Internet Word of the Day Archive

February 01, 2011

What Washington, D.C., calls a hacker attack on government computer systems, in a cyberwar the offensive force picks the battlefield, and the other side may not even realize it's under attack. Just as with e-anything and i-anything, we are also seeing the use of "cyber-anything" (including cyberguerrilla, cybercop, and so on). These terms are usually used by journalists to create a sensation, but cyberwars are legitimate and can be very destructive.

For example, China denied reports that Chinese "cyberspies" had stolen sensitive data from thousands of computer across the world. An April, 2009 report by the Information Warfare Monitor, a Canadian watchdog group, said a Chinese spy ring had hacked classified documents from governments and organizations in 103 countries, including the Dalai Lama's private files! The group said the hackers could take complete control of computers, even activating microphones and cameras to spy on people in the vicinity.

The most well known brand of a digital video recorder (DVR), it is a stand alone piece of equipment used to record and save television prgrams on hard disks inside cable and satellite receivers. Basically it digitally records all of your favorite shows (and let's you fast forward easily through the commercials). For a full list of TiVo's features, click on the link below!

I hate you

February 02, 2011

For What It's Worth

A blanket term for the transmission of video data by TPC to homes and businesses. VDT is sometimes used in a competitive context with VOD (Video-On-Demand), but that is erroneous since the latter is the cable companies' term for transmitting interactive video services.

In slang usage on the Internet, it means to remove, censor, or ban material. Here's the story behind the term, as seen in "The Chronicles of George" (a link to this site is below):

There are one or two individuals who, for whatever reason, enjoy signing up new accounts every single day to post leftist drivel. Sometimes they are vanities from DemocraticUnderground. Sometimes they are articles from other far-left sources. Sometimes they are nothing but vile doctored images or profanity laced tirades. Sometimes they are from legitimate sources but happen to strike the eye of the poster as being something that would infuriate conservatives.

The posters in question always post the articles, and then don't reply. They then post other articles, again not replying. This was going on for months. Jim would confirm by looking at the IP addresses and other aspects of the user's 'footprint' that it was the returning troll, and we would nuke the accounts. This went on for months.

Then some of the opportunists who wanted to harm the forum started a whispering campaign, complaining about articles being deleted. They would play off of the fact that the trolls' articles were being pulled to complain that there was some sort of agenda of squelching legitimate conservative postings going on by the moderators.

One day I decided to try something new. I decided, instead of letting the trolls get what they want and have their posts up as flame bait, and instead of pulling the threads outright, I would move their post aside and replace it with something that hopefully others would find humorous. I would do this out in the forum for all to see. The original piece would be available through the history link for the curious, who could see if there was some sort of censorship campaign going on. And the 'freepers' could have fun mocking the troll if they so liked.

It so happens that the way I did it the first time was using a screen shot from Caddyshack, where the pastor gets hit by a lightning bolt. Being a bit of a fan of the comic strip "B.C." I captioned the photo with the lightning bolt sound that Johnny Hart used in his strip- ZOT! That is where the term Zot originated.

Now, sometimes we "zot", and sometimes we simply pull it. It depends on a number of factors, including how busy we are at the time. But whenever you see a Zot, you can be sure that the user was a newbie who was doing their hit-and-run posting, and that if you as a well-established freeper thought the article would have made an interesting discussion, then you could probably post the same piece yourself without incident (although the most vile of the stuff probably would get pulled, and Jim reserves the right to remove anyone who he feels is constantly trying to push leftist propaganda on the forum). Anyway, that is the history and background behind zotting. Thanks guys!

February 03, 2011

A part of a character string that, when used in text searches, makes finding a match much easier. When you are doing an online search on a search engine, you can place an asterisk (*) at the end of a keyword to broaden your search and retrieve more information. Here's how it works: If you type "market*" you'll find words that contain the root "market" as well as words such as "marketing," "marketplace," "marketer," or "markets." A wild card is also a keyboard symbol (such as an asterisk or a question mark) that in some programming languages can take the place of any other character.

