Internet Word of the Day Archive

September 01, 2009

To format data so that it can be read and used by another application, thereby allowing multiple programs to share the same data. Data can be exported and imported between word processing programs, different types of graphics programs, or different types of applications altogether (such as a database program and a spreadsheet program). The export feature is under the File menu in most programs; go to it from within the program you want to export out of and you'll find a list of supported programs or file formats for exporting.

The immediate and unexpected free-fall of a much-hyped IPO.

The practice of spending time unproductively on social networking sites, especially when one should be working.

September 02, 2009

An encryption method in which both the sender and the recipient of a message share a single, common key that is used to encrypt or decrypt the message.

A term that describes a company's position toward spam. Think John Wayne. White hats are the good guys; black hats are the spammers.

Medical slang for a patient near death who refuses to give up the ghost. In office speak, this expression is generally used to describe projects that have no more life in them but refuse to die. For example, "That disk conversion project has been circling the drain for years."

September 03, 2009

A leased line connection capable of carrying data at a very high speed (as in 1,544,000 bps or 1.544 Mbps). At maximum theoretical capacity, a T1 line could move a megabyte in less than 10 seconds but that is still not enough bandwidth for full-screen, full-motion video (for which you need at least 10,000,000 bps).

T1 is the fastest telephone trunk line commonly used to connect networks to the Internet. ADSL and HDSL technologies are implemented on T1 transmission links.

According to netizen D.H. Bianchi, this term refers to several things:

(1) disharmony;

(2) grating, out-of-tune music;

(3) bad vibes or bad blood between two or more people, or between a person and some aspect of western civilization;

(4) ill feelings stemming from a small incident or misunderstanding (for example, "It turned out the nar was caused by something I said that I meant to be funny but she took seriously");

(5) ensuing trouble created when one doesn't resolve conflicts or when one tries to restrain his true feelings (for example, "He didn't want to rock the boat, so he kept quiet; but in the long run, keeping quiet created worse nar than anything he might've said");

(6) a disturbing atmosphere that appears after an event or encounter (frequently in distinct contrast to what one feels during the occurrence) or something that goes unnoticed at the time but comes to dominate in the end (for the worst);

(7) mysterious energy that produces "that sinking feeling" for no apparent reason (like when someone tells you to "try again").

September 04, 2009

Best thought of as an automatic e-mail response, it is a bot that has become an essential Internet tool for netcentric businesses. An autoresponder sends "canned" e-mail messages instantly to people who request information. It can be as simple as sending one message to anyone who writes to a specific e-mail address, or it can be as sophisticated as offering fifty different response messages, each one sent based on the text of the received e-mail message.

A statement used on many Web sites to explain how a company protects the privacy of the information it aggregates about its users. It discloses how the site collects, uses, and shares your personal information. Here's an example: Whenever a Web site displays online ads by an ad network, the Web site is required to post a privacy policy stating that the Web site owner (the publisher) is not liable for what the third-party companies (the ad network or the advertiser) do with the information they gather from users who click on their ads.

The combining of different media from a variety of sources (type, computer graphics, scanned images, animation, video). Similar to multimedia, but more often used to describe a collage or kitchen-sink approach. Can also refer to static images that have these combined elements.

September 05, 2009

A network service in which wireless devices or systems are situated in fixed, stationary locations (such as an office or home) and data is transmitted via large antennas (as opposed to wireless mobile devices, such as cell phones or PDAs). Fixed wireless devices normally derive their electrical power from utility mains, as opposed to portable wireless devices, which derive their power from batteries. The biggest advantages of fixed wireless networks include the fastest data throughput (up to T1 speed) and the ability to connect users in remote areas without laying new cable (because the technology uses satellites).

Hit And Run

September 06, 2009

A string of characters that sets a modem into action, usually starting with "AT," for "attention." You must configure the initialization string on old computers for Internet access (on modern computers, a wizard usually guides you through this process). These strings vary according to type of computer and type of modem, so read the manual (RTM) and follow the wizard before you call the computer company's tech support people.

A term used to describe the division of the Internet and its portrayal as having a tiered access system. There are numerous ways to gain access to the Internet, depending on how much you want to spend, and the speed of connection you desire. For example, there is dial-up, DSL, satellite, Wi-Fi, and cable. In other words, "balkanized" refers to the circumstance where the cost you can afford is equal to the quality of service you will receive, and there is a great range (or tier) of services available.

see: NSP

September 07, 2009

The forward slash is the name of the "/" character on the computer keyboard. On a QWERTY keyboard, it is commonly located below the "?" mark on the same key. Forward slashes are used to describe a network address, a URL, and other kinds of Internet addresses. For example, when relaying the URL of NetLingo, you will hear "http colon slash slash dub-dub-dub dot netlingo dot com" which translates to "http://www.netlingo.com".

