Internet Word of the Day Archive

June 01, 2011

An error message indicating there is an error occurring on the server. Server errors have codes in the 500 range.

Online jargon, also known as text message shorthand, it is used primarily in texting, online chat, instant messaging, email, blogs, and newsgroup postings, it is spelled in all lowercase because it's also considered a form of leetspeak.

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

Queue -or- Question

June 02, 2011

Refers to adult content Web sites.

Public Domain

Developed by Cisco Systems, it is standard security protocol used in authenticating the identity of a computer or device seeking remote access to privileged data (such as that behind a firewall). Its improved version (TACACS+) provides full services (authentication, authorization, and accounting) of an AAA Server for e-commerce.

June 03, 2011

A set of APIs developed by Microsoft to let programmers access the hardware features of a computer without knowing exactly what hardware will be installed on the machine where their programs eventually run. Several versions of DirectX focus on multimedia hardware and applications.

Two Shakes of a Rat's Ass

A celebration pizza, ordered after successfully writing and debugging a program.

June 04, 2011

a.k.a. "backbone provider"

A company that provides Internet access to ISPs. NSPs offer direct access to the Internet backbone and to the Network Access Points (NAPs).

Online jargon, also known as text message shorthand, it is used primarily in texting, online chat, instant messaging, email, blogs, and newsgroup postings, it is spelled in all lowercase because it's also considered a form of leetspeak.

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

You Talk Too Much

June 05, 2011

To send nasty or insulting messages via e-mail or to post them on a newsgroup or a blog. This is usually done in response to someone having broken the rules of netiquette. A "flamer" is someone who sends these message, sometimes resulting in a flame war.

Read the New York Times article below "Flame First, Think Later: New Clues to E-Mail Misbehavior"

A vendor-specific extension to SQL designed specifically for business managers. It augments SQL with a variety of operations appropriate to data analysis and decision support applications such as ranking, moving averages, comparisons, market share, this year vs. last year, etc. It was developed to simplify the creation of complex business queries.

Idiot

June 06, 2011

A round, read-only optical storage medium made of nonmagnetic material. Read from and written to by laser, discs include CDs (Compact Discs), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory), laserdiscs, DVDs (videodiscs), and the like.

Easy as One, Two, Three

Slang for the growing market in low-cost electric "neighborhood vehicles" (or NVs). Federal regulators recently created a new "low-speed vehicle" class, exempting these autos from conventional passenger car standards that were allegedly holding the market back.

June 07, 2011

Data that has been filtered of errors, duplications, and other information not necessarily useful to applications.

An HTML tag used by Web page authors for providing a description of the Web site. Whatever is written in the description tag will appear in search engine listings.

Sick Of Me Yet

June 08, 2011

A technology used to embed information in audio and graphical material so the content's origin can be determined (and it's destination controlled). It is implemented with lasers that carve tiny slots on the surface of CD-ROMs and DVDs.

Steganography is intended for use on digital songs, movies, and e-books, primarily to monitor intellectual property (some execs are also eyeing it as a potential advertising space).

On The Scene -or- On The Spot -or- Off The Shelf

Anyone who has ever overdrawn a bank account could soon be in the market for a product now being developed at MIT's Media Lab, said D.C. Denison in The Boston Globe. Called the "proverbial wallet," it literally becomes more difficult to open as its owner's bank account runs low on money. The magnetized wallet uses embedded technology to connect to the owner's bank account via Bluetooth.

The wallets are part of the Media Lab's mission to connect the virtual and physical worlds. Lab researchers are also working on a 3-D printer that can "read" a solid object and produce a 3-D copy. A demonstration version of the printer, called "Eat Your Face," turns an image of a person's face into a three-dimensional scullpture, made of solid dark chocolate! - As seen in The Week, July 2010

June 09, 2011

A program that allows a user to sort e-mail messages according to information contained in the header. This is one way you can block spam.

A term in geocaching to describe the hidden cache or newly discovered treasure.

Aren't You Clever -or- Aren't You Cheeky

June 10, 2011

Keep It Simple Stupid

An idea that has been around for many years (and called many names), it is a technique that allows software writers to make the same kinds of shortcuts (called "crosscutting concerns") that are made in the real world. For instance, instead of having to write a rule like "when this happens, then do this" throughout many areas of the application, a programmer can write it in one place. Championed by Gregor Kiczales at Xerox PARC, the goal is to let programmers work more quickly and at a higher design level.

See: generation d

June 11, 2011

a.k.a. "MPEG-1, audio layer 3"

A standard for storing and transmitting music in digital format across the Net. MP3 was developed in January 1988 by Leonardo Chiariglione and others at the University of Erlangen, in Germany. It is considered an amazing new standard for digital audio compression because it can compress file sizes at a ratio of 12:1 while still preserving sound quality.

