[Editor’s Note: Worst Word of the Week is a regular GeekWire feature spotlighting the pretentious, unnecessarily complex, buzzword-laden, imprecise-but-precise-sounding language that plagues the tech industry. Read our introductory post for more background.]
This week’s worst word: Drive (as a verb)
Examples of (mis)use: It’s in every single Satya Nadella speech (if I hear the phrase “driving digital transformation” one more time, I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself). It’s in 50 press releases I got in just five days. There is simply no escaping it.
What it means: As reflected by its ubiquity in the tech industry, this word is obviously important. I have no objection to the concept behind it: a force that is causing things to happen. That would be silly. It’s just that it is so hugely over-used. There is value in using interesting words. They make writing more textured. And they are more likely, I believe, to be noticed and remembered.
I’m not suggesting the use of elegant variation, the (perhaps exaggeratedly) disapproved-of use of synonyms to refer to a single object, such as “spacious mansion” in one reference and “sprawling abode” in another. I’m suggesting using words more precisely and in a less rote fashion.
So rather than “driving digital transformation,” why not occasionally talk about “modernizing computing practices”?
Rather than “drive,” how about impel? Propel? Cause? Lead to? Promote? ANYTHING??
