Internet Word of the Day Archive

April 01, 2010

An extremely fast high-bandwidth connection (similar to a T1 but even faster), capable of transferring data at 44,736,000 bps (or 44.21 Mbps). This is more than enough speed to provide full-screen, full-motion video. T3 lines are most commonly used by ISPs and large networks.

The online equivalent of a pen pal. A key pal is a person you correspond with using a keyboard and e-mail (versus using a pen to write handwritten letters). These e-mail messages are written back and forth between two or more people with some kind of regularity. If you correspond with someone frequently or on a regular basis, you and your friend are key pals.

In the industry, this refers to the three most important components of the Web: content, commerce, and online community.

Good Morning -or- Good Move

April 02, 2010

But On The Other Hand

A state of a start-up company that typically has completed its seed stage and has a core senior management team, has proven its concept or completed its beta test, has minimal revenues, and no positive earnings or cash flows.

An optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. The name derives from the blue-violet laser used to read the disc. While a standard DVD uses a 650 nanometer red laser, Blu-ray uses a shorter wavelength, a 405 nm blue-violet laser, and allows for almost ten times more data storage than a DVD

Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 video games, and other data. Basically it is like a DVD and game player that can also download television shows and movies.

Technically speaking, it has up to 25 GB per single layered, and 50 GB per dual layered disc. Although these numbers represent the standard storage for Blu-Ray drives, the specification is open-ended, with the upper theoretical storage limit left unclear. 200 GB discs are available, and 100 GB discs are readable without extra equipment or modified firmware. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.

Historical perspective: During the format war over high-definition optical discs, Blu-ray competed with the HD DVD format. Toshiba, the main company supporting HD DVD, conceded in February 2008, and the format war ended; in July 2009, Toshiba announced plans to put out its own Blu-ray Disc device by the end of 2009. Blu-ray Disc was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group representing makers of consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion pictures. As of June 2009, more than 1,500 Blu-ray disc titles are available in Australia and the United Kingdom, with 2,500 in Japan, the United States and Canada.

April 03, 2010

You Too

An pseudo-acronym coined after the ABC-Disney deal.

Slang for replacing Marxist-Leninism as the new governing style of China, it combines the iron fist political rule of Leninism with the wide-open economic permissiveness of free-market capitalism, as in Singapore.

The rich media equivalent to SMS which can include images, video, and audio (not just text).

April 04, 2010

The reduction in strength of an analog or digital signal in fiber-optic cables. For instance, attenuation occurs as a result of absorption, reflection, diffusion, or scattering of transmitted light. In fiber-optic cables, it is measured in decibels per foot.

The combination of information and entertainment. For example, in an automobile, infotainment can now be ordered as an option on your dashboard. The console includes many options: a way to download e-mail and have it read to you; an AM/FM radio that mutes for e-mail readings and driving directions; a CD-ROM drive that plays music CDs and loads map CD-ROMs and software updates; an infrared port that beams address book and e-mail info to and from a handheld computer or other PDA; a navigation system that shows full-screen color maps or turn-by-turn directions; a voice memo recorder that stores dictation in a system memory; and a voice recognition function that allows all of these features to be controlled by voice commands. Whew, what about driving?

Online enterprises that link buyers and sellers, provide purchasing and distribution, and facilitate private negotiations, sealed bids, and requests for proposals. TPN Register, the joint venture of GE Information Services and Thomas Publishing Company, is a well-known example.

seriously

April 05, 2010

To include, as in "bundled software." It refers to software that is already on a computer system when you buy it new (and is part of the system's total price). When purchasing a new computer, you may ask the sales person, "What software is bundled on this system?"

Are You There?

An umbrella term that encompasses both computer-mediated communication, the study of the style of online communication and the information it conveyed, and ICTs (information communication technologies), the machines themselves, the computers, PDAs, and mobile phones. 

For more on this topic, NetLingo highly recommends Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World by Naomi S. Baron. In Always On, Naomi Baron reveals that online and mobile technologies--including instant messaging, cell phones, multitasking, Facebook, blogs, and wikis--are profoundly influencing how we read and write, speak and listen, but not in the ways we might suppose.

April 06, 2010

It means "working together" and has become an overly used buzzword in the industry.

