Recently, I was talking with colleagues about how Microsoft buzzwords and terms become catchphrases inside Microsoft and in the industry. A couple of years ago, I couldn't sit in a meeting without hearing that something needed to be "crisp" (as in, "Make sure that slide is crisp"). Then everyone started mimicking Steve Ballmer's distinctive rendition of "blah, blah, blah." Another example of jargon was "community." How often have your read that word in connection with Microsoft lately? Heck, "Connecting the IT Community" is even the mission of this magazine.

The funny...