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Could we cool it with the bass jargon?

#126
BobDeRosa said:
In the interest of efficient communication, would it be possible to use standard language rather than bass jargon in posts?

I can understand "pups" as shorthand for pickups, but I also see some newer members thinking they've stumbled into a dog owners' group. "Tort" means one thing to us, but something completely different to lawyers.

I bring this up because of two recent experiences.

One poster referred to something like his "Fender L." I know Ps and Js and PJs, but couldn't recollect any Fender model that started with an L. Another TB-er thought that it was a reference to Fender's early numbering system, where an L serial number would have indicated a pre-1965 vintage. But even today, neither of us knows for sure.

And just today, a TB-er posted something about his "Sting." Some responders to the post thought he was talking about the P-bass model that Sting uses. As it turns out (I think, anyway), he was referring to a MusicMan StingRay.

Since we're all in this together, and we do really want to understand and help each other, do you think it might be possible to take a look at your post before sending, just to make sure you're saying what you mean and making your point clearly to a general audience? Assuming that everyone you want to communicate with is familiar with all the bass jargon is usually a mistake.

Thanks.
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I agree with this statement.

I think it's worth mentioning that there's a marked difference between "jargon" and "slang".

Jargon is defined as:

special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.
Click to expand...

Slang is defined as:

a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.
Click to expand...

Essentially, jargon is more concrete and can be defined in concrete ways in writing and in speech (meaning you can look it up). Slang is more abstract and generally requires cultural context and experience (as opposed to a dictionary definition).

I believe that the usage of jargon is fine in any community - whether legal, scientific, musical, etc. Examples of jargon might include "pickups" - meaning the vibration-sensing electromagnetic coils that transmit signals, or "headstock", which means something very specific in terms of a stringed instrument, or "cabinet", meaning a speaker enclosure. Often, some of these words have specific meanings within a community that override the more general meaning. (For instance, "cabinet" in the political sense might refer to a government collective, while in the general sense, it may be a piece of furniture used for storage.

I believe that the usage of slang creates more problems than it solves. First:

1. Talkbass is (or at least, should be) an international community, and some visitors and members speak English as a secondary or tertiary language.
2. Slang isn't easily searchable through search engines, and it's not easily searchable through Talkbass search.

This is compounded by the fact that slang isn't static - it's ever-changing. Searching for "Musicman Stingray" would miss a posts containing "MM Sting", or "MM S", or "Humbuktu Bass". Abbreviating "truss rod" as "tr" (lowercase, no less) turns out to be an exercise in search frustration. (That's not even taking into account users who may use screen readers or other assistive technology to browse these forums.)

There's definitely a grey area here for well-known items that haven't been defined by the community (such as the term P bass to mean a Precision), but in general, I think that slang in writing doesn't come across well in an informational context. It takes a modicum of skill to make it work in writing and generally requires some context switching to be understood.

So yes - I'm in agreement here. Well-defined jargon is acceptable (and often necessary in areas of specialization, like this one) but slang and acronyms can cause problems in terms of findability and understanding. I would advocate for the reduction of slang as a whole.

That said....I highly doubt that (sans individuals) this group as a whole would even entertain the notion. The Talkbass community seems kind of provincial, in a sense, and unfortunately I don't see that changing any time soon.
 
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#131
BobDeRosa said:
In the interest of efficient communication, would it be possible to use standard language rather than bass jargon in posts?

I can understand "pups" as shorthand for pickups, but I also see some newer members thinking they've stumbled into a dog owners' group. "Tort" means one thing to us, but something completely different to lawyers.

I bring this up because of two recent experiences.

One poster referred to something like his "Fender L." I know Ps and Js and PJs, but couldn't recollect any Fender model that started with an L. Another TB-er thought that it was a reference to Fender's early numbering system, where an L serial number would have indicated a pre-1965 vintage. But even today, neither of us knows for sure.

And just today, a TB-er posted something about his "Sting." Some responders to the post thought he was talking about the P-bass model that Sting uses. As it turns out (I think, anyway), he was referring to a MusicMan StingRay.

Since we're all in this together, and we do really want to understand and help each other, do you think it might be possible to take a look at your post before sending, just to make sure you're saying what you mean and making your point clearly to a general audience? Assuming that everyone you want to communicate with is familiar with all the bass jargon is usually a mistake.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Request denied.
 
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#132
JIO said:
I feel many abbreviations/codes are already part of our community. For reference sake here are ones commonly used that most people here would understand. Some are obvious and have been around a long time. Some are bass-centric and others are player/playing related. There are others which can be added to determine how commonly (or not) they are understood. Feel free to add.

pu = pick-up
fb = fingerboard
tr = truss-rod
P/P-bass/P = Fender Precision bass
J/J-bass/J = Fender Jazz bass
P/J = a bass, usually Fender but not always with a split & single pu combo
Beatle bass = Hofners violin bass
fridge = Ampeg with 8 speaker cab
FOH = front of house sound system
Dano = Danelectro
long-horn (bass) = Danelectro bass with long upper and lower symmetric "horns"
boner bass = reference to longer upper horn on late-'80s/early '90's P's and J's designed by George Binda at Fender
3TSB = three tone sunburst
Oly wht = Olympic white
BL = band leader
hippy sandwich = bass made of multi-laminated exotic woods
ss = short-scale, stainless-steel, solid-state
rig = amp/speaker cabinet
combo (amp) = combined amp/speaker unit
axe (antiquated) = bass/guitar/instrument
downbeat = live set start
pause for the cause = pee break
Click to expand...
Musicians have their own lingo? Mind. Blown.
 
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#133
BobDeRosa said:
In the interest of efficient communication, would it be possible to use standard language rather than bass jargon in posts?

I can understand "pups" as shorthand for pickups, but I also see some newer members thinking they've stumbled into a dog owners' group. "Tort" means one thing to us, but something completely different to lawyers.

I bring this up because of two recent experiences.

One poster referred to something like his "Fender L." I know Ps and Js and PJs, but couldn't recollect any Fender model that started with an L. Another TB-er thought that it was a reference to Fender's early numbering system, where an L serial number would have indicated a pre-1965 vintage. But even today, neither of us knows for sure.

And just today, a TB-er posted something about his "Sting." Some responders to the post thought he was talking about the P-bass model that Sting uses. As it turns out (I think, anyway), he was referring to a MusicMan StingRay.

Since we're all in this together, and we do really want to understand and help each other, do you think it might be possible to take a look at your post before sending, just to make sure you're saying what you mean and making your point clearly to a general audience? Assuming that everyone you want to communicate with is familiar with all the bass jargon is usually a mistake.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

d9e.jpg
 
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