Blog 7: Community Jargon

Blog 7: What is some of the jargon that you are encountering in your community?

I joined a community called nerdfitness.com. It is a website that is centered on scientific, natural, fun ways to lose weight and stay healthy. Like any community, they have words they throw around that are particular to their group. For instance, the main contributor refers to each person as “fellow rebel,” as opposed to saying something like “dear reader.” It expresses his enthusiasm for the community and provides a sense of “oneness” with the most elite member of the group. He also calls readers “adventurers,” inspiring readers merely with his word choice, and calling them to action. When I read these words I felt compelled to continue exploring the community and see what other inspirational things they had to offer. Another example of their jargon is their frequent use of motivational phrases. Each day the main contributor emails participants a new workout to try. In reference to the email he sent the day before, he mentions something along the lines of, “How did that workout go yesterday? Didn’t have time for it? That’s okay, today is the perfect day to turn things around!” His tone is always encouraging and understanding, yet still very motivational.

“Hey hey!

Did you give the beginner bodyweight routine a try yesterday? If so, you gained +1 STR. If you didn't get a chance to, that's fine too...today is an even better day to start.”

This is an excerpt from an email from Steve, the main community director. It is a great example of his encouraging and understanding tone. I still have yet to figure out what exactly “STR” stands for, but with further research into the community I will be able to find out what it means. Having come from an athletic background, nerdfitness.com uses a lot of jargon I am already familiar with, but also brings new phrases to the table for me to learn.