How would you know? I’m talking about the use of buzz-words and jargon. Typical marketing speak and other phrases designed to confound the reader while at the same time making the release seem as though it has something coherent and meaningful to say.

A German computer programmer has created a website that can measure whether a piece of text is trying too hard to wrap itself in jargon. The website, blablameter.de, can analyze both English and German text. It works by determining whether writing uses common bombastic phrases or replaces verbs with terms like “optimisation of processes.” It also scans for excessively long words – perhaps meaning that the piece is out to impress? The site rates writing on a scale of 0 to 1, which 1 considered to be almost complete “bullshit.”

Go ahead – try the blablameter here (if you dare!).

This piece rated 0.23 on the bullshit meter, meaning that it showed some indications of ‘bullshit’ English but remained within an acceptable range.