Ged Carroll

Category: jargon watch | 術語定義 | 용어의 정의 | 用語の定義

Jargon watch as an idea was something that came from my time reading Wired magazine. I found that in my work terms would quickly spring up and just as quickly disappear. So it made sense to capture them in the moment.

The best way of illustrating jargon watch is by example. I came across the term black technology through mainland Chinese friends. One of the key things that Chinese consumers think about technology products is the idea of ‘black technology’. This makes no sense to your average western reader. It equates to cool and innovative.

The term itself comes from a superior technology featured in a Japanese manga series plot. As an aside the relationship between Chinese and popular Japanese culture is becoming increasingly attenuated due to Chinese nationalism.

What might be black technology this year might be humdrum in six months as the companies quickly catch up. Black technology is a constant moving target, but generally its sophisticated and likely has a cyberpunk feeling to it.

I keep an eye out for jargon like this all the time, hence jargon watch. I find this content in my professional reading and in the sources that I follow online. What makes something worthwhile to appear here is purely subjective based about how I feel about it and how much I think it resonates with my ideas or grabs my attention. A lot of British youth culture doesn’t make it because it doesn’t have that much of an impact any more beyond the UK.

  • Cummings effect

    The Cummings effect was named by The Guardian after former government advisor Dominic Cummings. Now famous for his unorthodox approach to sight tests.

    The Cummings effect describes how consumers have been testing the rules governing lockdown, often ignoring the government’s ‘stay at home’ instruction.

    Dominic Scummings
    Dominic Cummings lampooned on sticker art by duncan c

    “What is happening is people are beginning to flout the rules, they are beginning to think, ‘How can I get away with the rules?’” Paul Netherton, Devon and Cornwall’s deputy chief constable

    ‘Cummings effect’: why are people bending lockdown rules? – The Guardian

    Cummings effect is part of broader trust deficit

    Edelman released their Trust Barometer, and the findings were ugly for government trust, across most of the countries that they surveyed.

    Government trust down
    2021 Edelman Trust Barometer

    They were also bad for societal leaders as well. Dominic Cummings bizarre behaviour was a question of the wrong thing at the right time and fits into this broader disappointment.

    Societal leaders not trusted
    2021 Edelman Trust Barometer

    Do as I say, not as I do

    Throughout COVID-19; there has been a consistent desire for sufficient lockdowns to get COVID-19 under control. The latest bit of YouGov consumer opinion research still indicates a desire for lockdown to try and control COVID better.

    However, there was evidence as far back as April that the first lockdown instructions in the UK weren’t being adhered to. UCL analysed data from Huq found that the first lockdown lasted just three weeks in areas outside London. News reports and infection rates indicate that the situation maybe similar if not worse this time around. More related content here.

    More information

    Britain on the move even before Johnson eased lockdown, data show – Financial Times (May 12, 2020)

    Most people don’t think the government will meet its 2m a week vaccine target – YouGov (January 7, 2021)

    Edelman 2021 Trust Barometer

    ‘Cummings effect’: why are people bending lockdown rules? – The Guardian (January 11, 2021)

  • PDI

    PDI or purpose driven innovation is Trendwatching’s approach to identifying and help clients act on ‘meaningful’ business opportunities. I think its interesting as it captures the aspirations of corporate responsibility professionals in businesses; a case in point being the steady changes that Unilever have made in their business over the past decade or so, like their concentrated aerosol can design.

    PDI factors

    In their own words:

    Make a difference through innovation

    Turn overwhelm into opportunity

    Move from anticipating and meeting customer expectations to setting them

    The principles that it holds itself to are:

    Don’t extract from the earth

    Don’t produce harmful substances

    Don’t degrade nature

    Don’t overwork people (wellbeing)

    Everyone’s voice matters (inclusivity)

    Help people to self-develop (empowerment)

    Don’t discriminate (fairness/justice)

    Celebrate diversity

    While Unilever’s concentrated aerosol can initiative leaves a lighter footprint on the earth, it would still fail on some of Trendwatching’s purpose driven innovation principles. In particular degradation of nature and extracting from the earth, due to its use of aluminium and butane gas propellant.

    The sweet spot for any idea that fits in with their principles is at the intersection of: drivers of change, innovation and consumer basic needs – like most other successful trend driven ideas. At a macro level this net out to accelerating societal and cultural trends that are moving from the edge to the mainstream, behaviour change and both demand and supply-side economics.

    PDI approach examples

    Patagonia’s ReCrafted range is the kind of project that Trendwatching would hope to get out of PDI.

    Patagonia ReCrafted – a classic example of the kind of project PDI should generate

    More design related content here.

    More information

    Unilever shakes up the aerosol world | Packaging World and Unilever’s compressed aerosols cut carbon footprint by 25% per can | The Guardian on Unilever’s concentrated aerosol can design.

    Patagonia Launches ReCrafted, a New Collection of Upcycled Gear | Make Fashion Better – Patagonia’s up cycled clothing range

    More on the Trendwatching approach here.