For a listing of computer keyboard key explanations, click on the "more info" button below!

Sometimes referred to as click-through, the "ad click rate" is the percentage of ad views that resulted in an ad click.

Slang for a permanent freelancer. A person hired as an independent contractor (or consultant) on a per-project basis who lives a benefits-free existence (or pays for them herself through her own company ;-)

September 08, 2009

When your computer (or a network) suddenly stops working, it is said to have "frozen up" (meaning that nothing will move). In most cases, to get the thing started again, you have to reboot. Freeze also means to stop the development of something (usually software) when the developer feels it's "stable enough" for release.

Slang for a product that was made too general in use or appearance, meaning it does not have any special features.

Geographically UnDesirable

A partnership between two or more people that gives structure and organization for planning, thinking, and working together to accomplish a common goal. The only question that remains is, 'what partnership isn't considered collaborative'?

September 09, 2009

Jargon used expressively by hackers. The best source of "hacker jargon" is Eric Raymond's The New Hacker's Dictionary.

Prefix to denote one thousand, as in kilobyte.

An online service that allows individuals and companies to lease computer storage space for electronic documents. It's "offsite" in that the files are on the provider's storage network rather than on a company's system. For a monthly fee, you can store and access files via the Internet, 24/7, from any computer connected to the Net. (Some storage providers will also run automatic backup services, which can eliminate the need for in-house backups.) The downfall is that you are sending important documents over the Internet and putting them under the control of a third party; for many companies, that raises too many security issues.

September 10, 2009

The file format for documents viewed and created by Adobe Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Capture, Adobe Distiller, Adobe Exchange, and the Adobe Acrobat Amber plugin. This technology has succeeded in standardizing the format of documents used and transferred on the Internet. One of the benefits of using Acrobat and PDFs is that it doesn't matter whether you're a corporate guy using Microsoft Office products, an engineer using a CAD program, or an art director using desktop publishing software-you can quickly deliver business documents to a colleague or to the entire company without having to recreate them in other applications.

PDF has revolutionized the printing industry to the degree that it is considered good business for publishers of books to offer a "hard copy version" and a "PDF version." You will often see graphical buttons on the Web that say "Download the PDF version," so go ahead and try it.

PDF is also seen and heard as "PDF format" (this is redundant, but widely used).

An acronym for a portal that serves as a centralized starting point for everyone within a company or organization. B2E uses the Web to centralize a wide range of applications, services, content, and tools, and it allows employees to personalize these offerings in ways that make sense to them. Unlike an intranet, which is usually based on a top-down view of what's happening in the organization, a B2E interface can be customized by the employees, based on the services they use. That way, it can become the primary vehicle by which people do their work. Corporations may develop their own B2Es or may rely on one of the many B2E portal developers.

To prevent computer access to a particular Web site or Web page. For example, parents may attempt to "block" access to online gambling and online porn Web sites.

September 11, 2009

A drop-down menu that only appears in certain parts of a GUI. To see it, you click on the upper right button of your mouse (PC) or you click and hold your mouse button (Macintosh).

To manually add your name and e-mail address to a mailing list, LISTSERV, or discussion group, or to sign up for a service such as AOL or WebTV.

Slang for plain, ordinary software with no real innovation. It just gets the job done.

To The Best Of My Knowledge

September 12, 2009

The ability of a program to run on more than one computer operating system, such as Mac, Windows, or Linux. It's also the ability of a file or Web page to be accurately viewed on a variety of computer operating systems. Before the Internet became so commercially popular, many programs or files were not compatible with other operating systems (and you couldn't share work with anyone unless they were on the same system). But because the Internet is such an open standard for communication, programs had to become cross-platform so we could all view each other's information. This term is also used to describe people who know both Mac and Windows (and/or Linux or other operating systems). You'll hear it used like this: "I'm cross-platform. I know both Mac and PC."

Traditionally, this is the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. Ontology is now also used among artificial intelligence systems to support the sharing and reuse of formally represented knowledge. It helps define the common vocabulary in which shared knowledge is represented.

Seen on blogs, this is amateur radio slang used to fill dead air space when you need to say something but can't think of anything to say. It replaces "um" or "ah" in normal conversation.

