It’s not a “space”, it’s a “market”

@Fiona: I don’t think it’s trivial, actually. It bothers me for two reasons.

1. Language is how we communicate our thoughts. Sloppy use of language usually implies there’s sloppy thinking behind it. Perhaps I’m more conscious of this because I’ve been a professional communicator for so long — it’s like watching someone take a fine car like a Ferrari and grinding the gearbox ‘cos they don’t know what they’re doing.
2. Particularly in the corporate world, mindlessly parroting the latest management buzzword means the person using it is just branding themselves as a “me too” kinda person — well, that’s their problem, not mine, but I reckon people ought to be aware they’re doing it

@Fiona: I don’t subscribe to “purity” of language, and I doubt that any linguists would these days. Languages evolve constantly, and I agree there are certainly regional, social and even personal variations.

However we’ll have to agree to disagree about this example, because I do believe this “space” thing is sloppy usage. The word “space” has many technical meanings as well as the everyday one, and the existence of those infuses the everyday with flavours of meaning which are important part of the communications process.

This management-jargon usage of “space” pretty much ignores all that. It’s about trying to sound technical and precise when there isn’t actually any precision. Especially when it’s in a sentence with “around”, e.g. “We’re doing a lot of work around the security space.”

In every case I’ve heard it used, it was to add a veneer of precision to a statement which was actually devoid of concrete detail.

If a salesperson needs to “spice up” their communication by using inappropriate words for the sake of “variety”, then they’ve either got a crap product to sell or they’re a poor salesperson incapable of communicating the benefits of their product. Either is bad, I reckon.

@Cami: Ta for the tip. I can certainly use some lighter reading.