One of the foundational ideas behind the Deep Thunking community is the commitment to radical inclusion. This isn’t just a feel-good statement; it’s a commitment that shapes our every interaction, right down to the words we use.
That’s why our Code of Conduct emphasizes a core principle: always explain your jargon.
But what does this principle truly mean for us? It’s not a ban on specialized language. It’s an embrace of responsibility.
Jargon is Natural, Not Evil
Let’s get one thing straight: jargon is not inherently exclusionary.
Every community, group, and profession—from knitting circles to particle physicists, and yes, even our own Deep Thunking collective—naturally develops its own specialized shorthand. This is a sign of a healthy, functioning community.
Think of it this way: jargon is a feature, not a bug, of expertise.
- It’s a time-saver. Why use a clunky sentence when one concise term will do?
- It’s a badge of belonging. Sharing specialized language creates a sense of group identity and shared history.
- It’s a tool for precision. Sometimes, a complex concept simply requires a specific, carefully defined word.
If we tried to eliminate jargon entirely, we would be stifling the very depth and complexity that we’re here to explore.
The Gap: When Jargon Becomes a Wall
The problem isn’t the existence of jargon; it’s the unexplained or unquestioned use of it. When we use specialized terms and assume everyone understands, we are unconsciously creating a wall.
This is where the idea of radical inclusion comes in.
Inclusion isn’t about opening the door once; it’s about ensuring every person who walks through it has a map, a compass, and a translator. When we fail to explain our terms, we force newcomers to choose between two unacceptable options:
- Stop participating because the conversation is unintelligible.
- Feign understanding out of fear of looking ignorant, which prevents them from genuinely engaging.
Neither of those options is conducive to Deep Thunking.
The Deep Thunking Definition of “Explaining”
In our community, “explaining your jargon” is not a one-time chore. It’s a continuous practice of empathy and a commitment to shared knowledge. It means:
1. Own Your Terminology
If you introduce a specialized term, the responsibility for its explanation rests with you, the speaker. Don’t wait for someone to interrupt and ask “What does that mean?” A simple, parenthetical clarification goes a long way:
- “We should focus on reification (treating an abstract concept as a concrete thing) in the next sprint.”
- “The problem is an issue of overfitting (when a model is too tailored to its training data and performs poorly on new data).”
2. Embrace the Question
If a member of our community does ask for clarification, we treat that request not as an interruption, but as an act of service. When someone asks “What does that mean?” they are giving us the gift of making our collective knowledge stronger and more accessible. There is zero judgment for asking a clarifying question.
3. Seek the Root
The best explanations don’t just give a dictionary definition; they offer context and utility. Why is this term necessary? What specific problem does it solve that a simpler word can’t? This practice forces all of us—veterans and newcomers alike—to think more deeply about the tools of our own trade.
Building a Better Vocabulary Together
Jargon is the linguistic output of a community’s evolution. As Deep Thunking grows, we will develop our own terms. That’s a sign of success!
Our commitment is simple: As we build our specialized vocabulary, we will simultaneously build a robust, accessible glossary of explanations. We will use it with clarity, explain it with patience, and refine it with curiosity.
By embracing the principle of always explaining our jargon, we turn what could be a barrier into a bridge of shared understanding—and that’s the true spirit of Deep Thunking.