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Sideways comments on Dissenting Views - Less Wrong
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I think the tendency to use terms like "utility function" and "prior" stems more from a desire to be precise than to show off. Both have stuck with me as seemingly-useful concepts far outside the space of conversations in which they're potentially intelligible to others.
Unless you know it's superfluous, give jargon the benefit of the doubt. When communication is more precise, we all win.
Agreed--most of the arguments in good faith that I've seen or participated in were caused by misunderstandings or confusion over definitions.
I would add that once you know the jargon that describes something precisely, it's difficult to go back to using less precise but more understandable language. This is why scientists who can communicate their ideas in non-technical terms are so rare and valuable.