September 13, 2009

The acronyms or shorthand used in online chat, e-mail, instant messaging, blogs or newsgroup postings. This shorthand represents the most common phrases people type to each other, making them quick and easy to type instead of the full phrase or sentence.

Some of the earliest shorthand terms were: IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), BTW (By The Way), RTM (Read The Manual), LOL (Laughing Out Loud), FWIW (For What It's Worth), ROTFL (Rolling On The Floor Laughing), and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). Now there are thousands of shorthand terms, click on "more info" below!

BTW: If you ever see AN ENTIRE SENTENCE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, it implies that someone is SHOUTING. This not appropriate netiquette, in fact, a woman got fired for typing in ALL CAPS in 2009, see the Yahoo Tech News article below!

A software program used to write and edit HTML code.

Believe it or not, there was a time when Internet investment money went to the person who could tell the best tale. The word "story" was actually replacing the term "business plan" (as if numerical reality were being supplanted by art). Here's one example, "The investor who led the mezzanine round said that the CEO's ability to pitch himself and his company was mission critical, and since the suit could tell a good story, the investor wasn't concerned about getting the next round of financing."

Are You OK?

September 14, 2009

The text you sometimes see before an image appears on a Web page (or before an image is fully loaded). With some Web browsers, it is the text that appears when you put your mouse on top of an image or a picture. Basically, it is a word or phrase in the HTML code that describes the image or says something like, "Visit our sponsor."

Open Mouth, Insert Keyboard

In general terms, it is the rate at which a company expends cash over a certain period, usually a month. Specifically it is the pace at which a start-up spends its VC money while waiting to turn a profit. For example, IPOs are fueled by financial projections, and analysts like to bet on companies that promise to show profit long before they burn out.

A sudden and catastrophic collapse of an individual's ability to keep all the profiles of his or her online identity straight when the individual joins one too many social networks. For example, "I was OK keeping up with Facebook, Flickr, and Myspace, but after throwing lawlink, Last.fm, and Orkut into the mix, I had a total identity crash and forgot what went where."

September 15, 2009

The most powerful microprocessor chip in your computer is the CPU. For example, the Intel Pentium and the Motorola 68040 chips handle the central management functions of a high-powered PC or Mac, respectively. Sometimes, the term CPU is used to describe the whole box, including the chip, the motherboard, the expansion cards, the disk drives, the power supply, and so on. Both uses are widespread, but only the first is really accurate.

Bald Headed Old Fart

A self-promotional online ad that a company will run on their own Web site if they need to use unsold advertising inventory.

A Web site created by an obviously obsessed fan. "Have you seen that Gillian Anderson stalker site? The guy's got like 300 pictures of her!"

September 16, 2009

An error message that means the requested URL was not found on a particular server. This in turn means the Web page has either moved to a new address or is no longer being maintained online. It's also possible that you typed the address incorrectly or were given an incorrect address to begin with. If you click on an intriguing link listed by a search engine but get this message instead, you may still be able to figure out where the page moved. First, try putting your cursor at the end of the address in the URL box and backspace until you get to the root address (just after the .com or .net, for example). Then try finding it from the Web page at the root address.

Inspired by this error message, the term "404" is sometimes used for someone who's absolutely clueless, as in, "There's no use asking him; he's 404, dude."

A business management term for optimal tactics and strategies. Best practices do not guarantee success; rather, they describe those tactics and strategies used in successful companies.

The screen used on flat panel monitors, digital watches, PDAs, pagers, cell phones, televisions, and so on. It makes use of liquid crystals to display information.

September 17, 2009

A Web site that serves as a starting point to other destinations or activities on the Web. Initially thought of as a home base with links to other sites in the same subject area, portals now attempt to provide all of a user's Internet needs, in one location. Pioneered by Yahoo!, portals aggregate other people's content. MSN and AOL are also popular Web portals.

For example, portals commonly provide services such as e-mail, online chat rooms, games, shopping, searching, content, newsfeeds, travel information, stock quotes, horoscopes, weather, and so on. Portals grew out of the technology inherent with the Internet and are an excellent example of how to take advantage of "user loyalty" via sticky content.

Additional definitions include these: A personal portal is a site on the Web that typically provides personalized capabilities to its visitors, providing a pathway to other content (such as Invesor's Business Daily). It is designed to use distributed applications, different numbers and types of middleware and hardware to provide services from a number of different sources. Business portals are designed to share collaboration in workplaces (for example SharePoint). A business-driven requirement of portals is that the content be able to work on multiple platforms such as personal computers, PDAs, and cell phones.

