(no subject)

[msmemory_archive]

Latest overused buzzword: silos. Things, or people, are in silos or feel as though they were. (see: compartmentalize, vertical market, isolation, etc.)

Example discussion.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3700/is_199803/ai_n8807269
Notice all the other lovely MBA-speak in the piece as well.

Comments

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Ok, I read through the beginning paragraphs of that.

"the data is distributed among information silos, relatively isolated databases that support back-end operations specialists."

So a "silo" is an "isolated database." But for some reason someone decided that "isolated database" was, what, too clear a concept? Not sexy enough? Not enough like war or rotting grass? so they decided to call it a "silo" instead.

*shakes head*

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

A "silo" is also a department or a special interest group, when the contents are people.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Oh, my.

I think you get the prize for finding a stupid linguistic thing. 'Course, I don't know what the prize would be if I could actually award one.

Perhaps a big certificate which says "CongraDulations!"

[delirium23.livejournal.com]

yup, that's what I came in to say.

This is the first time I've heard that term, but I'm not part of the conventional working world any more. What I thought of was deadly information missiles lurking in the underground darkness, waiting to be launched onto unsuspecting innocents...

Other things I love (not) in that article: "frontoffice" as one word (hyphenation would have been sufficient), "value-added" (had an assful of that one when I worked for the feds), and "back-end operations specialists" (does that mean people who sit on their butts all day and do nothing?) And that's just one paragraph; there are OMG four pages of this.