Internet Word of the Day Archive

June 01, 2010

Failure Between Keyboard and Seat

The present, as in right now. Not the past, not the future, not even one minute from now, it means this actual moment. Commonly used in the industry to refer to something that is not cached.

A complete computer installation, including peripherals, disk drives, a monitor, a mouse, the operating system, a printer, and software. In a system, all of the devices are configured to work with each other.

June 02, 2010

The name of a game for search-obsessed fans of Google.com whereby a user types two words into the Google search line with the intent of trying to retrieve a single search result. With more than three billion Web pages indexed by Google, if you see "Results 1-1 of 1" appear under your Google search, you're a winner.

An online ad that uses pull-down menus and data boxes to let users search or shop for goods without leaving a Web site.

The small, red, spongy ball in the middle of a laptop's keyboard. It serves as a mouse.

Over The Top

June 03, 2010

A term that describes independently wealthy individuals who invest money into businesses, including Internet-related start-ups. As opposed to a venture capital firm, business angels invest their own money as individuals. Angel investments tend to be less than $1 million per venture, but still count as seed money to help ideas and new businesses "get out of the gate."

How about this for historical perspective: In 2005 there were 225,000 active angel investors, putting $22.5 billion in play--up from $18.1 billion in 2003. In 1996 there were 10 formal angel investment groups, in 2005, at least 200. Clearly angel investors--and their money--are out there.

A Web site that performs illegal or malicious activity, such as stealing passwords or downloading a virus to a user's computer.

To recover data is to salvage data that's been corrupted or erronously erased. Data recovery is also to salvage data stored on damaged media, such as a hard drive, disks or CD-ROMs. In either event, data corruption is the actual deterioration of computer data (a.k.a. your information) as a result of some external agent. Computer-based problems, such as viruses, can infect files and render them useless or harmful to other data. Hardware or software incompatibililty and environmental hazards (such as power outages) can also render data unreadable. There are a number of software products that can help recover data damaged by a disk crash or virus. There are also companies that specialize in data recovery. Unfortunately not all data is recoverable, but data recovery specialists can often restore a surprisingly high percentage of the data on damaged media.

Oh, You Shut Up

June 04, 2010

In linguistics, it is to divide language into small components that can be analyzed.

For example, parsing this sentence would involve dividing it into words and phrases and identifying the type of each component (such as verb, adjective, or noun). In computer science, it is an important part of many disciplines. For example, compilers must parse source code to be able to translate it into object code. Likewise, any application that processes complex commands must be able to parse the commands. This includes virtually all end-user applications.

Parsing is often divided into lexical analysis and semantic parsing: Lexical analysis concentrates on dividing strings into components, called tokens, based on punctuation and other keys; semantic parsing then attempts to determine the meaning of the string.

The name for a self-paced course taken via the Net or CD-ROM.

The strange-looking animal image you see on Macs in the "Page Setup..." window, it's half dog and half cow and his name is Clarus. The dogcow is used to help tell users about their printing options. You can see the dogcow by going to the Finder, selecting "Page Setup..." and looking under "Page Attributes." The dogcow is used to show you what kind of option you've selected. For example, "Flip Horizontal" flips the dogcow to upside down.

In some versions of the Macintosh operating system, the dogcow makes its characteristic cry of "Moof!" when you click on it. The dogcow icon was originally created by graphic artist Susan Kare (she is also the artist who created the graphic interface for everyone's favorite Windows 3.1 card game, Solitaire). Microsoft has adopted its own version of the dogcow and uses it to demonstrate slide transitions in its PowerPoint application, although Apple retains its copyright on the original image and, believe it or not, the "Moof!"

Mac creators dropped the dogcow in later OS versions, but online petitions and press coverage designed to "bring back the dogcow" have made Apple executives aware of the tremendous cult following of this hybrid icon. (Legend has it that development teams at Apple still use the dogcow to identify a partly completed program that is unique and worth checking out.) It is expected that Clarus will return in OS X.

I Don't Really Know

June 05, 2010

As a verb, it means to start a computer or turn it on. You will also hear the term "boot up," which means the same thing, as in, "Are you booted up?" A "reboot" is the process of shutting down a computer and then restarting it. Rebooting tends to clear out bugs that can hamper smooth computing.