Refers to chips with integrated analog and digital functions.

these

April 07, 2010

The standard method for downloading and uploading files over the Internet. With FTP, you can login to a server and transfer files (meaning you can "send" or "receive" files). Some sites have public file archives that you can access by using FTP with the account name "anonymous" and your e-mail address as the password. This type of access is called anonymous FTP. Macintosh owners use a program called Fetch; one of the best FTP programs for Windows is called WS-FTP. Knowing FTP is necessary (and easy) if you want to create your own Web site.

Note: You may also hear this noun used as a verb. For example, "I just finished FTP'ing the last of the files." Or, "I FTP'ed the new images to the site last night."

An online ad that is sound-enabled and free-moving. These Flash movies over HTML are ads that usually have nothing to do with what the user is typically looking for; some people find them to be bothersome. Many believe that any click-throughs that derive from these ads are purely out of user confusion.

Snake Out Of Your Ass

In reference to the fact that the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto no longer met its definition of a planet, "to pluto something" or "plutoed" refers to demoting or devaluing someone or something. This term was chosen as the Word of the Year for 2006 by the American Dialect Society; it won in a runoff against "climate canary."

April 08, 2010

Technologies for directing light on a microscopic scale. This area of photonics has had a major impact on telecommunications. In order to keep up with the Internet's exploding need for bandwidth, technologists are looking to replace electronic switches with faster, smaller optical devices. Enter the photonic crystal: a few ultrathin layers of nonconducting material that reflect various wavelengths of light. Photonic crystal may provide the means to create optical circuits (and other small, inexpensive, handheld devices) that can carry, direct, and process data quite literally at the speed of light. It is said that photonic crystals are to photons what semiconductors are to electrons.

The name for what the average workplace environment has become, it refers to a large mass of office space that has been subdivided into numerous rows of cubicles.

Because

April 09, 2010

A type of audio/video (multimedia) file found on the Internet. In order to hear or see an MPEG movie, you will need to install a helper application or a Web browser plugin.

MPEG is an algorithm for compressing audio and video, not to be confused with "Motion-JPEG." MPEG file names end with .mpeg, .mp1, or .mp3.

For a list of file extensions click here!

Referring to an airline traveler who is sitting in first class, where the seats are typically leather. For example, "Jim's upgrade came through so he's in the leather for the red-eye."

April 10, 2010

The kind of e-mail exchange that goes back and forth with no real content and nothing new being said. For example, one person writes "Thanks," then the other replies, "You're welcome, hope it helps," then the person says back, "I'm sure it will," then another reply, "My pleasure," and so on. To end it, put NRN in the subject line or in the message.

A file that has been corrupted or damaged due to some external agent, such as a virus. It is possible to recover data but it requires a special software program or a data recovery specialist. The best way to protect yourself against infected files is to regularly use an anti-virus program as well as a an anti-spyware program.

Dear Friend

This is the language of corporate leadership. "CEO-speak" explores the metaphors and persuasive strategies used by leaders of the corporate world, for example "The current downturn reached sufficient strength this quarter that we could not power up against it," and "We are an issues-focused firm with high-end engagements across the board and we want to be the market leader in the industries we serve."

April 11, 2010

This term generally refers to a generic, PC-compatible computer that runs all (or almost all) of the software intended for a brand name system, and can use all of the same peripheral devices. Most likely, it is built with many different hardware components, from many different manufacturers (thus the name "frankenstein"). The term can also refer to software (see: Gnutella and Linux).

Along The Same Line

A document that describes an entrepreneur's idea, the market problem, proposed solution, business and revenue models, marketing strategy, technology, company profile, competitive landscape, as well as financial data for coming years. The business plan opens with a brief executive summary, most probably the most important element of the document due to the time constraints of venture capital firms and angels.

A slang term for the universe that YouTube spawned, it specifically refers to dozens of video websites. Check it out...

Historical perspective: According to Steven Leckart of Wired in June 2009, as of the third anniversary of the YouTube explosion, and since the site's epic takeover of all things video, a server-farm-load of specialized copycats has swiped its sobriquet. Got time to waste? Go tubing. WARNING: Some of these sites are not appropriate for children 12 and under.