Used interchangeably with program and software, this is a general term for a program that performs specific tasks, such as word processing, database management, e-mail sending or retrieval, or Web browsing. Unlike system software, which maintains and organizes the computer system (such as the operating system), an app is an end-user program.

nothing

September 18, 2009

An online ad that allows advertisers to present full-screen ads during the time it takes a Web page to download. Viewers must manually close the additional browser window that loads the hyperstitial ad, and this makes it more difficult to ignore than the common ad banner. The difference between this ad and a regular interstitial is the size; hyperstitials are full-screen sized, interstitials are smaller.

Someone who knows everything there is to know about the World Wide Web and loves everything about it.

Coffee Freak

A camera design that allows the user to view directly through the lens for more accurate framing and composition. The design also makes it easy to change lenses if you want to use a specialty lens. These specialty lenses are larger so the overall cameras tend to be heavier. These digital cameras are more expensive and as an added benefit, they typically do not have a long lag time between shots.

September 19, 2009

An artificial image that a company tries to convey in an attempt to appeal to the younger generation when in fact, the company is not really cool at all. For example, "The interview was fine, but there is definitely an element of forced coolness over there."

The nickname for an overweight, overly intellectual, introverted twenty-something who hangs out at trade shows and sci-fi conventions. He or she usually turns into a drump in later life.

You're Gonna Love This

September 20, 2009

Handwriting recognition software used in popular PDAs. Graffiti even recognizes symbols that aren't necessarily letters. Created by Jeff Hawkins in 1994, it gives users greater speed in recording information. This stylized way of writing recognizable letters, numbers, and symbols is also referred to as graffiti.

A way of producing digital entertainment by using computer technology to create life-sized puppets, of Winnie the Pooh, for example. Technopuppets are a step beyond 3-D animation. The technology involves chroma-keying (a technology often used in weather forecasts, sportscasts, and game shows), where the computer isolates all things green and only displays the puppet characters; the characters are then superimposed upon virtual sets and manipulated by special effects experts to create the final product. It is based on a 300-year-old Japanese stagecraft called bunraku and is also referred to as "reality animation" programming.

Internet prejudice. Judging someone on the basis of how cool/uncool his or her e-mail address is. "Why should anyone listen to you, you're posting from AOL!"

September 21, 2009

An option in most e-mail programs, it allows you to send duplicate copies of an e-mail message. When you type a recipient's e-mail address in the cc field, it is viewable to everyone who receives the e-mail message (as opposed to a bcc or "blind" carbon copy recipient).

An entertainment show created and produced for the Web, it can range from short cartoons to soap operas to feature-length movies. Basically a "Webisode" is a short audio or video presentation on the Web primarily used by online marketers to promote a product, preview music, deliver news, or to promote an offline event. FYI: Flash animation is often used for Webisodes.

The inability to remember which Web site a piece of information came from or which bookmark might get you back there.

September 22, 2009

A stripped-down version of a Web site, intended to be viewed on the wireless Palm VII.

The practice of assigning a "buddy" to a new employee once he or she is hired, it is considered the modern version of a "welcome wagon." Bosses who favor this trend say a well-planned company introduction helps new recruits ramp up more quickly and also serves as a crash course in company culture.

government, also seen as guvmint, gumint

September 23, 2009

Totally Stuck in RAM -or- Totally Stupid Rules

A new name for PCs, it refers to handheld devices and any computer component that can access a network.

A term that refers to the Web surfing characteristics of a given person. Based on the number of page views, time spent on each Web page, or the time of day or week a Web page is viewed, an Internet user can be distinguished from other users. The ability to identify one user from another based on their "clickprint" pattern has a significant impact in preventing fraud. For example, if someone has signed in with someone else's credentials, but their clickprint was different, this could indicate their ID has been stolen.

Studies have shown that by monitoring just seven Internet sessions, a user can be distinguished by their unique Web surfing patterns. From these seven sessions, researchers can accurately identify users by their clickprint 86 percent of the time. When researchers increase the number of sessions to 51, they were able to identify users by their clickprint 99 percent of the time. While controversy exists on whether this data collection method invades users' privacy, Amazon.com (as well as numerous credit card companies) track users' every move online with clickprints.

Online jargon used primarily in chat, IM, e-mail, blogs, or newsgroup postings, the brackets signify emotion from the person writing it. For example: We've moved beyond buddies, now we're friends with benefits .

