"Gouge, my brother says, "originated at the Naval Academy and then was shared with the rest of the fleet. Midshipmen would get the gouge for exams so that they didn't have to study all of the material. In the most cynical terms, getting the gouge is cheating. In the more pragmatic sense and day to day usage, it is the latest and greatest information, an executive summary, a way to try and work a bit more efficiently."

I have had a number of conversations with this client about the shift from contexted, written research papers to "briefings" (powerpoint slides, current being scourged by Edward Tufte).

Do gouges represent yet another step in the slide away from communications that contain context and meaning? Or are they a new form that provides information and context -- brevity without blabber?