Listed in order from safe to NSFW, here's a sample of what's out there:

• DNATube
• GOSPELTube
• TUPPERTube
• BIRDTube
• GARAGETube
• SIMTube
• GUITARTube
• ORIGAMITube
• BOLLYWOODTube
• SPORTSTube
• FOOTYTube
• LAUGHTube
• SCUBADIVINGTube
• PARATube
• ROCKTube
• BOREDTube
• GAMERSTube
• CARDPLAYERTube
• JEWTube
• SKATETube
• METATube
• POTTube
• WESTINDIANTube
• ANIMALTube
• ESKIMOTube
• ASIANADULTTube
• GHETTOTube
• PAWGTube
• YOUSEXTube

You get the idea!

April 12, 2010

Slang for the feeling you get when a product or event does not live up to its own hype. For example, "Windows Me was said to be a huge anticipointment for users who upgraded from 2000."

The process of having to format something all over again.

The stage of venture capital financing for a company that immediately precedes an IPO. Investors entering in this round have lower risk of loss than those investors who have invested in an earlier round. Mezzanine level financing can take the structure of preferred stock, convertible bonds or subordinated debt.

April 13, 2010

In search engine results, it is to restrict the number of listings per Web site to only one or two links.

A presentation an entrepreneur or exec must make in order to receive financing for his or her company. For example, "Last week, I did the dog-and-pony show for two VC firms and three incubators."

what

April 14, 2010

The online version of a grocery store shopping cart, it is what you place your merchandise in while browsing a Web site. You "check out" by navigating to the purchase page and entering your credit card number on an online form. Shopping cart technology is a software program designed to make products available for online ordering (kind of like an electronic catalogue). The behind-the-screens technology that enables this e-commerce component to work involves cookies and SSL. Shopping carts usually have a variety of features which allow a user to organize selcted items and make changes prior to purchase. The shopping cart enables the user to use a credit card to make the purchase, then it provides fulfillment information to the merchant's shipping department. A good shopping cart program should always provide order confirmation numbers and quick customer service links.

A collective group of software programs that when combined provide a specific solution.

Sleeping, Bored, Tired

When computer users get together and discuss things that noncomputer users don't understand. When the byte-bonded start playing on a computer during a noncomputer-related social event, they are "geeking out."

April 15, 2010

A term in the Internet industry used to describe the "taking advantage of 20-something digital workers who are flushed with pioneer enthusiasm and willing to work long hours" if rewarded by certain freedoms on the job (as in no dress code, flextime, an onsite cappucino machine or pool table, etc.)

A feature on many computer programs that you can use, it will automatically "spell check" and "grammar check" the text in your document. The spell checker suggests corrections along the way so you won't print letters or send e-mail messages with misspellings and punctuation errors. It is highly recommended to always use the spell checker with important documents. Even to the degree, for example, of copying and pasting your text from an online resume or college application, into a Word document to make corrections, and then copying and pasting it back to the Web site.

Online advertising presented so that it appears to be information to a user and not a marketing message.

quiet

April 16, 2010

Text or images on a Web page that a user can click on in order to access or connect to another document. Links are most commonly thought of as the technology that connects two Web pages or Web sites. They are most commonly seen on your browser as underlined words (such as "user" "click on" and "access" earlier in this paragraph).

Once you click on a link, it could trigger a variety of events: It could "jump" to a different page or to another place on the same Web page; it could link to a file that will start downloading to your computer; it could trigger the launch of a helper application that will then process the clicked-on file, it could launch your e-mail program so you can send a message, and so on. What actually occurs when you click on a link is determined by the file's MIME type and the way your computer system is configured to handle that MIME type. For example, browsers are configured to display all files that have HTML in their MIME extension.

An absolute link specifies a full URL (for example, http://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php). In other words, absolute links contain the URL and file name and can be located from anywhere on the Web, not just from within a single website. In contrast, a relative link specifies the name of the file to be linked to only as it is related to the current website (using the above example, a relative link on a page within netlingo.com would be simply acronyms.php).

Links are also referred to as hyperlinks, hypertext, and hot links, and they are coded in HTML by Web page authors or Web developers.

Slang for the three most important things your manager wants you to do at once.

The act of following up a message posted to a Usenet newsgroup by adding one or more additional newsgroups to the response in an effort to bring the original post to the attention of those likely to flame it. For example, in a follow-up to a particularly over-the-top feminist rant, a cross-roaster might add the post to alt.mens-rights and soc.men.

