I was speaking with Denise, a fellow DGF alum, the other day by e-mail and have been thinking a lot about a point she made about the acronym ICT. Who in the world, outside of those of us that work with ICT, knows what it means!? (Information and Communication Technology, btw).

It got me thinking about all of the acronyms that we in the development field are forced to keep up with. I continually notice when I try to explain to people what I’m working on at any given time, it’s like I’m speaking an alien language. The development community, through its excessive use of acronyms, has created its own language — a language known only to those within that bubble. The exclusive nature of development acronyms creates a proverbial wall between development professionals and the rest of the world.

The question is, to what degree does this division (and isolation) pervade into the development community’s ability to effectively do its work around the world? 

Leave a comment and share your thoughts!