  • Big sky theory

    Bob Cringely was writing about the concept of big sky in one of his recent columns and I thought that it was worthwhile sharing here.

    Big Sky
    Big sky by Whatknot. (The picture was originally taken in Nevada).

    Origins of big sky theory in early flight

    Big Sky theory came from early aviation. The main problem pilots faced was crashing into the ground rather than a mid-air collision. There was relatively few planes happening compared to the big sky out there. That meant the odds of collision were so low as to be not worth worrying about.

    Or as Cringely put it:

    Another version of Big Sky is Inshallah, an Arabic language expression meaning “if God wills” or “God willing.” The term is mentioned in the Quran and Muslims often use it when speaking about future events. Climate change or organized crime or the well running dry or uncontrolled instrument flight won’t negatively affect us if we are on the correct side of God, Inshallah.

    Bob Cringely

    It was only with the increasing air travel of the mid-1950s that the air traffic controller directed traffic we are used to now came into force. This traffic controller directed process is known as positive control.

    Data as antidote

    The phrase is used in areas such as environmental concerns around climate change, deforestation or peak oil. It makes the most sense when based on individual empirical experience or opinion. It works really well in rhetoric. Often dangerously so. It is usually countered by the use of data. Data provides qualitative risk calculations. Data is now used to conduct planes along airways one after the other. It is the same with shipping lanes.

    From economics to pandemic prevention data based regulation has proved it’s worth.

    In essence it represents thinking 180 degrees away from Malthusian ideas. More similar content here.

  • Internet of Bodies

    Internet of bodies or IoB is a term that I first heard as The Internet of Bodies – a RAND Corporation report into internet connected devices that

    …monitor the human body and transmit the data collected via the internet. This development, which some have called the Internet of Bodies (IoB), includes an expanding array of devices that combine software, hardware, and communication capabilities to track personal health data, provide vital medical treatment, or enhance bodily comfort, function, health, or well-being.

    RAND Corporation
    The Internet of Bodies

    RAND Corporation were interested in the internet of bodies because of the complexity of the area. There are benefits which are well documented by others. However there are also ethical considerations around:

    • Data use by commercial organisations (advertising, health insurance, pharmaceutical industry)
    • Misleading product claims around product efficacy
    • Privacy risks
    • Data security risks
    • Underdeveloped and complex regulatory environment

    What the Internet of Bodies covers includes:

    • Fitness trackers
    • Fitness software running on smartwatches or smartphones and device sensors
    • Connected health devices: insulin pumps, pacemakers
    • Patient adherence apps on smartphones
    • Patient diaries about their condition

    The report came to a number of conclusions including:

    • As 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and satellite internet standards are rolled out, the US government conduct research projects to better understand any potential issues that might emerge
      There is a challenge that needs to be addressed to replace earlier generation devices and services with poor information security practices. The issue of cybersecurity needs to have more attention paid to it, right from the beginning of IoB product development
    • Device makers should test products and services for vulnerabilities often, and devise methods for users to patch software.
    • Data transparency and protection regulations need to be revisited to take account of materials received from the IoB
    • As with any new sector, a tighter regulation is required to prevent false or misleading product claims

    More jargon related posts here.

  • CPO

    I came across the idea of CPO in GQ magazine. I know few people that have bought anything other than the G-Shocks in their collection for retail.

    There’s a few reasons for that:

    • The watches that people like are often vintage models, it’s reverse of the hot streetwear and luxury ‘drop’ scene
    • With the exception of sought after models from the likes of Rolex; most watches suffer from a similar depreciation curve to buying a new car
    • If you’re buying a watch to wear, so I care less about the box, immaculate cardboard outer box and papers
    • A quality watch is a classic example of heirloom design. Whilst they will need to be serviced every three to five years; they can also last beyond the lifetime of the owner to be handed down in families.

    Watch resellers

    A number of watch dealers that were known by word-of-mouth have gone to the wall. For instance, Austin Kaye, which had been a regular fixture on The Strand longer than I have lived in London closed at the end of 2019.

    Online watch resellers have taken off. Crown & Caliber and WatchBox in the US; Watchmaster in Germany and Watchfinder & Co. from the UK – are some of the biggest players. Scale, brand trust and a panel of expert watchmakers have formalised the purchase process with validation that you’re not buying a fake or a ‘frankenwatch’.

    CPO

    This verification is usually called certified pre-owned or CPO in the trade. At first you used to see this in the Japanese luxury resale market provided by the likes of BRAND OFF.

    BRAND OFF is trusted by luxury shoppers across East Asia.

    It then extended to this new breed of online resellers. Luxury watch brands have bought some of the watch resellers. For instance, Richemont bought Watchfinder & Co. Other watchmakers, now have a formal process to CPO their watches.

    Previously, you would have to submit a watch in for a service to get proof that the watch was legitimate. Some brands are even reselling CPO watches including H Moser & Cie. Pre-owned items offer the luxury industry an opportunity to be more sustainable. Greater involvement in the pre-owned market also allows watch brands to get more value from their products over time.