April 17, 2010

To create or fix something in an unconventional way, just so it works for the time being.

Refers to capturing, organizing, storing, and disseminating the knowledge and experiences of individual groups within an organization. Building upon the ideas that "knowledge is power" and that information is the basis for a successful company, KM is the process of breaking down knowledge (and other human assets) and turning it into a business advantage.

It started as document imaging. Then gave way to document management, which in turn gave way to content management. It now has evolved into Knowledge Management. It's an organization's ability to "manage" its "knowledge." Primarily this is done by pumping as much company information into a database (or databases) and developing a system that keeps track of it all. Supposedly, this allows everyone is the organization to take advantage of the collective knowledge of the company.

For example, if a national corporation analyzes one sector of its operations and passes the results to another sector, it is believed to be fostering greater unity overall (which for the company translates into a competitive benefit and higher morale). This kind of practice then enables product managers (in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, for example) to share information more efficiently (via the company intranet, for example), so they do not duplicate each other's efforts.

Sometimes, KM refers to the team that manages knowledge workers, but this is a misnomer. As a technical term, it refers to a system that captures and retains data from data warehouses, e-mail, and the Web.

A term used to denote that something is not dynamic, meaning that it remains the same.

For example, before NetLingo.com was transferred to a Cold Fusion database, we had to update all the static HTML pages one by one (a truly laborious process).

Up a Creek Without A Paddle

April 18, 2010

To keep a version of a document on your hard drive (or on a floppy, for example), it refers to "saving" what is on your computer screen so that you can access it again later.

An online marketing term that refers to customers who cost more to serve than they return in value. For example, a customer shopping for a car wastes the time of a sales representative by test driving the car, working numbers with the sales manager, only to leave the dealership in the car they came in.

What Would Jesus Do?

A newbie (or an insignificant, bothersome person) using Twitter.

April 19, 2010

This term was originally considered a very technical term, but now most people are aware of it and even, to a certain degree, know what it means. From a layman's point of view, "broadband" refers to the two main types of high-speed Internet service: DSL (which you get from the phone company) or a cable connection (which you get from the cable company). There is also a third type of broadband connection called fiber optic (which can deliver TV channels as well as the Internet).

Technically speaking, broadband is a high-speed, high-capacity data transmission channel that sends and receives information on coaxial cable or fiber-optic cable (which has a wider bandwidth than conventional telephone lines), giving it the ability to carry video, voice, and data simultaneously. As the definition suggests, broadband is primarily used to send different types of signals simultaneously, using the same FDM (Frequency Division Multiplexing) technique used for cable TV. In theory, broadband makes possible a whole new set of Internet applications, such as streaming video, due to speeds up to 20 times as fast as conventional modems. It is measured in kilobits, megabits, or gigabits per second.

All broadband service providers aim for the fastest speed. Faster speeds are clocked as megabits per second (or Mbps). (Note: these terms end in bit, not byte; the latter ending is normally used as measure of storage capacity, not speed.) For example, one megabit equals 1,000 kilobits, so a DSL line that tops out at 768 kilobits per second isn't nearly as fast as one that registers three megabits per second.

Historical perspective: eMarketer estimates that by 2012 there will be over 533 million broadband households worldwide, of which 94.3 million will be in the U.S. A good percentage of these broadband subscribers will also be subscribing to a bundle of services including voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) and Internet protocol TV (IPTV). As a result, and particularly outside the U.S., the term “broadband” is quickly moving beyond just connoting Internet access.

On a portal, it is content within specific (vertical) subject areas.

The name of a Web site that frames another Web site. For example, when you do a search on Ask Jeeves and it calls up the Web site you found, the results come back in the lower frame while the Ask Jeeves logo and nav bar occupies the top frame within the same browser. That's a parasite. Many Web sites do this in an effort to make navigating easier, but it is a questionable practice for a couple of reasons: First, it actually makes navigating harder, since the back button is disabled; and second, parasites are republishing someone else's content without consent, and making it look like their own.

Frames are an excellent way to organize information on some Web sites, but most framed sites need a full screen and are not designed to have a parasite frame on top. The worst is when you get two frames inside a frame and then one of the frames repeats itself. Oy vey, there's no excuse for bogus code like that.