A Web page that accepts user input. With an online form, you can usually input comments, order products, sign up for newsletters, or search for information. At the bottom of a form, you will usually see submit and reset buttons; these allow users to either "send in" the information or clear out the form and start over. For a more technical discussion of how it works, see the CGI definition.

Here's an example of when you'd use a form: You see the opportunity to sign up for an e-mail newsletter service on a particular Web page, and in order to receive the newsletter, you must fill out a CGI form. Once you hit submit, the form is sent to the server, which processes the information and adds you to its database of newsletter recipients.

Software that operates behind-the-screens when you use a browser. It pops up to perform specific tasks, such as comparing prices, intercepting spam, providing passwords, or managing personal information online. Some shopping companions act as an e-wallet, designed to appear when the user is ready to make an online purchase (for example, to provide shipping and billing information with one click). Amazon.com's Alexa is an example of a digital shopping companion.

June 06, 2010

A circuit card or expansion board that adds audio capability to a computer, providing high-quality stereo output. Sound cards contain the equipment to digitize a sound, translating it from analog to digital (that is, from the real world into computer language). A multimedia PC usually includes a sound card.

Thank Science It's Friday

An online marketing method which allows advertisers to place ads immediately based on what the user is currently viewing.

It used to be that advertisers booked slots in advance and could not make on-the-fly decisions about what ads to show based on what people were doing on the Web. Now, companies like Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft let advertisers buy ads in the milliseconds between the time someone enters a site’s Web address and the moment the page appears. The technology, called real-time bidding, allows advertisers to examine site visitors one by one and bid to serve them ads almost instantly.

For example, say a man just searched for golf clubs on eBay. EBay can essentially follow that person’s activities [[in real time]], deciding when and where to show him near-personalized ads for golf clubs throughout the Web. If eBay finds out that he bought a driver at another site, it can update the ad immediately to start showing him tees, golf balls or a package vacation to St. Andrew’s, Scotland, often called the home of golf. If a woman was shopping, eBay could change the ad’s color or presentation. 

June 07, 2010

Trust Me

An ISP that offers Ethernet services over optical pipes, at 1000 Mbps (1 gigabit or 1 billion bits per second), which is currently the highest level of backbone support.

Another one of the many "ize" words that the online business community is so fond of. Basically, it means to take something that is not a product and turn it into a product. In the tech world, one turns a raw technology into a marketable product (with the goal of monetizing it). Individuals can turn their skills and talents into products too, in fact most companies have already "productized" their customer service departments.

A limited amount of equity, or short-term debt financing, typically raised within 6-18 months of an anticipated public offering (IPO) or private placement meant to "bridge" a start-up company to the next round of financing. 

June 08, 2010

Another name for a drop-down menu.

An earth-orbiting communications spacecraft designed to send and receive data from other satellites or earth stations. This data, in the form of signals, may carry voice, audio, video, or other information. It is the basis for satellite TV, certain kinds of Internet access, and cell phone use. A satellite is in a geostationary orbit, meaning it is in a fixed position some 22,000 miles above earth.

A potentially lucrative market for which no products or services yet exist, primarily because nobody has thought to make people desire these products or services yet.

Yes, I Understand

June 09, 2010

Primarily thought of as the path or data line that carries information between two computers (or communication devices). It can be a physical pathway, such as coaxial cable; in wireless communications, it can refer to a specific carrier frequency. It is also thought of as a high-speed pathway (for example, fiber-optic) between a mainframe (or other high-end computer) and the control units of peripheral devices. For example, a 10 channel computer can transmit 10 separate streams of data to and from the CPU simultaneously. Additionally, a channel refers to a virtual area where IRC users communicate in real time. There are thousands of these channels located on the Internet.

A channel is also the term for an area on a Web site that contains information or content on a specific topic (mimicking the way television has sports channels and news channels, for example). It can be a ganglion of corporate alliances that form a network of multiple Web sites. Within the company, these sites are referred to as channels. For example, the women's network iVillage.com contains many channel Web sites. Finally, the term channel also describes the pathway through which a vendor communicates with and sells products to customers. These channels may include a direct sales force, distributors, resellers, retailers, telemarketers, catalogs, direct mail, e-mail, and the Web.

