LETTER: Techno jargon causes confusion

Hal Wolford, Evansville

I hope the newspaper does not fall into the habit of over-techno speaking that is taking over the country today. I must have gone three or four years before I realized what "LOL" was. Then when I realized it was nothing more than the techno geek's equivalent of "Har-dee-har-har" that Barney Fife liked to include in his letters, I didn't feel so bad.

This morning I woke to a fine edition and then turned to the "Life" section where the word "Pinterest" stood out. I really wonder how many people over 60 knew what the word meant. I didn't and my wife didn't and I soon looked it up to find it is another online expression that comes from another online generated business.

It is probably a harmless form of newsroom fun to occasionally print a word in a prominent position, just to see what kind of reaction it gets. The trouble with that is, the word can become a favorite and soon move into the realm of overuse.

A case in point: I suspect that at some time in the not-to-distant past, some writer decided the word "slew" was the best word for describing a lot of things. I have a suspicion that the first writer to use "slew" figured it would be a good way to curry favor with the redneck readers in their area. Rednecks never used to matter, but since numerous TV shows, songs and books helped remove the stigma of being a redneck, it wasn't long till all the consultants and producers jumped on the bandwagon. Even at that, I hope 2013 won't see a slew of stories about things such as "Pinterest."