Get A Load of Him

April 20, 2010

An "e" placed before a word or phrase stands for "electronic." For example, an e-book is an electronic version of a book. Commonly used in the media to describe something that has to do with being online, e- has prefaced nearly everything in the real world that can be made electronic, including: e-campaign, e-life, e-broker, and so forth. For a detailed discussion on when to use the hyphen and when not to use it, see the e-mail definition.

A company that strives to gain a first-mover advantage.

With Due Respect

Unlike normal cellular antennas, which broadcast in every direction, "smart antennas" broadcast directly at individual users. That means fewer dropped calls and doubled network capacity.

April 21, 2010

Refers to images that you can add to the background area of a Web browser, to decorate the otherwise gray area surrounding the URL box, the back button, and other elements. Using browser skins is like getting personalized checks for your checkbook. You can choose almost anything from flower motifs to landscapes to sports images to cartoons.

Refers to the actual, bona fide Web site of a celebrity, created and managed by his or her agent and a hired team. This is in contrast to an unofficial site created and maintained by an avid fan.

The process of taking content from one medium (such as from a book, a newspaper, TV, or radio) and repackaging it for use in another medium (such as on the Web).

You've Got Mail

April 22, 2010

A type of computer program written in a programming language. In the context of the World Wide Web, a gateway script is a program that runs on a server and processes requests based on input from the browser.

See: DDoS

Smiling Ear To Ear

Term coined by Daniel Yergin and used often at the World Economic Forum's 1999 meeting. Where globalism describes a process, "globality" refers to our current condition of being an economically integrated global economy.

April 23, 2010

An inelegant way of saying, "I forgot," it refers to your mind going blank. Someone may say, "Sorry, I just had a brain fart." It can also refer to a situation in which someone speaks "out of turn," especially to a superior. For example, if you march into your boss's office and speak your mind without first thinking about the possible consequences, you've just had a brain fart. OK, maybe it's not a technical term but it is a common expression you hear in the corridors of high-tech offices ;-)

In general adware refers to any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. These ads are commonly viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. Adware is a nuisance because it continually interferes with what you are doing! The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and therefore holds down the cost for the user...we don't believe that is a rational justification for the intrustion of privacy.

Adware, like spyware, is a major cause for concern regarding privacy because it usually includes code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This practice has prompted an outcry from computer security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). It's become necessary to download and install anti-adware programs in order to protect your privacy and your data. The following resources are available as freeware to help computer users search for and remove suspected adware programs.

For a detailed discussion on adware, spyware, hijackers and the like, click on the "more info" button below!

Experience, Strength, and Hope

CPV (Cost Per Visitor) is an online advertising payment model where advertisers pay for the delivery of a targeted visitor to the advertiser's website, meaning the publisher is only paid when a user goes to a website (or blog or form, etc.).

CPV (Cost Per View) is when an advertiser pays for each unique user view of an online ad or website (usually used with pop-ups, pop-unders and interstitial ads).

April 24, 2010

An attitude of being laid back, informal, or independent. For example, the majority of the staff at a lowbrow company is composed of indie-types (independent contractors) who are self-taught rather than formally educated. An outfit like this employs people "from the backwaters" who happen to be excellent at what they do. The core group is usually a bunch of smart guys who are proud to have dropped out of school, and they've hired well-educated people to fill in the details. The vibe in this kind of atmosphere is one of contempt for "the system." They consider people who graduate to be "cattle for the purchase, harvest, and slaughter." This is the absolute opposite of highbrow.

A real-time, instructor-led, online learning event in which all of the participants are logged on at the same time and have the ability to communicate with each other.

This term became famous because of the moral of its story. It's the tale of Josh Santangelo's bad drug trip, which, appears on the first page of the search results should you happen to Google his name. In a blog years ago, he "dumped his drug story" on the Internet in response to a posting on a blog. Another blog linked to it and viral marketing took over. The rest became history as Santangelo's "drug dump" was "out there" for the world to read. The message is to be careful when you open the drapes because sometimes your digital dirt can come back to haunt you.

Click on "more info" to read an article in BusinessWeek called,
"You Are What You Post: Bosses are using Google to Peer into Places Job Interviews Can't Take Them."