A theory set forth by retail anthropologist Paco Underhill that women shoppers are far less likely to make a purchase if they are "brushed" from behind --by a person, a display table, or a piece of merchandise-- while examining retail goods. Underhill's finding, backed up by extensive video research, carries a corollary: Retailers should avoid jamming narrow aisles full of merchandise.

Coined by author and marketer Seth Godin, who also coined the term permission marketing, an ideavirus is the concept that ideas are the new currency of business. The notion is to come up with a new idea and then spread it through the Internet using e-mail and viral marketing techniques. The object is to get people to embrace the idea and support it.

girls, also seen as grrl

June 10, 2010

Known primarily as a virus, it is a computer program that can replicate itself. First postulated by computer science researcher Fred Cohen in the 1970's, computer viruses are small programs that propagate by attaching copies of themselves to other programs. The most famous examples include the 1987 "Internet worm," which shut down hundreds of computers nationwide, and the July 2001 "Code Red worm." The word "worm" is sometimes erroneously used for a search engine program that locates and indexes information on the Web (that's a spider).

Here's an example of its usage in the news: On March 5, 2009 Brian Krebs reported on his Computer Security blog in the Washington Post that security experts are warning users of Facebook, MySpace and other social networking communities to be on guard against a new strain of the "Koobface" worm, which spreads by tricking users into responding to a message apparently sent from one of their friends. The latest version of Koobface arrives as an invitation from a user's friend or contact, inviting the recipient to click on a link and view a video at a counterfeit YouTube site. Visitors are told they need need to install an Adobe Flash plug-in to view the video. The bogus plug-in instead installs a Trojan horse program that gives Koobface authors control over the infected user's computer, according to security firm Trend Micro, which documented the new strain on its blog.

In addition, the worm also hijacks the victim's social networking account, by sending out additional invites in order to spread the worm to the victim's friends and contacts. The worm currently is spreading across multiple networks, including hi5.com, friendster.com, myyearbook.com, bebo.com and livejournal.com. It's important to note that practicing basic online street smarts can save you from falling for these types of attacks, regardless of the medium. As always, be extremely cautious about clicking on links in unsolicited messages, even if they appear to have been sent by a friend or acquaintance. Also, don't install applications or programs if you didn't go looking for them. Before you install anything, take a few minutes to research the program and its vendor first. If you decide to install the application, make sure to download it directly from the vendor's Web site, if possible.

Bye For Now

A nickname for a telecommunication professional.

To make anonymous. This is one of many nouns that have been assembled with "ize" and consequently converted into a verb.

June 11, 2010

A printed copy of some kind of information (as opposed to an electronic version). You'll hear someone ask, "Do you have a hard copy of that?" The opposite is known as a soft copy.

See You Later Alligator

Organizations battle to offer their employees a compensation that is usually equal to or lesser than the industry average.

An Internet meme where funny captions are placed on pictures of cats. The captions include misspelled words and bad grammar to mimic how a cat might speak. 

June 12, 2010

A protocol standard that provides higher Internet access speeds and greater bandwidth. Multilink uses two modems to connect to the Net simultaneously, at double the speed of a single modem. It requires two or more modems, a phone line, a dial-up account for each, and a PC running either Windows 98 (or higher) or Windows NT; also, your ISP must have the necessary hardware and software to support this service. It was originally designed for ISDN connections.

An expression that comes from chaos theory, it describes irrational or overly emotional flaming on the Net, as in, "That online privacy topic is overwhelmed by NLB."

Introduced by Amazon.com, it's a service that enables repeat credit card customers to place orders online by clicking a single button (instead of using a shopping cart and filling out an order form).

Need I Say More

June 13, 2010

The basis for the Motion Picture Association of America's suit against 2,600 enterprises and others that posted computer code for circumventing DVD encryption and allowing PCs to play DVD movies. DMCA gives intellectual property holders the right to take away the fair use and related rights of the public to protect a commercial DRM scheme, and it interferes with the legitimate operation of peer-to-peer file sharing systems. It is considered by some to be unconstitutional.

When a discussion thread or e-mail message has gone back and forth dozens of times and the subject line no longer indicates what is being discussed.

Thanks For Letting Me Share

Technically speaking, the Object Windows Library (OWL) is a Borland C++ object-oriented framework originally designed for WinAPI. It was used in Turbo Pascal for Windows, Borland Pascal and their Borland C++ package. It was a competitor to the Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC).