Originally this was a term for the unpredictable part of a network that data travels through on its way to its final destination. In a packet-switched network, the physical path on which the data packet travels can vary from one packet to the next. In a circuit-switched network, the specific circuit can vary from one connection to the next.

It later morphed into "the cloud" - which refers to a style of computing in which dynamic, scalable and virtual resources are provided over the Internet. Known as cloud computing, it refers to services that provide common business applications online, which are accessed from a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers.

First In, First Out

February 04, 2011

Slang for someone who has been online since the beginning, one who "knows all" and has "done all."

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) in its most basic sense it is the delivery of computer infrastructure as a service instead of a product; kind of like "renting your computer equipment." Similar to SaaS and PaaS, IaaS is a provision model in which a vendor outsources the equipment used to support operations (including data storage and hardware equipment such as servers and networking components) and the client pays on a per-use basis.  The vendor or service provider owns the equipment and is responsible for housing, running and maintaining it, while the client pays for it and uses it to support business operations.

The original term was Hardware as a Service (HaaS), first coined by the economist Nicholas Carr in March 2006, it is now more commonly known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). The service is billed on a utility computing basis and so the cost depends on the amount of resources consumed and the level of activity. It is an evolution of Web hosting and VPNs.

Sex

February 05, 2011

Oh, I See

Unlike normal e-mail, which is accessed through a mail program configured for use on a specific computer, Webmail allows you to access your account on a Web page, using your browser. This means you can read, send, and organize your e-mail on any computer, anywhere in the world, with an Internet connection. Some Webmail accounts can also be configured to view your "regular" e-mail on the Web as well, which is a perfect solution for road warriors. A popular Webmail service is Hotmail, and privacy is protected by the use of a unique username and password. The main disadvantage of Webmail is that you have to view your e-mail while connected to the Net (this means you have to pay phone charges and it makes processing e-mail much slower).

Slang for compliments or statements of thanks, implying esteem for a work colleague. For example, "Mad props to Chris for being such a positive, promotional force in the planning of the party." It can also be a synonym for "friends," as in, "I've got my props with me, and they'll back me up if I need them." Props can also be proper respect, as in, "The class gave me props during my presentation."

February 06, 2011

A commonly used encryption system developed by Philip Zimmermann. It allows users to send e-mail messages to anyone in the world in complete privacy. With PGP, you can send authentication with your messages so that the recipient can verify that the message really came from you. You can also encrypt sensitive files on your computer so that they remain private even if your computer and disks are stolen.

For a more in-depth look at how PGP works, click on the "more info" button below!

There are many uses for this term, with subtle differences in meaning. The most technically correct usage is for a single HTML file that contains text and images, is part of a Web site, and has an individual file name assigned to it. When viewed by a Web browser, this file could actually be several screen dimensions long (appearing as more than "a page"). Many times, on the Web, a user must "scroll down the page" in order to view the rest of the contents on the screen. Even if "the page" prints out at ten pages long, that one HTML file is considered a single "Web page."

Large Web sites are said to have hundreds of pages of information. In this usage, "page" refers to the actual hundreds of separate documents varying in length, each with a different topic or subject. Web page length was once judged by how many lines of the content happened to fit on a printed 8 1/2" x 11" page, but this usage is out-of-date.

Digital information is not bound to the same restrictions as printed information. (There was once a time when graphic designers who had crossed over from the print industry and became Web designers would estimate a fee for designing an online project based on how many printed pages it came out to. This thinking is obsolete as Web designers realize the value is not in the amount of content but rather in how it is organized.) The term "Web page" also refers to an entire Web site.

You may hear someone ask, "Have you got a Web page?" This usage pertains to the collection of "pages" that are "housed" under one domain name. It is also referred to as a homepage.