For example, with a standard Wave Audio file, an audio sample at CD Quality (44KHz, 16-bit, stereo) takes up 172 bytes for every second. With MP3 compression at the standard bit-rate of 128 Kbps, each second takes only 16 bytes. By compressing at lower bit-rates, MP3's can take just 12 bytes per second, with slight quality loss.

The only disadvantage to this format is that MP3's need to be decoded during playback. This is done with a player, such as WinAmp or Winplay3. To play MP3's, you'll need a fairly decent computer (such as a Pentium 100 processor with 16 megabytes of RAM, minimum). If you have a slower machine, MP3s can still be played, but at reduced quality. You'll need an MP3 Player to hear the music while you're away from your computer.

There's more info when you click on the More button!

Not Safe For Work

The practice of taking the Bieb’s name in vain to drive traffic to your Twitter handle, blog, or Web site. In reference to Justin Bieber, "bieber baiting" is considered an Internet crime just as much as black hatting.

June 12, 2011

A software component that controls a peripheral device.

A word, term, or expression that has recently been invented in order to define a new meaning. For example, "wallpaper" originally referred only to the material you would use to cover a room's walls; now, it also refers to the colors or images that adorn your desktop.

The rate of neologisms has increased dramatically with the introduction of new technology and the Internet, producing many of the words found in NetLingo (such as emoticon and netiquette).

Almost Good Bridge

June 13, 2011

Busy

This is a more contemporary way of referring to how much time you have available. "I don't have the cycles to attend that meeting today." Or, "I will have the cycles tomorrow to be able to manage that project."

Software designed to create online publications, online magazines and online photo albums that have a realistic page turning effect (complete with page turning sound), replacing flat traditional documents.

Not to be confused with a "flip book" or a "flick book," a book with a series of pictures that vary gradually from one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to animate by simulating motion or some other change.

Note: The term FlippingBookâ„¢ (with a capital F and a capital B) is a trademark.

June 14, 2011

The End Of The World As We Know It

First introduced in November 1996, it is known as the original virtual reality pet. Looking like a small egg attached to a key chain (or bracelet), a Tamagotchi is actually a tiny handheld LCD video game with touch-screen user controls and a software program that displays the image of an animal. The object of the game is to simulate proper pet care and maintenance (so your virtual pet grows). You must interact with it on a regular basis; interaction includes such parental responsibilities as feeding, playing games, scolding, medicating, and cleaning up after the darn thing. If insufficient attention is paid, the creature disappears or "dies."

The popularity of this device has been phenomenal. For example, in June 1997, Tamagotchis were so popular that Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us could not keep them in stock; within 24 hours, the FAO Schwartz flagship store in Manhattan sold out of its first shipment of 10,000 units; an armored Brinks truck delivered 3,000 Tamagotchis to its sister store in San Francisco, and those were gone within 5 hours. Originally made by Bandai Toys of Japan, there are now several other manufacturers making similar interactive toys.

A play on the word "drumroll" this expression refers to bloggers who cite every single blog they read. For example, "Citing your references and influences is a great and necessary thing, but obsessively listing every single blog you read --the so-called 'blogroll'-- is just noise."

June 15, 2011

A set of hardware devices connected to each other in a series, where the first device connects to the computer, the second device connects to the first, the third device connects to the second, and so on. "Daisy chain" is also used as a verb to describe the act of connecting devices in this pattern.

An expression from golf, used to signify that something is almost finished.

Very Evil Grin

June 16, 2011

In Web programming languages, it is the code that describes a command or instruction so that a Web browser will be able to interpret and display it. In order to link an image or word on a Web page, you must put specific tags around the image or word in the code. This is known as basic HTML and it's pretty easy. Look up the HTML definition for more info.

The word "tag" has evolved to describe a way of organizing information when "social tagging." See: tagging

Forever

Slang for a venture capitalist who puts money into a company and then abandons it (as many did after the Nasdaq plunge on April 14, 2000).

June 17, 2011

The process of moving through a Web site or "surfing the Net," using a World Wide Web browser and clicking on a variety of hyperlinks. Derived from the notion of "browsing" through a store, the term implies you are "just looking," but in fact, you are interacting: You must point-and-click to get to the next Web page.

The address or URL of a particular Web site, it is the text name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a computer on the Internet. For example: www.netlingo.com is the domain name for the numeric IP address "66.201.69.207." There is an organization called InterNIC that registers domain names for a fee, to keep people from registering the same name. To register a domain name, you can contact a company (such as Network Solutions, Inc.) or you can ask your ISP or hosting company to register names for you.

