New Software Helps Leverage the Paradigm

[Drew Danielson]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=7&u=/nm/20030617/od_nm/life_language_dc

[quote]

New York-based Deloitte Consulting admits it helped foster confusing,
indecipherable words like "synergy," "paradigm," and "extensible
repository," but now it has decided enough is enough. On Tuesday it will
release "Bullfighter" to help writers of business documents to avoid
jargon and use clear language.

"We've had it with repurposeable, value-added knowledge capital and
robust, leveragable mindshare," Deloitte Consulting partner Brian Fugere
said.
[...]
"We think that's a good indicator of the linkage between clear and
straight communications and business performance, including the issue of
transparency and trust, which is such a big issue these days," Fugere said.

Marketing director Chelsea Hardaway said employees had fun developing
the program over 9 months. They came up with about 10,000 "bullwords."
The final version has a dictionary of 350 words and gives users the
ability to add more.

"It flags your 'bullwords' but then it gives you sort of a good-humored
lashing over why you have used those words," Hardaway said of the
program, which works on Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents much
like those that check spelling.
[...]
The firm said employees voted "leverage" as the most hated word,
followed by "bandwidth" and "touch base." Other incomprehensible words
were "incentivize," and "envisioneer."

[/quote]