Good Luck -or- Get Lost

An example of 3-way linking is when a person owns two Web sites, and uses one of the Web sites to offer link exchanges, in an attempt to build up the popularity of the other. In doing so, he or she adds a link to your site on the link exchange Web site, and asks in return that you link to the main site being promoted.

The higher a search engine can return your Web site when a user types in a keyword, the more traffic your Web site will receive. These optimized results are important on an ever-growing World Wide Web, and that's why Google is so revered: their algorithms produce the best results. Webmasters attempt to do all they can to accommodate the search bots, so as to increase their search results and their page rank. However, Google regularly penalizes Web sites for too many paid links and lowers page ranks. This is why 3-way linking and dedicated pages are becoming more important.

Many search algorithms are able to detect link trading as an artificial means of boosting the popularity of a Web site, thereby discounting the value of these links. By doing a 3-way link between Web sites hosted on different servers, a Webmaster can build link popularity without the search engine detecting the trade as easily.

The image illustrates the example: Site A represents you, the Webmaster of your own site. Sites B & C are owned by us. Site A links to Site B and Site C links to Site A. (If search Google for "3-way link" below, it will bring back several current Webmaster forum links and postings.)

February 07, 2011

An accolade bestowed upon those in the industry who actually "get it" in terms of knowing how to combine Internet technology with Web design, it is also a name given to the person who handles all of the Web/Internet needs of an organization or company. The term "Web guru" appeared circa 1995 to describe a "Web grrl" or "programmer dude" who inherently understood how to combine computers and the Internet and the Web for useful applications and interesting multimedia design. As the term implies, a guru is also concerned with developing sites that have a purpose. They are passionate about what they do. The norm in Silicon Valley is that this person works until late at night, sleeps all day, goes to Craig's List parties, and drinks lots of mochas. Can also be a Webmaster, but not all Webmasters are gurus.

Also seen as "n" it is a prefix to denote one billionth, as in nanosecond.

Laughing So Hard I Think I Peed A Little

February 08, 2011

The advanced features on a computer system or software program, as in, "Buy this model or get this version. It's got all the bells-and-whistles."

Someone who commutes from a suburban neighborhood to the downtown area. It usually refers to working in the inner-city area and being up scaled for dot-com startup companies. This term is heard frequently in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.

Best Friends Forever Til The End

February 09, 2011

A three-way interaction in a client/server environment, in which the user interface is stored in the client, the bulk of the business application logic is stored in one or more servers, and the data is stored in a database server.

Calm Yourself

Online jargon that refers to the community of MySpace as opposed to Facebook.

Coined by social networking scholar Danah Boyd in a book chapter as reported by MIT's Technology Review, she theorizes that people fled MySpace first because they got scared of it, eventually coming to see it as a sort of "digital ghetto" filled with creepy spammers, weirdo goth kids and people of color (as opposed to the predominantly white audience on Facebook).

For more info, visit the link below!

February 10, 2011

For The Time Being

Slang for the covert act of delaying progress on a project as long as possible in order to avoid its ultimate termination.

This is a feature of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), which "encases" an encrypted message in ASCII to allow it to be e-mailed as a regular message.

February 11, 2011

Face-to-Face

A toolbar that contains word commands instead of buttons, the menu bar generally has a drop-down menu for each item.

An individual or group within a company that makes sure software and hardware development follows established corporate guidelines. The "architecture police" also rein in excessively creative development efforts in conservative organizations.

February 12, 2011

As opposed to hot potato routing, this phrase refers to data packets that are kept on a server's backbone until the last possible minute. Often used for streaming media, this kind of routing enables hosts to keep the data on their backbone with zero packet-loss and zero latency until they get as close as possible to the end-user, thus supporting hundreds of thousands of concurrent users.

also seen as: n00b -or- nub -or- no0blet

A concert transmitted via cell phone. A "cellcert" happens when a person dials a friend and hold up his or her cell phone so the friend can enjoy the show.

