am i the only one becoming teeth-grindingly irritated by the constant [and meaningless] overuse of the word “solution” in regard to all things corporate and industrial nowadays?
this ‘disease’ is doubtless common throughout the business world, but i especially notice its sweaty-palmed prevalence in the area i work; computers and the internet.
software companies no longer sell applications; they produce “business solutions”. ISPs have given up renting webspace and instead offer “hosting solutions”. i can use peripheral devices with my mac via a plethora of “connectivity solutions” [jeez! - and i thought they were just fucking 'cables'! ] in fact it’s almost impossible to visit a corporate website or that of a computer hardware or software manufacturer without coming across a “solution” for this, that and the other.
i don’t know what pisses me off the most; the constant, unthinking, lazy use of a meaningless corporate ‘buzzword’ in place of ‘real’ language that actually means something - or the fact that these companies and manufacturers seem to be telling me my life is a continual series of problems which i’m too fuckwitted and weak to overcome myself, without recourse to one or other of their poxy products.
it makes me feel like donning a nice pair of steel-toecapped “kicking solutions” and paying their advertising departments a visit.
[shamelessly adapted from a letter i originally had published in macuser many moons ago. because, remember folks - recycling is good for the environment!]
04 July 2005 at 21:46
BTW - while i’m on the subjest of “businessman speak” - people who say “K” instead of “thousand” get on my fucking tits, as well!
06 July 2005 at 12:21
Nope, you’re not the only one. A solution is what you dissolve stuff in, not something you buy to improve yer business. And don’t even start me on sites/brochures that start with ‘At Company XYZ we…’ - it’s a lazy, overly-formal and ultimately useless turn of phrase. Any company that starts a sentence with that particular gem has their brochure thrown straight in the bin. A book that made me laugh and cry in equal parts is Don Watson’s Death Sentence - have a read at theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/31/1067566083688.html?from=storyrh
Cheers Madra, keep angry
06 July 2005 at 12:41
cheers simon.
and remember folks, if you want to buy don watson’s book, click on the link below which will allow “bilge -sook my stupid brain!’ to earn approximately three pence for every 75 tonnes of copies sold.
13 July 2007 at 13:08
[UPDATE]
here’s a cracker! - the other day i saw a rental lorry - and what do you think was the catchy slogan emblazoned on the side of the truck?… yep. you’ve got it - “vehicle solutions”
jeezus h. christ!