Internet Word of the Day Archive

December 01, 2009

Created by a Web server or proxy server, it is a file that records each server action in response to user requests. Since raw log files are difficult to interpret manually, analysis software is used to extract useful information.

For a link to a Web site log analysis company click on the link below!

Girlfriend

In the programming world, it usually identifies a programmer that has less experience than George W and boasts more than Al Gore. In other words, it's not a flattering term. Not to be confused with hacker, which can be considered a compliment.

December 02, 2009

A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of computer users simultaneously. In the hierarchy of computing power, with simple microprocessors at the bottom (the kind found in watches, for example) and supercomputers at the top, mainframes are just below supercomputers. Supercomputers can execute a single program faster than a mainframe, but in a sense, mainframes are more powerful since they can support more simultaneous programs. The distinction between "small mainframes" and minicomputers is vague, mostly depending on how the manufacturer is marketing its machines. Unisys and IBM are the largest manufacturers of mainframes.

One of those ad banners that looks like you have "a message waiting." It refers to any kind of online ad that attempts to trick users into clicking on it.

At Any Rate

The paper version of a publication available in both paper and electronic forms. As in: "The dead tree edition of the San Francisco Chronicle...."

December 03, 2009

Slang for a massive overhaul of a computer system or network, requiring a major investment in hardware.

The fundamental material used in making computer chips, it is a semiconductor, meaning it has electrical conductivity. Silicon is a chemical element: it is the most common metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, it is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, and it is the second most abundant element (after oxygen) in the Earth's crust. Silicon is the principal component of most semiconductor devices, most importantly integrated circuits or microchips. For an in-depth discussion as why it is widely used in semiconductors, visit the search link below!

Because silicon is an important element in semiconductors and high-tech devices, the high-tech region of Silicon Valley, California is named after this element, along with many other geographic locations with connections to the industry who also classify themselves as Siliconia.

There Oughta Be A Law

Feeling sheepish or regretful about something you tweeted.

December 04, 2009

A noun for a message entered into a network such as a newsgroup, discussion group, blog, social networking site, or online forum. The message is called "a post" or "a posting." As a verb, it means the same as "to put up."

For example, "I posted the 'for sale' message yesterday. That's probably why we have so many e-mail messages."

A form of e-commerce that deals in the fees a company collects for licensing, advertising, or selling subscriptions to the content or services offered on mobile devices. With the popularity of cell phones and PDAs, portable devices such as these are becoming Web-enabled through wireless networks and WAP. M-commerce is considered a form of e-commerce (just as d-commerce is) because it has to do with monies generated for a product or service that exists electronically on the Internet. In other words, even though the content appears on mobile phones and other wireless communications devices, as opposed to computer screens, m-commerce is still considered e-commerce.

Roger

December 05, 2009

Slang for an exclamation point (!). "Bang" is used to signify surprise in an online forum. Users type out "bang" to emphasize what they've just said.

A system for writing and displaying text that can be linked in multiple ways to related documents and available at several levels of detail. The term was coined by Ted Nelson to refer to a nonlinear system of information browsing and retrieval based on associative links between documents. The World Wide Web uses hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to link pages and multimedia files.

A service provider that has created its own worldwide network (or portfolio) of Web sites. It distributes Web site content to customers. Primarily for streaming content, a CDN has the bandwidth capabilities to deliver rich media in a clear, non-jerky manner. It is also a logical solution for delivering streaming content to a large, geographically dispersed audience. Costly and complex, a CDN requires content access point (CAP) architecture that integrates content distribution, storing, caching, streaming, searching, verification, and sorting capabilities.

December 06, 2009

The FBI's controversial e-mail surveillance tool, capable of retrieving all communication that goes through an ISP (including Web-based communication). Current laws and specific court orders restrict its use.

Similar to a netary public, this is one way of attaching information to a Web document to protect intellectual property. It works like this: Registered users send files to a company that specializes in digital fingerprinting; it generates a digital fingerprint on the file, assigning it a time stamp that shows when the file was first in use. Any change to the file (even one character or space) will render the fingerprints unmatchable.

The peak year of something's popularity. "Barney the dinosaur's Elvis year was 1993."

