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I think there are 2 mechanisms for jargon, and he misses them both;

1) Easy filtering caused by precise communication. A non-jargon term is missing nuance. The audience can't tell if they should be interested (probably not). This is your API vs Software.

2) courting the customer by speaking their language. If a marketeer indicates some level of knowledge, the engineer is more willing to spend time: The chance to gain something usefull is higher. If a marketeer sells an API, I might ask if he also has a library, because I know he understands the question.




> courting the customer by speaking their language

Ugh, that's like trying to use urban slang in your ads to appeal to youths - probably not going to go down very well unless you're very, very on point.


He explicitly mentions the second of those, in exactly those words:

> Why is jargon effective? Because it shows the reader that you speak his language.




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