For example, let's say that Natasha is at a Madonna concert. By prearrangement, as the concert begins, she makes a cell phone call to her friend Tina. As Madonna walks out on stage, Natasha begins narrating what Madonna is wearing, what she is saying, how the crowd is reacting, and so on. Meanwhile Tina is busily typing a version of the narration onto an online Madonna fan site, so a virtual audience around the world can experience the next best thing to being there.

February 13, 2011

A technology that uses lasers and optical transceivers to send signal-bearing photons directly through the air instead of over fiber-optic glass.

Dancing In The Rain

The digital equivalent of the "do not call" registry that prohibits telemarketing phone calls, the "do not track" initiative is a way for users to avoid being monitored online.

Spearheaded by Firefox, who is exploring ways to create a do-not-track mechanism, one approach would be to automatically opt-out of online tracking. For example, when you open a Web browser, a "do not track me" option would be available and as you surf, your browser would alert ad companies and other fingerprinters that you don't want to be tracked.

Historical perspective: In late 2010, the website "AboutAds.info" allows people to opt out of 58 tracking companies with a single click, and "PrivacyChoice.org" has compiled a list of 274 companies that use tracking technology.

February 14, 2011

Notes that you can add to documents. These notes are stored on your local disk (hard drive) and are available each time you access a document. This feature is found in some Web browsers as well.

All Done Bye Bye

The name for an acronym so old that no one knows what it stands for anymore. Common examples include NKVD and SPQR.

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

February 15, 2011

Slang for a mainframe, it is also a play on "big brass," referring to mainframe management.

The main circuit board of a computer, it contains the central processing unit (CPU) and other necessary components.

You're Welcome

February 16, 2011

Wise Old Guy

The area surrounding one's computer, where trinkets, personal mementos, toys and monitor pets are displayed. This is the place where geeks can "show their colors."

As part of a university project simulating an identity theft ring, elite teams of hackers (good guys) harvested millions of names, birth dates and social security numbers in less than an hour using Google. It turns out that the powerful search engine can ferret out all kids of sensitive information never meant to be made public.

The right keywords and search terms can even find information deleted from corporate or government Web sites but temporarily cached in Google's massive warehouse of data. The cybercops were quick to point out that the problem isn't with Google, but rather with the corporatations. "If they're performing proper security, then their intranet shouldn't be vulnerable."

February 17, 2011

The plain text version of an encrypted password.

Slang for an incubator that tries to create a great company virtually overnight but fails miserably. Most often, it fails for all the most common causes, normal reasons that the incubator seemingly overlooked or thought would not be relevant.

Thanks

February 18, 2011

The piece of hardware a user wears over the face while playing a virtual reality game or experiencing simulated environments.

One who uses a coin-operated computer terminal installed in a coffee house to log into cyberspace.

That's Pretty Stupid

February 19, 2011

In reference to Ross Perot, it means to quit unexpectedly, as in "My cell phone just perot'd."

An Eye For Any Eye

February 20, 2011

Developed by Sun Microsystems, it is a programming language specifically designed for writing programs that can be safely downloaded through the Internet without fear of viruses or other harm to computers or files. Using small Java programs called applets, Web pages can include functions such as animations, calculators, and other fancy tricks. Java is a simple, robust, object-oriented, platform-independent, multi-threaded, dynamic, general-purpose programming environment. It is best used for creating applets and applications for intranets, the Internet, and any other complex, distributed network. For more information on Java, visit this definition on NetLingo.com.

Slang for software that is so worthless it remains in the shrink-wrapped box on the shelf above your desk. In a practical sense, it refers to any kind of software program you buy at a big box store, off of a shelf (as opposed to downloading it).

It's counterpart, selfware, refers to a subscription-based software service.

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

February 21, 2011

A modem that plugs into a cable network to provide Internet access, typically for homes or small businesses. It receives Internet data over the same type of cable that cable television uses (coaxial cable or fiber-optic cable). Cable modems provide more bandwidth (up to 10 Mbps) than regular modems (which send signals over regular telephone lines, see: POTS). Data-intensive operations, like video, are easily delivered. Cable modems have maximum data rates that are six times those of a T1 dedicated line, but since cable connections are shared, the actual speed is comparable to that of a phone line using DSL.