Surpassing All Previous Foul Ups

April 25, 2010

Be There With Bells On

A term that combines two words to describe "teenagers who are online" and who are "always looking at the screen."

Also defined as: "wired teens or the much sought after marketing demographic of 18-24 year olds who grew up in front of a TV/computer screen."

Something a person can take action on, it comes from the legal sector but is now often used by marketers and consultants. For example, "After he analyzed our contact center, he recommended that we take these five actionable steps."

A strong, low-density, highly corrosion-resistant, lustrous white metallic element used to alloy metals for low weight, strength, and high-temperature stability. Quite frankly, it is the industry's new buzzword for metal.

April 26, 2010

One of several top-level domains assigned to corporate URLs, generally for companies headquartered outside the U.S. (as opposed to .com, which is for commercial Web sites primarily within the U.S.). For example, www.bbc.co.uk is the URL for the BBC. Other domain suffixes include .ac, .com, .mil, .gov, .net, .mil, .org, and a long list of country codes. For a list of new suffixes, read the domain name definition.

To put a program or application onto a computer system. Usually, whether you install by CD-ROM or by download, an installation wizard will help you configure the program for use. For PC users, it is best to begin an installation by going into your Control Panel and then selecting "Add/Remove Programs."

A phrase to use when something electronic isn't working. Since most bugs can be totally frustrating, it's suppose to help make light of the situation and provide some comic relief. For example, "Dude, I tried your cell phone all morning, and I kept getting the Department of Defense. Talk about technology gone awry."

Without Thinking -or- What The -or- Who The

April 27, 2010

A phrase used to describe whether letters are typed in uppercase or lowercase. Some computer programs and network services are "case sensitive," meaning "XYZ" is considered different data than "xyz," for example. Certain Internet users are case sensitive, too, and many opt to type in all lowercase (which really bothers some people, but hey-it's the way of the Web; get used to it). Note: IF YOU TYPE IN ALL UPPERCASE, IT IS THE VISUAL EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING and a breach of netiquette.

A method of protecting the copyright of digitized content that's distributed to consumers online. It is server software that enables the secure distribution of paid content over the Web, while disabling illegal distribution. Using encryption, content is encoded, and in order to get the key, a user must do something (such as pay money or provide an e-mail address). DRM providers deliver the protection tools, and content owners set the conditions.

These technologies are being developed to protect against the online piracy of commercially marketed material (which has proliferated through the widespread use of Napster and other peer-to-peer file exchange programs). Although online content is protected by copyright laws, it is currently difficult to catch lawbreakers in cyberspace; DRM technology intends to make it impossible to steal Web content in the first place. (*see: copyright page)

Slang for walking around the office chatting to people while the progress bar of AfterEffects/ Premiere/ Infini-D makes its ponderous journey across the screen.

April 28, 2010

A long binary number used to encrypt data. To unlock encrypted content, you must find the precise mathematical combination that makes up the key (for example, two prime numbers that when multiplied produce the key). The longer the key, the more bits it has and therefore the more possible combinations of bits. This makes it more difficult for someone to guess the right combination. Key length alone does not make encryption invincible; an algorithm also makes it difficult for a hacker to discover and exploit any patterns in the encryption.

Be Back In A While

People who work at home or telecommute.

Someone who always seems to have his or her idea generator running. "That guy's a real idea hamster. Give him a raw concept and he'll turn it over 'til he comes up with something useful."

April 29, 2010

Bundled with software programs or available for download, it's a text file that contains the latest information about installation, any known bugs or incompatibilities, and product documentation errata and addenda. Readme files are often used to inform users of changes made after the official documentation went into final production.

A 180-degree personality change. "Jim did a major bit flip and became a born-again Christian."

Slang for opening comments by speakers (or writers) before they begin their real presentations. Hopefully interesting, usually not, they often contain a joke.

April 30, 2010

A business's turf on the Internet. In the early years of the Web (circa 1995), businesses that got online, established a Web site, and built an online community were said to be "staking out real estate" in cyberspace, in hopes of gaining first-mover advantage. Real estate also refers to the available space on a Web page for online ads.

For example, "They're not sure if they want to host buttons as well as ad banners. They're afraid that would mean sacrificing too much real estate on their homepage."

From Your Lips To Gods Ears

A network in its nonworking state.