There are many domain name suffixes, including:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .edu
• .gov
• .mil
• .ac
• .arts
• .biz
• .firm
• .info
• .name
• .pro
• .rec
• .store
• .web
• .tv
• .aero
• .arpa
• .cat
• .coop
• .museum
• .int
• .jobs
• .mobi
• .travel
• .co
• and the list of country codes

BTW: Did you know the most popular domain-length is 11 characters, and there are more than 500 63-character domains registered, including DIDYOUKNOWTHATYOUCANONLYHAVESIXTY - THREECHARACTERSINADOMAIN - NAME.com ;-) Internet trivia!

As A Matter Of Fact

June 18, 2011

Refers to a small program (as in file size) or an application that does not take up a lot of room on a user's hard drive. It runs on a user's machine (a client) as opposed to a server. This program may interact with a larger (fatter) program, which could be located on a server somewhere else.

Thinking Of You

Hip-hop slang for getting f***ED over, dissED, screwED, or rippED off, you see this phrase in chat rooms and on the newsgroups.

June 19, 2011

A network that uses high-speed, long-distance communications cables or satellites to connect computers over distances greater than those traversed by LANs (which range about two miles). The Internet itself is considered a WAN.

Thanks For The Thought

If you've ever been told to buy an "unlocked" cell phone, unlocked means that it is recharged with prepaid cards instead of being on a monthly payment plan with a single carrier. This also means that the same cell phone can be used with carriers in other countries (assuming the frequency is the same) with a simple switch of the SIM card for under $40 in most cases. 

June 20, 2011

A technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. Pre-1970, the term was primarily used in the food processing and agriculture industries, but it has since expanded to refer to genetic engineering, artificial selection, and hybridization.

The reason why this term is included in NetLingo is because while it combines disciplines like genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology, and cell biology, it is in turn linked to practical disciplines like chemical engineering, information technology, and robotics.

But Wait, There's More

A group of Twitter users interested in a common topic.

June 21, 2011

Plural of index, it is a listing or directory of more than one index. Also known as an "index of indexes" or a "directory of directories."

The defacing of schools, libraries, and other public spaces with advertisements, logos, or corporate slogans.

Credit Check

June 22, 2011

Goodbye (in Italian)

Wireless applications of the future will know what you're doing, where you're doing it, and maybe even why. The idea is known as "conceptually aware" software and networks.

Wireless apps will be able to sense what information users need and when they need it based on who they are, the time of day, and what tasks they're working on. Then they'll deliver that information using push capabilities and alerts. For example, you'll be able to receive the information you need through e-mail messages and even voice.

It will work like this: When you get in your car, the network will know it, and it will know that it's 7:30am. Your network access will automatically switch from your computer to your phone to your car as you move through your day. It'll send you information that the freeway you're about to enter is backed up and provide an alternate route.

The key to contextually aware apps will be wireless sensors that collect and disseminate data. There will be sensors throughout your house and cities will be sensor-rich. Other examples we may see around the year 2015 are instruments that you wear to monitor a chronic health condition, or knowing whether a co-worker is available and whether he's giving a presentation in a conference room, talking on the phone, or even just moving among offices.

Disconnect anxiety describes what happens to people when they get cut off from their technological source, such as a cell phone, email, social networking site, blog, or the Web in general.

Sentiment analysis is a research method that aims to determine the attitude of a speaker or a writer with respect to a particular newsgroup topic, blog post, website comment, or overall tonality of a document or Web page. The attitude may be his or her judgment (or evaluation), the emotional state of the author, or the intended emotional communication.

The basic task of sentiment analysis is to classify the emotional degree of a given word in a document or sentence--whether the expressed opinion is positive, negative, or neutral. Beyond the basic emotional degree of a statement, sentiment classification looks, for instance, at emotional states such as "angry," "sad," and "happy."

However, senitment analysis can be tricky when performed by computers (or algorithms) because they often lack the "sentiment" of humans; in other words, computers do not always understand the semantics associated with feeling. For example, if a user describes a particular game as being "sick" in a gamer blog, it means something good, but the same word "sick" is not associated as a positive sentiment within health-oriented websites.

The rise of social media, such as blogs and social networking, has fueled interest in sentiment analysis. With the proliferation of reviews, ratings, recommendations and other forms of online expression, online opinion has turned into a kind of virtual currency for businesses looking to market their products, identify new opportunities and manage their reputations. As businesses look to automate the process of filtering out the noise, listening to the conversations, and identifying the relevant content so as to act appropriately, many are now moving away from market research and looking to the field of sentiment analysis. According to Wikipedia, if Web 2.0 was all about democratizing publishing, then the next stage of the Web may well be based on democratizing data mining of all the content that is getting published.

June 23, 2011

Slang for a large file or graphic that seemingly takes forever to download. This can also refer to a person who seemingly spends all of his or her time online ;-)

This refers to electrical devices or machines that "can be plugged in" and make use of actual electrons (such as hardware). It also refers to that which is digital and makes use of binary numbers (such as software).

