How to Talk To People Who Speak Computer

SMH…IDK.

Translation: Shaking my head…I don’t know.

This is how most people feel when they talk to a person with tech-loaded language.

Tech-lingo is everywhere, from text messages to emails and beyond. But most of us are only familiar with our native language, not with the tongues of computers and the Internet.

With technology booming more and more as the years go on, the technology lingo is growing and becoming more confusing.

When I started my position as the site editor of Higher Education TechDecisions, I admittedly only had a basic understanding of the technology world. Since interviewing technology manufacturers and vendors all over the country and researching an infinite list of products, I’ve encountered words and terms that triggered the itch of confusion on my forehead.

To scratch that itch, you have to cut to the flesh and bones of the conversation, especially if you’re interested in installing certain technologies into your college.

Whenever I get confused with technological lingo, I’ve learned to ask the following:

1) What do you mean?

Manufacturers and integrators might be talking-tech to sound impressive, or they have no choice and need to string fancy tech-terms in order to explain how a product works. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t understand what a manufacturer or integrator is talking about. It’s important for you to understand what a manufacturer or integrator is explaining it to you, whether it’s a product name, function or connected system.

2) What does that do?

It’s important that you understand how a piece of technology works, how it connects to the whole system and what that system actually does. You might have to have IT fix a couple hiccups down the road, or need a quick fix if IT is backed up and can’t get to it immediately.

Most manufacturers and integrators will understand that the average person can’t speak computer. More often than not, they are happy to break things down into layman’s terms (especially if they want your business).

Even though they are bilingual in the technology world, those manufacturers and integrator are, after all, human.

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Video: What to ask when interpreting tech-talk: