As one data point, I had to google what Stranger in a Strange Land refers to, and don’t know what connotations the comment above yours [1] refers to. I always assumed ‘grok’ was just a generic synonym for ‘(deeply) understand’, and didn’t even particularly associate it with the EA community. (Maybe it’s relevant here that I’m not a native speaker.)
It’s not particularly associated with the EA community – I think your impression there is correct. I’d say it’s more generic nerd jargon than EA jargon. I actually don’t think I hear it used especially often in EA.
I honestly don’t remember the detailed connotations from Stranger in a Strange Land, but since I’m neither a Martian nor a member of a weird New-Agey Martian cult I don’t consider this a huge disadvantage.
(That said I do think “deeply understand” doesn’t quite do the job.)
I feel the same way, even though I’m relatively strongly opposed to EA jargon, and even though I don’t know the specific connotations from Stranger in a Strange Land.
Here’s the compromise I’ve settled on: “to grok” → “to grok, to really deeply understand.”
That is, I’ll use the jargon and immediately follow it with the translation. It’s inelegant, and I’ve only used it in conversation so far. Not sure I’d be comfortable with so many redundant words in text. But I like that this compromise:
Conveys as much of the point as possible to someone unfamiliar with the term “grok.”
Adds the marginal value of “grok” for anyone who is familiar with the term.
Maybe even adds some of the marginal value of “grok” for someone unfamiliar with the term. The fact that I’m using a foreign word to describes this idea suggests that it’s a different/harder-to-capture idea than simply “really deeply understand.” So from context, you could conclude that “grok” means “like really deeply understand, but in a different or harder-to-capture way,” which is most of what I mean by “grok” anyway.
I had a detailed comment here, but then I realised I seldom use the word “grok” anyway so I don’t have much cause to be nitpicking other people’s substitutions. :-P
“Deeply understand” lacks the connotations from Stranger in a Strange Land.
Yes but grok also lacks that connotation to the ~97% of the population who don’t know what it means or where it came from.
As one data point, I had to google what Stranger in a Strange Land refers to, and don’t know what connotations the comment above yours [1] refers to. I always assumed ‘grok’ was just a generic synonym for ‘(deeply) understand’, and didn’t even particularly associate it with the EA community. (Maybe it’s relevant here that I’m not a native speaker.)
[1] Replacing the jargon term ‘grandparent’ ;)
Most native English speakers from outside of particular nerd cultures also would have no clue what it means.
It’s not particularly associated with the EA community – I think your impression there is correct. I’d say it’s more generic nerd jargon than EA jargon. I actually don’t think I hear it used especially often in EA.
I honestly don’t remember the detailed connotations from Stranger in a Strange Land, but since I’m neither a Martian nor a member of a weird New-Agey Martian cult I don’t consider this a huge disadvantage.
And the way it’s used in tech is almost totally lacking the mystical angle from Stranger in a Strange Land anyway.
Also Stranger in a Strange Land is a profoundly weird and ideosyncratic book and there’s not really any reason to evoke it in most EA contexts.
(That said I do think “deeply understand” doesn’t quite do the job.)
(I notice that the use of ~ to mean approximately is also a kind of jargon.)
I feel the same way, even though I’m relatively strongly opposed to EA jargon, and even though I don’t know the specific connotations from Stranger in a Strange Land.
Here’s the compromise I’ve settled on: “to grok” → “to grok, to really deeply understand.”
That is, I’ll use the jargon and immediately follow it with the translation. It’s inelegant, and I’ve only used it in conversation so far. Not sure I’d be comfortable with so many redundant words in text. But I like that this compromise:
Conveys as much of the point as possible to someone unfamiliar with the term “grok.”
Adds the marginal value of “grok” for anyone who is familiar with the term.
Maybe even adds some of the marginal value of “grok” for someone unfamiliar with the term. The fact that I’m using a foreign word to describes this idea suggests that it’s a different/harder-to-capture idea than simply “really deeply understand.” So from context, you could conclude that “grok” means “like really deeply understand, but in a different or harder-to-capture way,” which is most of what I mean by “grok” anyway.
I had a detailed comment here, but then I realised I seldom use the word “grok” anyway so I don’t have much cause to be nitpicking other people’s substitutions. :-P