WTF Do You Think This Product Does?

Plain English (or local equivalent) is something that should, nay MUST be used at all times as part of making your information findable and more importantly usable.

A classic example of NOT using plain English comes from this product's "key features" list - number 1 key feature is:

The new Web 2.0 based user experience for [product name] is centered around the needs of the modern ECM knowledge worker user interface; it delivers a simplified and streamlined application which will improve usability and efficiency.

This is THE number one reason you should buy this product .. so, what do you think it does? No, need more, OK let's keep on reading, feature number 2:

Fourth-generation object model: Content Manager object model combines content, process and compliance resources as native capabilities that enable content to be dynamically managed and dramatically reduces development complexity.

! ... ?!? ... ???

Moving swiftly on to key feature number 3 (out of 8, and I won't subject you to the whole list):

Active content: Unique [product name] capability to proactively move content and content-related business tasks through a business process without requiring human initiation.

Wholly crap, this product will move content (I'm assuming documents but I could be so wrong) around without anyone doing a thing ... it's a robot!

Given up? I gave up and I HAD to try and find out for some work at a client site - good thing I wasn't deciding whether to spend (loads) of dollars on something like this as I would've been off to competitors within seconds.
Check out the product page for yourself and tell me if you're any clearer.

Ooooh, it's so easy to mock ... but I am guilty of the same and boy do I have to pull finger and make it easier for people to know what I do! Do you know what I do from my "about page"? I will be expecting help in the very near future from you all :-)


And as an aside, you ever heard of "human latency" before ... no, I hadn't until this morning as I viewed a Sharepoint preso and had to check with Google what the jolly heck it was - this from Reducing human latency:

If, for example, it will take you two days to take appropriate steps after being alerted to a particular issue then the fact that that information arrived at your desk within seconds of its occurring, as opposed to hours, will not have huge relevance. This decision-making latency, or human latency, is what needs to be squeezed out of the situation in order to improve efficiency.