September 24, 2009

How quickly a business can expand. The ramp rate is a growth trajectory in terms of sales, profits, or margins.

September 25, 2009

A buzzword that means to use for an intended purpose or desired end.

The application of science in industry or commerce, it considered by many to be "the great equalizer."

An individual (or subculture) that insists on turning every multiword term into an acroNYM (ATM, SMTP, 3D0, NII, T2, ADSL...).

Parent Over My Shoulder

September 26, 2009

When two modems are trying to connect, they handshake first to agree on how to transfer data.

thank you

A company's attempt to throw out as many press releases as possible to make it appear that they have a partnership with the big boys. All too often, though, a vendor release will have a headline such as, "XYZ Company & GE Corporation Sign Deal," when in fact it is just announcing that General Electric will supply coffee machines for XYZ's kitchen.

When a group e-mails a FAQ to an individual who has asked a particularly stupid or old question on a newsgroup. Differs from a mail bomb in that each person sends only one copy, but numerous members of the newsgroup participate.

September 27, 2009

A Web hosting company that keeps your Web site on its server but allows you to use your own domain name. When you develop a Web site, you need a server or a company to host it.

Virtual hosting is affordable for individual people's Web sites (vanity pages) and small businesses because this technology allows many sites to share the same server (there could be hundreds or thousands of them). The important thing is that no one else has access to your directories. However, unlike dedicated hosting, virtual hosting tends to have more traffic (from the co-located sites) and therefore less bandwidth per site and slower downloads.

The brief seizure people sometimes suffer when their beepers go off, especially in vibrator mode. Characterized by physical spasms, goofy facial expressions, and stopping speech in mid-sentence.

Deep Wet Passionate Kiss On The Lips

September 28, 2009

The form in which a computer program or Web site is written. On the Internet, for example, the source code for a Web page could contain any of the following languages: HTML, JavaScript, Java, or SGML.

These codes, in turn, may call upon scripts or documents that are written in the same code or in an entirely different code, such as Perl, C++, or CGI.

To display, present, or post some type of written, auditory, or visual media on the World Wide Web, with the intent of making it available entirely or in part to all users or just certain users. This is "publishing without paper," and most newspapers and magazines now e-publish an electronic version of their publication on the Web. Access to these e-journals or e-zines is usually free if you register, or in some cases, there is a subscription price. A widely held thought is that any time you put up a Web page of your own, even if it is a simple homepage or vanity page, for personal reasons, you are actually publishing electronic content. Online publishing is easier and cheaper than traditional print publishing, and better yet, your content is available to almost anyone in the world for practically free. It took a little time for print publishers to understand the online arena, but now that they do, e-publishing is considered the future of that industry as well. The production, distribution, and sale of books via the Internet as print-on-demand (POD) paperbacks or downloadable files are especially promising.

The bar code printed on retail merchandise, it contains the vendor's identification number and the product number.

Do You Have A Boyfriend?

September 29, 2009

Another name for a search directory.

see: user

Each to His/Her Own

September 30, 2009

The process of assembling a comprehensive database on consumer shopping habits and product preferences. Data is typically captured from online and offline transactions (including cookies and credit cards). Consumer profiling enables targeted marketing.

Some will call it a modern Utopia, others the total invasion of privacy. Here's an example of how a wired community works:

Fiber-optic cable runs under the street and into your house, and the Internet is always-on, at speeds that are 100 times faster than a 56K modem. The same wires also deliver cheap phone service (POTS) with video capability, plus hundreds of digital cable channels and HDTV signals. The network within your home allows you to monitor systems such as your burglar alarm and air conditioning from any computer in the world (including the one in your car). Meanwhile, you can also login to your office from your living room or have a casual conversation with your neighbor via the Net. With everyone's e-mail address listed on the community intranet, you can plan parties via e-mail or peruse the local BBS to find a babysitter. handheld and auto-based computers will offer access to GPS technology that allows you to track the location, say, of the public bus or to get directions and traffic reports on your way to wherever. Concerned mothers can check the cam in the local day-care center, and since local stores and commercial outlets such as the bank operate online, you can order dinner, a dry-cleaning pickup, and even home-delivery of your groceries. The local hospital and school are also on the network, which means you can check in remotely with doctors and teachers as they access the latest in long-distance learning and telemedicine.

It may sound a bit far-fetched but in fact, it's here.

A term for the strange fragments of e-mail that unexpectedly turn up on the wrong computer network because of bogus routing. It is also used as a name for a data packet that has a non-registered or ill-formed Internet address.