According to Microsoft, OWL had incomplete support by the Borland C++ IDE and wasn't always upwardly compatible from release to release. It was eventually deprecated in favor of the Visual Component Library (VCL), which is written in Object Pascal and included in Delphi and C++ Builder Studios.

An open source Internet community has released a series of improvements and patches to the original OWL; the project name is OWLNext.

June 14, 2010

The worldwide standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the uppercase and lowercase Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, and other symbols. There are 128 standard ASCII codes, each of which can be represented by a 7 digit binary number: 0000000 through 1111111. In the online world, ASCII is also used to describe files that are stored in plain text format. Some rather inventive individuals have developed what is known as ASCII art, a lowbrow art form in a high-tech medium, using only the ASCII character set to create images.

Click on "more info" to see a collection of Horses and Equestrian ASCII Art!

Slang for a fee tacked on to an invoice when a client has been a particular PITA. It is usually listed as an "extended service fee" or "additional delivery cost."

The nickname for a method of pranking whereby people will post a link to something but the link actually goes to a You Tube video of Rick Astley's song "I'm Never Gonna Give You Up." Also known as an Internet meme, "Rickrolling" is a bait-and-switch because the URL can be masked so that the user cannot determine the true source of the link without first clicking on it. Once a person clicks on the link and is led to the web page, he or she is said to have been "Rickrolled".

This term can also refer to playing the song loudly in public in order to be disruptive.

The practice is said to have begun as an earlier prank originating from the imageboard 4chan and was called duckrolling. A user was "duckrolled" once he or she clicked on a link (such as a picture or news item) and would instead be taken to a thread or a website containing an edited picture of a duck on wheels. The first instance of Rickroll occurred on the site's video game board, where a link to the Rick Astley video was claimed to be a mirror of the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV (which was unavailable due to heavy traffic). The joke was confined to 4chan for a very brief period and then spread virally, becoming an Internet phenomenon. An April 2008 poll by SurveyUSA estimated that at least 18 million American adults have been Rickrolled.

For more examples, including the classic April Fools' Day 2008 Rickroll pranks, search for this term on Wikipedia below!

Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

June 15, 2010

A flaw in a security device that allows messages to go around the security mechanisms. "Crypto bypass" refers to flaws that allow plain text to leak out.

A play on "user error," this refers to an error caused by a user who, in turn, blames it on the computer.

Another Day In Paradise

A play on the word "copyright" this is the practice of using copyright law to remove restrictions on distributing copies and versions of a work and requiring that the same freedoms be preserved in modified versions. In the online world, it is a form of licensing and may be used to modify copyrights for works such as computer software, documents, music, and art. The main effect is that through a "copyleft" licensing scheme, an author gives every person who receives a copy of a work permission to reproduce, adapt, or distribute the work as long as any resulting copies or adaptations are also bound by the same copyleft licensing scheme. Similar licenses are available through Creative Commons (called Share-alike); see the GNU definition for GPL, a widely used and originating copyleft license.

The copyleft symbol above is the "reversed c in a full circle" and is the copyright symbol turned in the left direction. (Unlike the copyright symbol it has no legal meaning.)

June 16, 2010

Similar to down time, this is slang for when a person has an idle moment due to a long download or a slow connection.

A slang term for anything that takes advantage of the Net. For example, in order to "sell themselves," many companies have netsploited the Web with brochureware. Netsploitation also takes the form of media coverage that makes the Net out to be a big, bad, scary place.

Refers to an image built to 72 pixels/inch. As a general rule images created for on-screen presentation, such as the Web, video, and interactive multimedia, need only be built to the resolution of a computer monitor. Although there are computer monitors built with very high screen resolutions (up to 150 pixels/inch), 72ppi has become the de facto standard.

Get A Load of Her

June 17, 2010

A widespread networking scheme most commonly known as "the hardware device that enables the LAN to work at the office." Ethernet was originally developed by Xerox PARC and further developed by DEC and Intel. There are now several speeds, including 10BASE-T, with transmission speeds up to 10 Mbps, Fast Ethernet (or 100BASE-T), with transmission speeds up to 100 Mbps, and Gigabit Ethernet, which offers the highest level of backbone support, at 1000 Mbps (that's 1 gigabit or 1 billion bits per second).

