Internet Word of the Day Archive

July 03, 2008

A hybrid word made from "information" and "intermediary," it describes an online middleman (between consumer and vendor) who brokers consumer data in exchange for vendor concessions on goods and services. Some infomediaries are Web sites that facilitate business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce by offering information about suppliers and other businesses. This term comes from John Hagel and Marc Singer in their book Net Worth.

July 04, 2008

Slang for the overuse of buttons and banners from sponsors and partners on a Web site. It refers to the logo-festooned jumpsuits of auto racers.

July 05, 2008

A phrase used in the industry for a misguided business model tested by many dot-coms. For example, some thought that by creating a pet store Web site, people would naturally go there to buy pet food.

July 06, 2008

A sarcastic business phrase used in the industry, it's meant to be funny. Basically, it means that someone knows something of a proprietary nature (about a new product or business plan, for example) that is so secret, they can't tell anyone.

July 07, 2008

Business-speak for examining an issue from side to side, as opposed to top to bottom.

July 08, 2008

Slang for writers of various back-page "industry insider" columns in computer trade journals. Dedicated to collecting and reporting (and sometimes debunking) various rumors and secrets within the industry. For example, "Be careful at COMDEX; you never know where the rumorazzi may be lurking."

July 09, 2008

A nervousness that afflicts anyone who is not comfortable typing on a keyboard. Many CEOs in the early days of Web browsing experienced this because they had relied on secretaries to type everything for them (similar to the "ivory tower syndrome" of not knowing how much a stamp costs). This type of computer stress also extends to learning how to control the mouse and how to click within the correct areas of the screen.

Fortunately, people who teach others how to use a computer exhibit an altruistic patience. They don't want to make the new user feel dumb, but at the same time, they must control their natural urge to grab the mouse or take over the keyboard and show the person how it's done.

July 10, 2008

As opposed to cold potato routing, this phrase refers to switching data packets from one network to the next as quickly as possible.

July 11, 2008

An object, document, person, or argument that is set up with the intention that it will be broken down. In software development, a crude plan or document may serve as the "strawman", and as the software develops, the stawman (plan) is refined until a final model is presented.

July 12, 2008

A term that refers to the spread of low-intensity conflict, crime, and activism waged by "networked" individuals. Typical "netwar" individuals might include transnational terrorists, criminal organizations, activist groups, and social movements that employ decentralized, flexible networks (such as the Internet) to communicate and share information.

Coined by RAND researchers John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt, the corresponding term "cyberwar" is used to describe high-intensity information age conflicts. For more information, download the PDF below!

July 14, 2008

Huge multiscreen theater complexes with glass façades, often found near American malls. Also called gigaplexes.

July 15, 2008

A built-in help file designed to aid you in setting up or configuring a particular application or program. It is actually an interactive utility that guides a user through each step of the set-up process.

July 16, 2008

Older, experienced business people hired by young entrepreneurial firms looking to appear more reputable and established.

July 17, 2008

To provide a common service across many industries (as opposed to a "vertical move," providing a service within the same industry).

July 19, 2008

Designates the next version of a software program or technology. Much of the commercial Internet technology used in the late 1990's was built on first-generation applications; now in the 2000's programmers are developing "next-generation" applications.

For example, first-generation Web sites were about human-computer interaction, whereas the "next-generation" Web 2.0 and social networking sites focus not only on people interacting with the computer or with information but with each other.

July 20, 2008

A phrase to describe the effect one's daily activities, such as washing clothes or driving to work, have on the environment. Specifically it is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

Click on the link below to calculate your primary carbon footprint, based on your household fuel bills and your annual travel!

Here's a real world example: As of April 2008, FIJI Water has taken positive steps to reduce their carbon footprint and are now the first carbon negative beverage brand on the market. Now, FIJI Water is committed to:

• Reducing their carbon footprint by at least 25% over the next three years
• Offsetting their carbon footprint by 120% to make FIJI Water carbon negative

What did they do? They measured their carbon footprint by taking a close look at everything required to get the product to the consumers from raw materials production through final consumption including bottling, transportation and distribution.

July 21, 2008

Underwater fiber-optic cables that handle the majority of intercontinental Internet traffic. These large cables are laid along sea-lanes and as close to land as is feasible.

July 22, 2008

Technology is creating a variety of new jobs and workplace roles. Here are a few of the more obscure job titles that have emerged since 1995:

• Webmistress Extraordinaire
• Digital Age Guru
• New Metrics Analyst
• Online Crusader
• Virtual Organization Leader
• Chief GNUisance
• Content Engineer
• Chief Community Strategist
• Ethical Hacker
• E-mail Channel Specialist
• Consumer Experience Manager
• Change Insurgent
• Search Engine Optimization Consultant
• Metamediary CEO
• Chief Knowledge Officer
• Chief Internet Officer
• Chief Security Officer
• Chief Yahoo! (the well-known title chosen by the founders of Yahoo!)

July 24, 2008

The uncontrollable, compulsive urge to upgrade one's hardware and/or software, with little or no consideration as to a real need for it.

July 25, 2008

The science of combining telecommunications and computers to control the electronic and mechanical functions in automobiles. Common telematics applications include safety and navigation features as well as wireless access to the Web.

As stated above, telematics is most widely known as the technology that wirelessly connects the electronics in a vehicle to external hardware, usually GPS satellites. The role of telematics will expand to allow music to download directly to a car stereo through a wireless broadband connection. In fact, the Consumer Electronics Association predicts that the future of telematics lies in entertainment -- TV, movies and games piped into the car wirelessly.

July 26, 2008

A play on the phrase WWW, this expression refers to the lengthy time it can take to download something online.

July 27, 2008

When old technology works better than new technology. For example, a baseball game is much more enjoyable on a $10 transistor radio than on a RealAudio plugin.

July 28, 2008

Whenever a user sends information over a network, the speed with which you send it (or upload it) is called the "upstream rate." Conversely, whenever a user receives information via a network, the speed with which you receive it (or download it) is known as the "downstream rate."

July 29, 2008

Named after Marty Rimm, author of the dubious "cyberporn" study from Carnegie Mellon University, it refers to a bogus academic study masquerading as legitimate science (which in his case, Time magazine gullibly took as gospel).

July 30, 2008

"Contentology" integrates research, knowledge and skills from all fields that focus on analyzing, developing, and designing or structuring content. Areas of interest include electronic publishing, information design, user experience design, Web design, information technology, etc.

July 31, 2008

After a search is executed, the returned results are put in order of relevancy to the users original search query.