What is the point of school?

[andy3000]

There are people that say that about every technical profession. I'm a computer tech and I've heard the same thing from non-techie people when they here me talking to a fellow tech and we are talking shop, using tons of acronyms and talking in shorthand with inside jokes and memes. To be completely honest, I don't know anything about you, but those people I've encountered that had that attitude towards me seemed like they had a real chip on their shoulder. They actually had palpable, emotional annoyance. It really came off more like they were insulted or something, like because we were using words they didn't understand in their presence that automatically meant we were looking down on them or trying to "pull a fast one" or something.

Frankly, that's on them. It seems like it makes it harder to understand the topic, but in reality it makes it much clearer to those who are working and studying in the field. It's as simple as that. I'm going to ask a fellow tech for CAT5 not "the wire that's like normal telephone wire but has a bigger thingy on the end". Once you know what RAID, GNU, etc. is you simply can't get your point across any simpler or faster.

<rant>And my math professors? Forget about it! I think they can talk all day without saying anything a laymen would understand. And with complete honesty, no, there isn't any other way to say it. I've had people get frustrated because they just "wanted me to explain it without getting all technical". Well, excuse me, but that's what it is. Technical! If you use one word the wrong way you can get the entire concept wrong. Literally. And sorry but I had to clear 4 pre-reqs in order to get into the class where I struggled all semester to learn this and you feel entitled to get spoonfed a Reader's Digest version in 50 words or less?! Whose arrogant now. </rant>

I had more but I realized I was venting more than anything else. In a nutshell, if someone is a customer or "victim" or relies on a technical person in some way I think they are entitled to be brought up to speed by the technical person as best as they can be. But nothing past that.

Your example is a false analogy because there are no common use words for the examples you cited, whereas the medical field uses many terms that have common English equivalents.

It is impolite to exclude someone from a conversation by using terms they don’t understand. If I was speaking to a sysadmin I would say Cat 5, if I was speaking with a non-technical person I would say the cable that connects your computer to the router.

As for myself I work as a front end web developer. Before that I worked in communications in the Army. I have pretty strong tech skills and still find many tech support people to be condescending dweebs.

I also went through EMT training but never worked in the field, which is how I know medical terms are needlessly complicated. I spent a good deal of time studying the terms.