Rolling On The Ground Laughing

June 24, 2011

Prefix to denote one trillion, as in terabyte.

Text or graphics that contain a link to another location. When a user clicks on the "hotlink", they are then taken to the other location of content found either on the same, or different server.

June 25, 2011

A standard protocol that handles a PC's connection with a broadband service. Basically, PPPoE identifies a user to the ISP.

Slang for the act of transmitting a signal up to a satellite. For example, "Crew and talent are ready...what time do we squirt the bird?"

Ta Ta MOFO

June 26, 2011

A form of education in which the student learns by executing special training programs on a computer (primarily via CD-ROM or a bunch of floppies). Unlike Web-based training programs, CBT does not require an Internet connection. CBT is especially effective for training people to use computer applications, because it can be integrated within a tutorial so that students actually use an application as they study it.

A limited version of a software product, available for download as freeware. The key features are usually disabled. The purpose of demoware is to give you a feel for what the software package is like, so that you'll buy the full, commercial version when it is available.

Back At Keyboard

June 27, 2011

A standard script for running programs on a server from a Web page. CGI programs (also called scripts) can be run independently and were designed to be external so they can run under various (possibly different) servers interchangeably. The most common CGI scripts found on the Web are programs that process the information a user enters on a form. For example, whenever you fill in information or choose from a list of radio button options on a Web page, you are most likely filling out a CGI form. Once you hit the "submit" button, the form is sent to the server. There, the form's output is handled by a CGI script, which will call on other programs as necessary (such as a database search engine or a mailer program). Gateways conforming to this specification can be written in any language that produces an executable file. Some of the more popular languages that use CGI include: C or C++, Perl, Python, TCL, shells, and many others.

A nickname for IT professionals or any person who is so passionate about the Internet that he or she knows how to operate almost all of the programs and uses them for business or pleasure on a daily basis. There are a lot of heads hanging around, including bellhead, chiphead, gearhead, gopherhead, modemhead, penguinhead, propellerhead, and Web head.

Who Does That?

June 28, 2011

An IP address that is the same every time you log on to the Internet.

A person who plays any one of many electronic games, including video games, PC games, online games, handheld games, wireless games, and interactive TV games. The term "gamer" is usually reserved for enthusiasts who are considered to be experts in the realm of playing interactive online games.

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

what's up?

A customized domain name. As of June, 2011, a Web address can only end with one of 22 suffixes — .com, org or .org|.org]] and .net are among the most popular — but soon websites will end with more tailored suffixes such as .kids, .shop or .nyc (known as a brand domain).

The body in charge of deciding the rules for website names, ICANN (International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), announced in June, 2011 that it will liberalize the market of address endings — also known as gTLD’s, generic top-level domains — allowing anyone to choose whatever suffix they want for their website, including ideograms and Arabic characters.

June 29, 2011

An open, extensible, industry-standard scene description language for 3-D scenes on the Internet. With VRML and certain software tools, you can create and view distributed, interactive 3-D worlds that are rich with text, images, animation, sound, music, and even video. The goal of VRML is to create the infrastructure and conventions of cyberspace, a multi-user space of many virtual worlds on the Net.

Search The Web

An @reply is a Twitter update that begins with @username. It is a way to say something directly back to another person.

People say a lot of things on Twitter and sometimes you want to say something back.  It used to be that Twitter folks wanted to talk directly to each other so badly that they started using the @+username+message to designate their message as a reply to another person. Since people loved using it so much, Twitter made it an official feature. 

On Twitter, you can start a tweet with @username and it will appear in the person's replies tab.  You can also reply directly from someone's tweet.

This is different from a "mention", which is a Twitter update that contains @username in the body of the tweet. The folks at Twitter noticed people frequently search for their user name (@username) to find the tweets that mention their own user name anywhere in the tweet (rather than just the beginning). So now mentions are also included under the replies tab. If you include more than one person in your update and you use the @username format, that person will also see the update in their replies tab. All tweets containing @username are collected for you, accessible by a link in your sidebar.  Click on your user name to see all replies made to you, and mentions of your user name.

Click here to see a large image with examples!

To learn more about Twitter, including direct messages, you're going to have to RTM (which by the way, comes to you as information in forums, ugh)! It's a whole new twitterverse out there >^,,^<

June 30, 2011

An input/output (I/O) device that allows you to send commands to a computer that's somewhere else. At a minimum, a terminal consists of a keyboard, a display screen, and some simple circuitry. Usually, on a PC, you will use terminal software such as Telnet, which emulates or pretends to be a physical terminal, allowing you to type commands to a remote computer.

Great Minds Think Alike

A sarcastic term for the Internet, it is used in the context of parody regarding an inexperienced, unskilled, or incoherent user. For example, "Hey guys, I'm using the interweb!"

As unbelievable as it may sound, "interweb" was added as a new word to the third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English in 2010.