One of the big problems I see, particularly with people early or mid-career, is the use of buzzwords. Often, the use of these buzzwords is out of context or incomplete. Try to limit your use of buzzwords. And when you use a buzzword that is complex, take two seconds to baseline what you mean by what you said.

Commonly misused concepts include:

1. Ambient Computing

   • Most people can’t explain this but use it anyway.

   • Essentially, computers quietly take care of stuff in the background.

   • Ambient computing is a broad term that describes an environment of smart devices, data, AI decisions, and human activity that enables computer actions alongside everyday life, without the need for direct human commands or intervention.

   • Learn More

2. AR/VR

   • You would be surprised how many people don’t know the difference.

   • Augmented reality (AR) augments your surroundings by adding digital elements to a live view, often by using the camera on a smartphone.

   • Virtual reality (VR) is a completely immersive experience that replaces a real-life environment with a simulated one.

   • Learn More

3. Blockchain vs NFT vs Web3 vs Crypto

   • Again, these get used interchangeably. Can you tell the difference?

   • Blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that stores data of any kind.

   • NFT (Non-Fungible Token) is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items and videos. They are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency, and they are generally encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.

   • Web3 is an idea for a new iteration of the web which incorporates concepts such as decentralization, in the form of a distributed ledger such as blockchain technologies, and token-based economics.[

   • Crypto (cryptocurrency) is a digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend.

   • Learn More or Here or Here and this is a good overall primer.