Read The Screen

December 07, 2009

A unit of measurement describing data transfer rates that move approximately 1 billion bits. When used as a unit of measurement describing data storage, it is equal to 1,024 megabits.

Outsourced payment-processing services, usually for credit, debit, and ATM card transactions. Merchant services vendors may also handle check guarantees or e-payment processes for e-commerce sites. Payments are processed either through point-of-sale terminals, electronic cash registers, stand-alone PCs, LAN systems, or directly on the Internet. Generally, in exchange for a fee, the vendor will handle authorizations and deposits and will give the merchant a consolidated monthly billing statement. You must be cautious about choosing a company for merchant services because many of them are notorious for sending spam. That's less of an issue when you apply for a merchant account, since you do that through your bank.

Blow It Out Your I/O Port

An annoying person who constantly posts "news" from one e-mail discussion list to another whether it's relevant or not.

December 08, 2009

Acronyms that describe weather conditions:

• BLZRD - blizzard
• BTFLDY - beautiful day
• CLD - cold
• SHT - so hot
• FRZN - freezing
• SNNY - sunny
• HRCN - hurricane
• SNNSHWRS - sun showers
• RNY - rainy
• WRM - warm
• TRNDO - tornado
• WNDY - windy

For the largest list of Internet acronyms and text message jargon, click on "more info" below!

A list of items you can select. For example, it usually appears on your computer screen as a list of command choices (such as "open" or "save" or "exit"). This term also loosely refers to any type of drop-down menu, dialogue box, check box, or list of option buttons that appear on a Web site.

The primary food group of Silicon Valley start-ups.

Yet Another Off Topic Message

December 09, 2009

The time that elapses between a network request and the moment that request is met. In networking, latency and bandwidth are the two factors that determine the speed of your connection; latency refers to the time it takes for a data packet to move across a network connection.

God Only Knows

In the venture capital world, allocation refers to the amount of securities assigned to an investor, broker, or underwriter in an offering. An allocation can be equal to or less than the amount indicated by the investor during the subscription process depending on market demand for the securities.

December 10, 2009

Four contiguous bits. A byte is eight.

Small advertisements that run primarily in e-mail newsletters and appear to be editorial matter, but actually promote a companys products and services. Its a steal from the world of print advertising, which calls them "advertorials."

Would Like to Meet In Real Life

December 11, 2009

Yet Another Calendar Company

A small circle a user can click on to interact with material on a Web page. You usually see it on a form, next to each item in a list of options. Once you click on a radio button, a dark circle appears inside it, indicating that you have selected it. Radio buttons usually only allow you to select one item in a list (as opposed to more than one).

Describes the second version of a technology or the second round of people to hone in on a craft. Much of the commercial Internet technology used today consists of second-generation applications built on first-generation applications that have now evolved. For example, the components of Web 2.0 sites (and the popularity of blogs and social networking) exist because of the ability to offer mini-homepages, a gig of storage, your own e-mail, a music player and photo, video and bookmark sharing... all of which are initially "first-generation" technologies.

Euphemism for spacing out or losing one's train of thought. "I 'blew a buffer', and now I can't remember what I was gonna say." Similarly, "blowing your buffer", occurs when the person you're speaking with won't let you get a word in edgewise or has just said something so astonishing that your train gets derailed. "Damn, I just blew my buffer!"

December 12, 2009

A virtual shopping mall on the Web where you can browse and buy products online.

The number of required clicks it takes a user to purchase an item, divided by the number of actual clicks the user makes to reach the first purchase. By counting the actual number of clicks-to-purchase and comparing it to the minimum requirement to buy something, businesses can gain valuable information about the clarity of the content and navigation on their Web site.

Bug Off -or- Body Odor

December 13, 2009

A message posted to a newsgroup that does not identify the person who sent it.

Yet Another Ya-Ya (as in yo-yo)

Advertising or promotional costs divided by the number of sales. For example, if 5 percent of 5,000 visitors buy something on your company's Web site, that equals 250 sales and a conversion cost of $125 per sale.

People who always rush to promote the latest digital technology as the "next big thing" regardless of the appropriateness of that technology or its market.

December 14, 2009

Refers to common-sense rules drawn from experience. As opposed to algorithmic programming (which is based on mathematically provable procedures), heuristic programming is characterized by programs that are self-learning, meaning they get better with experience. Heuristic programs do not always reach the best result but they usually produce a good result.