Big Damn Number

A condition resulting in tweeting frequent, short bursts of the most minute daily activities, it is feeling compelled to tweet constantly about every meaningless thing you do. It also refers to the collection of tweets from a group of people about the same event, resulting in highly repetitive clumps of observations.

A managed services provider (MSP), is typically an information technology (IT) services provider, who manages and assumes responsibility for providing a defined set of services to their clients either proactively or as they (and not the client) determine that the services are needed. Most MSPs bill an upfront setup or transition and an ongoing flat or near-fixed monthly fee, which benefits their clients by providing them with predictable IT support costs and around the clock reliability.

February 22, 2011

A 1-to-1 marketing model in which all the information about a customer, gathered throughout the history of that customer's relationship with the company, is used to market to that customer in a way that promotes trust, loyalty, and therefore, increased sales.

Customer Relationship Marketing is not the same as Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

An electronically distributed newsletter, most commonly sent via e-mail. Online newsletters are usually devoted to specific topics. Some Web-based newsletters are considered very valuable and are only available with a paid subscription (once payment is received, the site provides subscribers with a username and password for access).

Refers to a document that is submitted electronically.

Yet Another Bloody Acronym

February 23, 2011

Away From Keyboard -or- A Free Kill

Corporate-speak for sleeping with your eyes open. A popular pastime at conferences and early-morning meetings. "Didn't he notice that half the room was glazing by the second slide?"

A small, very light, and inexpensive laptop computer with limited memory, "netbooks" are best suited for general computing and accessing web-based applications. Basically they are nothing more than smaller, cheaper laptops.

February 24, 2011

A person who commits acts of piracy.

Refers to an image built to 250+ pixels/inch. Desktop and offset printing requires much higher resolution than on-screen graphics, and as a result, image files are much larger. 300ppi has become the de facto standard for print res images.

god

February 25, 2011

Are You Under 18?

February 26, 2011

a.k.a. "a database manager"

A collection of programs that enable multiple users within a system to store, modify, and extract information from a database. The system maintains the integrity of the data (its availability and organization) and permits only those with access privileges to use it. There are several different types, from small systems that run on PCs to large systems that run on mainframes.

The following systems commonly use DBMSs: computerized library systems, automated teller machines, flight reservation systems, and computerized inventory systems, to name a few. Each DBMS differs, and terms such as "relational," "network," "flat," and "hierarchical" are commonly used to describe the way a DBMS organizes information internally. This internal organization affects how quickly you can extract information. Different database management systems support different query languages, as well (such as the semi-standardized query language called SQL). Sophisticated languages for managing database systems are sometimes called "fourth-generation languages" (4GLs for short).

Double Incomes, No Kids

Slang for a group of servers.

February 27, 2011

If you are a PC user, this Windows program is one you will need to decompress most of the files you download from the Internet. (Mac users, check out StuffIt.) WinZip brings the convenience of a Windows interface to the use of ZIP files, without requiring PKZIP and PKUNZIP. The wizard makes unzipping easier than ever. WinZip features built-in support for popular Internet file formats, including TAR, Gzip, Unix compress, UUencode, BinHex, and MIME. Visit this definition on NetLingo.com to download the program.

Big Smile And A Wink

Slang for the rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank-and-file. Decisions that fall from the "adminisphere" are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.

February 28, 2011

The multimedia links on a Web page that let you download graphics, sound clips, video files, or text documents.

Traditionally this term refers to the delay that occurs when a large amount of users are "on" the information superhighway, or when a dirty connection slows down the retrieval of data from a server.

Like many good Internet terms, its meaning has morphed to describe the unfortunate physical side-effects of being online for an extended period of time. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, "the condition resembles jetlag, but can also entail eye and muscle strain". You knew there had to be a word for it!

Good Luck and Good Hunting