Providing instantaneous customer support on an around-the-clock basis.

In general, to "skin" something means to wrap a design around it, for example: "We finished coding the widget, now we just need to skin it and get it in syndication."

A "skin" can also refer to a type of video ad that does not interfere with the video, as a pre-roll does, because it is displayed on the video player instead of within the actual video.

June 18, 2010

A program designed to playback sounds (or audio clips) downloaded from the Web. To use an audio helper (and many other programs, for that matter), you must configure your browser to launch it once the download is complete. The audio helper should then appear on your screen so you can begin playing the file.

A new breed of software developer that rents out business applications. Companies can access applications via the Net rather than purchasing them. A BSP's offerings are hosted by a computer service provider and are often tailored to a specific industry, such as banking, food service, or airlines. first-generation BSPs include companies such as Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a leader in payroll distribution.

An overused phrase on the World Wide Web to signify that a Web site is not yet finished. Generally, it is accompanied by an icon of a construction worker wearing a hard hat. Its purpose is to let users know that there will be a Web site (or a new section of a Web site) coming, but that it is not yet designed or programmed.

Read The FAQ

June 19, 2010

A high-performance personal computer (PC) optimized for professional applications, it is also known as a "high-end personal computer." A workstation is a "top of the line" system geared toward certain fields, such as architecture and technical drawing. These machines offer excellent screen resolution, fast and powerful microprocessors, and lots of memory; they typically run on Unix. A workstation can also be a desktop computer that runs application programs and serves as the access point to a local area network (LAN).

The "game" one has to play to quickly close the interstitial ads and other windows that pop-up on some commercial Web pages (especially porn sites). These pages will sometimes generate new windows every time you close a previous one, creating a situation similar to the action in the popular arcade game "Whack-a-Mole."

Unpleasant Visual

In the business world of high finance, liquidation has two meanings. The first is simply converting securities into cash. The second is the sale of the assets of a company to one or more acquirers in order to pay off debts. In the event that a corporation is liquidated, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stock, take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock. 

June 20, 2010

Information, on a Web site or Web page that changes often, usually daily or each time a user reloads or returns to the page. It is also content that is structured based on user input. For example, when you search with keywords on a search engine, the results you get are on a "dynamic" page, based on the words you typed into a form on the previous page. Dynamic Web sites are usually driven by Web application environments, such as active server pages or CFML, and the content is taken from a database each time a page request is made.

A metaphorical area in Hollywood that contains a niche group of people focused on the convergence of movies, computers, and interactive television (iTV).

Monitoring hospital admission records to detect spikes in symptoms that could indicate a biological weapons attack. This term was seen in Wired, from MIT's Technology Review: "Bio-surveillance... aims to use data mining techniques to recognize an epidemic days before the first cases are confirmed."

June 21, 2010

A set of guidelines written for the purpose of keeping the design of a Web site consistent. A style guide is also used to help standardize further technology developments of a particular Web site. Style guides include everything from HTML do's and don'ts to color and font choices to programming preferences for CGI forms and JavaScript.

An acronym that refers to a legal department within a company which facilitates the joining of two companies, or the purchase of a company.

A technology that exploits the magnetic properties in layers of materials only a few atoms thick, taking advantage of an electron's spin as well as its charge. Technically, spintronics involves quantum effects of electrons. This technology may enable you to turn your computer on and have it immediately booted up and ready to go (employing "instant-on" memory). See the MRAM explanation under the RAM definition.

Off The Wall

June 22, 2010

Slang for clicking quickly.

A company that uses Internet technology and a Web presence in order to further its business initiatives. Some netcentric companies create Internet technology for other companies. Andy Grove, chairman of Intel, is quoted as saying, "In the future, all companies will be Internet companies."

For links to hundreds of netcentric companies, click here or on the "more info" button below!

Up Yours

June 23, 2010

Another name for a dead tree version (or anything that is in print). Some printed computer manuals are so large, they well deserve this term. You may hear someone say, "Have you got the forestware on this program? I can't seem to locate the supporting docs online."

The blending of photonics and electronics so that photons are used for transmitting data and electrons are used for switching. Current communications networks operate using this hybrid system; in the future, our PCs will also be optoelectronic.