The melding of technology and media. Media fusion involves the convergence of many communication platforms, in combination with the Internet.

What You See Is A Load of Bullocks

December 15, 2009

This refers to the Control key on your keyboard, it is often used for shortcuts. For example, in Microsoft Word, instead of pointing your mouse to the File menu and clicking on it to see a drop-down menu and then clicking again on Save, you can simply press down Ctrl and S at the same time on your keyboard to save.

An electronic device that is "in between" the consumer level and the professional model. This term is also used to describe the type of person who buys that sort of device, a high-end purchaser who is part consumer, part professional.

In the world of Web 2.0, a prosumer refers to a person who is both the producer and consumer of content and information.

Slang for the tendency to believe everything you read on the Internet. Coined soon after former presidential press secretary Pierre Salinger came forward with information he retrieved from the Internet purporting that TWA Flight 800 was downed by a U.S. Navy missile.

Lots Of Laughs

December 16, 2009

Please

A specification developed by Microsoft for a dynamically created Web page that utilizes ActiveX scripting, usually VB script or Jscript code. When a Web browser requests an ASP page, the Web server generates a page with HTML code and sends it back to the browser. Commonly referred to as "ASP pages" (even though this is redundant), they are similar to CGI scripts but they enable Visual Basic programmers to work with familiar tools. Web sites using ASP pages are said to be in a dynamic environment, because they are database-driven, in terms of retrieving and updating content. That's in contrast to a static environment (one based solely on "flat HTML," which can only be changed by a Webmaster or author).

Slang for any paper-based printed material. Techies generally use it to refer to documentation manuals.

Refers to a dynamic advertisement that changes when your content changes, such as Google AdWords.

December 17, 2009

A term used to describe dark, trippy, weird cyber-related films and television shows, such as Wild Palms, Tank Girl, or VR.5.

The delivery of digitized products to the end-user via the Net. This includes books, films, magazines, music, newspapers, photography, software, and more.

Weekend

December 18, 2009

The directory where your host computer stores your e-mail messages. With some systems, you can elect to either keep saved messages on the server or on your local computer.

A sales operation whereby customers order products online from a company and the product is shipped directly to the customer. This kind of fulfillment process eliminates the middleman or the need for extensive distribution channels. For example, when you order a book from Amazon.com (like Netlingo - the book) or a computer from Dell, you click and they ship.

A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted

A problem that is at first perceived to be small, but than leads to the introduction of many other problems.

December 19, 2009

A special-purpose computer that on one side has slots to plug in many modems and on the other side has a connection to a LAN or host machine. Thus, the terminal server does the work of answering the calls and passes the connections on to the appropriate node. Most terminal servers can provide PPP or SLIP services if connected to the Internet.

The number of times a Web page is requested from a server. This is the preferred counting method for traffic measurement (instead of hits) because it only counts documents, not individual files. A single HTML page is counted as one page impression.

What Are You Doing At The Moment?

December 20, 2009

The number of times a Web page is requested from a server. This is the preferred counting method for traffic measurement (instead of hits) because it only counts documents, not individual files. A single HTML page is counted as one page impression.

The name of the process for creating a new standard in computing or on the Internet, new standards are proposed and published online as a "Request For Comments." The IETF is the consensus-building body that facilitates discussion in establishing new standards. The reference number/name for the standard retains the acronym "RFC," for example, the official standard for e-mail is RFC 822.

Back To The Top -or- Bump To The Top

A term coming from Japan that refers to a salary man who leaves a puddle of vomit on the subway platform.

December 21, 2009

The Internet high-speed data highway, it serves as a major access point to which other networks connect.

A networked software system that links a company's Web site to other vendors whose offerings and prices have been pre-approved. It is a buyer-centric technology that enables large purchasers to negotiate favorable prices with vendors while streamlining the buying process.

because

Someone who is new to the Internet or new to computers in general, it refers to mature people who don't want to be called a newbie.

December 22, 2009

A computer program that interacts with a particular device or software. A driver is a file that contains the information a program needs to operate a peripheral (such as a scanner or mouse). An extremely handy use of the Internet is to download a driver directly from the manufacturer's Web site. In personal computing, a driver is often packaged as a dynamic link library (DLL) file.

