don't fault the computer folks for developing new names and terms to describe functions that, possibly, have never existed before. Their challenge is to do it with maximum clarity to help everyone understand.

While our industry has not been a leader in adapting electronic technology to operations and mangement, still, considering the unique challenges faced in building products sales and distribution, it seems to us that our people have done a very credible job.