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Get the lingo

 
Greenhorn
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Hi Everyone,

I have been a developer for 15 years and in Java for close to ten. I still don't feel like I have all the lingo down, not just in java, but in the whole world of programming. I am currently studying for the SCJP exam so I don't have a lot of extra time but can anyone give any suggestions on how I could become more jargon savvy quickly?

Thanks!
 
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Why do you want to become "more jargon savvy"? Any why "quickly"?
 
Cheryl Texeira
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Not sure it matters why I want to learn but since you asked I find many people using buzz words and I find out later that they don't even know what they are talking about.
 
Sheriff
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Happens to all of us. And you'll never know them all, as each language ecosystem, each industry, and each company will have their own argot.

And, there is no shame in asking someone who uses an unfamiliar term what it means!

 
Rancher
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You could memorize it.

I don't see any point in doing that. There is far too much material, both in breadth and width in the whole world of programming. No one knows it all. Its impossible.

If you are just trying to make your CV/resume look better, first find which jobs interest you, and find what buzzwords they want to see. Learn the buzzwords and be happy.

 
Pat Farrell
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Cheryl Texeira wrote:I find many people using buzz words and I find out later that they don't even know what they are talking about.



knowing buzzwords does not mean that the speaker knows the concepts behind them. Often they don't.

But within a group of knowledgable engineers in a specific subject area, its natural to use jargon. Every field has it, engineering, science, medicine, law, etc. You use the jargon that has specific meaning when you want to talk in shorthand among peers.

Its a shame that the HR departments of the world's companies insist on seeing buzzwords in resumes. Pointless and even counter productive.
 
Jimmy Clark
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If an individual is programming control systems for an auto transmission they will typically use jargon specific to their industry and the type of software they are creating.

If an individual is progrmaming web pages for a local flowershop they will typically use jargon for the type of software they are creating.

Both activities involve computer programming, but have different terms and concepts. As indicated, jargon is used to communicate in specific groups in a defined context.

 
Pat Farrell
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Jimmy Clark wrote:If an individual is programming web pages for a local flowershop they will typically use jargon for the type of software they are creating.



Actually, in your example, there are a number of domains of jargon:

1) web programming
2) flower shop
3) graphic and typography
4) ecommerce and shopping carts, certs, etc.

To be successful, you need at least all four.
 
Marshal
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When I was a young consultant I was sent to work on a project for an airline. After a couple of days somebody took me aside and said "We don't call them airplanes here. We call them aircraft."

You just never know what's going to be jargon. But it does pay to listen and imitate, which obviously I hadn't been doing.
 
Pat Farrell
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Paul Clapham wrote:When I was a young consultant I was sent to work on a project for an airline. After a couple of days somebody took me aside and said "We don't call them airplanes here. We call them aircraft."



And if you were working for/with Boeing, they talk about fuselages airframes, because they don't provide the jet engines, and its not an aircraft until it has one (or more) Boeing makes the fuselages airfames.
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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