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When dealing with this issue, I consider the knowledge level of my audience (beginner, advanced, expert, etc) and how common the terms in question are.
If I'm writing for beginners and with common jargon, I use the jargon along with a definition in the content. I also include it in a glossary.
If I'm writing for beginners and with uncommon jargon, I usually find a synonym if I can.
If I'm writing for advanced users with either common or uncommon jargon, I usually include the jargon along with a definition and a glossary entry.
If I'm writing for expert users, I usually include the jargon with an explaination when I first introduce it.
I also take into account whether or not jargon is acceptable or commonly understood. I once received a technical edit that said I needed to use the term "rubber-banding" for selecting multiple files because it was more descriptive. At that time, I had never heard of the term. I felt like I was pretty computer literate, and I felt that since the product I was writing for was geared towards "the common guy" they wouldn't know what the term was either....so I continued to use select....actually I believe I was using click-and-drag.
I also had an opposite experience. I was writing for a piece of software that tracked accident investigations. I used the term fatality, because in all of my reading that was the term used by the the software's intended users. My editor wanted me to use a term that was "less graphic" in nature. We discussed it, and we agreed that because it was a standard term, we should use it, regardless of how un-PC it might be.
When to use and not to use jargon must be decided on a case-by-case basis, taking into account your audience. Your decisions might be helped if you create user profiles before you begin writing. You can then use those profiles to help you decide when to use and when not to use jargon.
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Sean Hower
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