Appendix II
An introduction to the background of computing
Whose afraid of the jargon?
As with all ‘specialist’ industries, computing has developed its own jargon as a short-hand form of
communicating complicated concepts that require many words of ‘plain language’ explanation. It’s
not just the high technology business that’s guilty of hiding itself behind an apparent smokescreen of
‘buzz words’, jargon and terminology - most of us have come up against the barriers to
understanding, erected by all the main professions and trades.
A major difference is that the confusion in legal jargon arises from the way the words are used -
rather than the words themselves, as is the case with computing. Most people who grow familiar
with computing terminology will go out of their way to use the words in the most straightforward
possible manner, so as to minimize the complexity of the communication.
Don’t be mislead by the ‘plain language’ used in computing, it is not a literary subject, but a precise
science, and apart from the ‘syntax’ of the wording, the structure of the communication is very
straightforward, and not in the least confusing or ambiguous. Teachers of computing have not yet
managed to make an art form out of trying to analyse the exact meaning intended by a programmer
in his program construction.
Having said that, although whether or not the meaning of a computer program is obvious, there are
still many aspects that can be analysed as either elegant or untidy, and more emphasis is being put
on a formal approach to program construction now that the initial mayhem brought about by the
micro revolution is settling down.
Computing is rapidly understood by many young people who appreciate the precision and simplicity
of the ideas and the way they can be communicated – you don’t find too many 10 year old lawyers -
but you can find plenty of ten year old programmers!
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