back to tim's mas.123 page
When I first came across the "Jargonator" from "Dilbert's Desktop
Toys," I was so amused that I used it to process my email for about a week
before the novelty (both of the Jargonator and of confused 
messages
from my 
messages'
recipients) wore off. The Jargonator takes in text and outputs text using
"manager jargon." By default, it seems to simply make substitutions based
on a lookup table (for example, changing "test" to "verification" and the
like.) It has three additional options, of which you can select any combination:
"make it sizzle," which adds "sizzling" adjectives; "punch it up," which adds
similarly exciting adverbs; and "managerialize," which adds a sentence of
"manager-speak" to the text.
For example, the "Jargonated" version of the previous paragraph (with all three options enabled) is:
(both
of the Most Excellent Word Bending Jargon Inserting Text Modification Device
in addition to of obfuscated communications from my messages' recipients)
wore off. The noble Most Excellent Word Bending Jargon Inserting Text Modification
Device appropriates tentatively in written script in lieu of verbal communication
in addition to outputs written script in lieu of verbal communication using
"self-important member of the department unit jargon. " By default, it seems
to simply make wonderfully substitutions based on a lookup table (for representation,
transubstantiating "verification" to "verification" in addition to the dogged
like. And I might add that mindset is the sum of vision, values, beliefs,
and assumptions. ) It has masterfully three additional options, of which you
can select any combination: "make perfectly it sizzle," which adds "sizzling"
adjectives; "punch it up," which adds similarly exciting adverbs; in addition
to "managerialize," which adds a sentence of "manager-speak" to the written
script in lieu of verbal communication. 
The
idea that the Jargonator's output is intended to resemble the writing of a manager
is particularly interesting. Dilbert cartoons around this time (in my opinion,
Dilbert in recent years has slipped considerably in quality) occasionally made
it explicit that this confusing mode of communication 
(both
verbal and written) was directly due to confused thought. The commentary on
managers' communication represents the notion that unclear language both results
from and leads to unclear thought. This tool also explicitly confines itself
to written communication, though related strips of the comic also included the
same notion about spoken language. The functioning of the Jargonator is also
interesting-thought at first I thought it was simply doing word-substitutions
based on some predefined table, it seems to understand enough of English sentence
structure to figure out (more or less correctly) where to insert adjectives,
adverbs, and additional sentences. 
It
might be interesting to add expandability to the Jargonator by allowing users
to add their own substitutions, adjectives, adverbs, and "manager sentences"
to its library (such as "Media Lab" to "technological playpen" or "sponsor week"
to "groveling fest with good food" and "UROP" to "undergraduate slave laborer"
so forth.) Another interesting extension would be an AltaVista Babelfish-like
interface, which would allow you to enter a URL and would display the page with
the same formatting but the text "Jargonized." 