The mantra of the Internet, where it means moving something rapidly. Speed usually describes how fast data can be transferred.

A popular slogan in the industry is "the need for speed," meaning users want fast connections and big bandwidth so that it doesn't take a long time to download a file or view a Web site. Speed also refers to the need for high-tech businesses to innovate quickly.

For example, "Silicon Valley has moved past the practices of the early visionaries, in part because of the speed of innovation."

Some Other Dude Did It

June 24, 2010

Another name for a graphic displayed by a Web browser as part of an HTML document.

A common business acronym, usually for companies or individuals who bundle software packages for resale at discount prices.

Keep Your Bum Clean

June 25, 2010

A device that transmits and responds to radio waves. For example, biologists may attach a single transponder to an animal, to track its movements, and NASA engineers may use a huge cluster of transponders in telecommunications satellites.

From the adage, "It's not a bug, it's a feature." This expression is used sarcastically to describe an unpleasant experience that you wish to gloss over.

Oh My F***ing God

June 26, 2010

A physical area, such as a file server, where data is stored for use by an enterprise. It usually has an organizational structure that arranges the data in directories and subdirectories.

A term coined by author Thomas Friedman, it refers to the positive side of globalization. It means the ability of a culture or country to absorb enriching influences of other cultures without being overwhelmed.

For Sale By Owner

June 27, 2010

In general, data is information: factual information, such as text, numbers, sounds, and images-anything that can be processed on a computer. Data also represents concepts and sensations that are suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing. As futurist Marshall McLuhan said, "The electric light is pure information," meaning that everything perceptible is data. The word "data" is plural, and the singular form is "datum." However, data is often taken to be singular (as it is in this dictionary).

An online advertising term that refers to the number of times an ad banner is downloaded (and presumably seen) by users.

"Guaranteed impressions" refers to the minimum number of times any kind of online ad will be displayed (and presumably) seen by users.

For Anyone Who Cares

The nickname for a woman is more than 10 years younger than her man. Whether she is dating him, in a relationship, or married, a kitten is interested primarily in the emotional security, status and power that goes along with being with an older man. Unlike a trophy bride who is considered beautiful only on the exterior and interested primarily in financial security, a kitten is considered smart and independent in her own right and is interested in the security a father figure provides. Not to be confused with a cougar or a puma.

Celebrity examples include Catharine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford, and Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.

June 28, 2010

One of the fastest commercially available connections to the Internet, it is a set of communications standards that enables a single wire (or optical fibre) to carry voice, data, and video. It gives a user up to 56K of data bandwidth on a phone line (when also used for voice) or up to 128 Kbps if the line is only used for data.

ISDN is intended to replace eventually the "plain old telephone system" (POTS), and it mostly uses existing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switches and wiring, upgraded so that the basic "call" is carried on a 64 Kbps channel that's all digital, from end to end. Packet and frame modes are also provided in some places. For more information on ISDN, visit this definition on NetLingo.com.

Want To Go Private?

Slang for corporations that existed predominantly on the Internet prior to 2000. They lacked physical assets and based much of their value on future projections, as a result they took a huge hammering when the stock market crashed on April 14, 2000.

Office slang for rapid hand movements indicating that what the person on the phone is saying is more important than whatever your coworkers are trying say.

June 29, 2010

Pardon Me For Jumping In

The range of invisible radiation wavelengths longer than the color red in the visible spectrum, it can be used to transmit data. see: infrared port

Vinton Cerf, "founding father" of internet, was given this title for his job at Google.

Short for Slogan + Logo. Corporate slogans used repeatedly, in a manner similar to a logo. Nike's "Just Do It" and AT&T's "You Will" are prime examples.

June 30, 2010

A play on words, it's the state of owning real estate in cyberspace or the camaraderie of frequently interacting online. Cytizens may own their own domain name, have a vanity page on the Web, or regularly visit discussion boards, chat rooms, or newsgroups of interest. They may be geektavists, hackers, or consumers concerned about such issues as online privacy. Whatever a person's interests, cytizenship connotes the feeling of belonging to cyberspace, a place where many netizens feel very much at home.

To demote an executive into a totally meaningless job with the intention of getting him or her to quit (and to avoid having to complete the executive's contract).

A newsgroup in which postings are screened by a moderator before they're posted publicly (in Usenet, for example).