Slang for the 30- or 60- or 90-day probationary period for new employees.

If your IT job is outsourced to India, you've been "Bangalored".

Note: India's $17 billion-a-year software export industry in 2006 has spent the past 15 years establishing Bangalore as the country's version of Silicon Valley. But for some Indians, Bangalore's symbol as their tech boom capital doesn't change the fact that its name was from British colonialism. Now the leaders of that state are considering changing Bangalore's name to something closer to its original, pre-colonial name: Benda Kaal Ooru. OK, but you've been "Benda Kaal Ooru'd" doesn't quite have the same ring.

what's up?

December 23, 2009

Similar to a reverse auction, this acronym describes a small segment of the e-commerce niche that uses the Internet to reverse the normal buying process. In C2B, consumers dictate what they're willing to pay and businesses decide whether or not to accept.

Online jargon used primarily in chat, IM, e-mail, blogs, or newsgroup postings, the brackets signify emotion from the person writing it. For example: Have a great vacation, and don't do anything I wouldn't do .

December 24, 2009

A PC that is not linked to a network. A stand-alone computer is the most secure place to store sensitive information.

Slang for a poorly written, very unorganized computer program most often with a complex and tangled control structure. This concept was given the name "kangaroo code" because of the many "jumps" in the program.

A "courtesy call" previously was seen as a polite phone call meant to welcome someone to the neighborhood or to thank someone for their valued business. However, now-a-days with so many telemarketers calling home phone lines and starting off with, "Good evening, Mr. Smith, this is a courtesy call from __", these calls are seen more as a disturbance than a nice gesture.

Yeah Baby Yeah

December 25, 2009

A computer dedicated to the storage of files. Usually organized by subject, an archive site can be accessed through anonymous FTP or e-mail. Most files stored at archive sites are compressed and need to be extracted (unzipped) before use.

Slang for the threshold at which an effort can be deemed successful. It comes from the sports world, where it describes an area that produces the best results. In business, it refers to the same thing. For example, "You want to set your price in the sweet spot so as to ensure profits early on."

A species, nearing extinction, of designers who refuse to use computers.

0 hand

December 26, 2009

A bundle of data sent over a network. The protocol used determines the size and makeup of the packet.

Something that is stupid, wrong, or just plain dumb.

Come Right Back

December 27, 2009

A mailing list that is screened by a moderator. The messages are sent to the list owner first, so the moderator can review and approve them before they're distributed to subscribers.

Sorry, Could Not Resist

Laying down fiber-optic cable.

An extremely concise presentation of an entrepreneur's idea, business model, company solution, marketing strategy, and competition delivered to potential investors. Should not last more than a few minutes, or the duration of an "elevator ride."

December 28, 2009

The name for a Web site that is no longer maintained but remains online and available for viewing. Some ghost sites continue to be useful because the content may not be outdated (see: guru site).

The difference between a ghost site and other abandonned sites (like those referenced below) is that the ghost site contains a statement acknowledging that it is no longer being updated.

Areas on the Net that are centers of youth activity, as identified by online marketers and demographic researchers.

Similar to a microsite, a "macrosite" is an off-shoot of its parent Web site, however involves more than just one Web page.

Macrosites also create opportunities to engage usersthrough questionaires, polls, and surveys that promote interest and involvement.

That's So Not Fair

December 29, 2009

Slang for what happens when the "best" technology loses out to a lesser technology that is more well-known in the marketplace. This term refers to the VCR wars, when VHS became the standard over the "superior" Betamax format. (A growing number of users feel this process has since been perfected by Microsoft.)

The portion of a program that interacts directly with the user. A front end can also be a separate program that acts as a user-friendly interface for a more difficult environment. For example, HTML is considered a front end for the Internet. Similarly, a LAN can distribute a front end to workstations so users can interact with a back end application on the file server.

An online ad which is taller vertically than it is wide horizontally, thereby resembling the shape of a skyscraper. There are two sizes: 160 x 600 pixels is considered a " wide" skyscraper, and 120 x 600 pixels is the size of a regular skyscraper (as shown here).

Click on "more info" below to view examples of skyscrapers.