Internet Word of the Day Archive

February 02, 2013

Don't Know Don't Care

To conduct banking via a Web site. Most major banks allow users to access account balances, transfer money, pay bills, and perform other banking procedures while online.

An application that is resident on a merchant's server (or a server located at the merchant's ISP or CSP) that accepts payment information, encrypts it and routes it across the Internet to a payment gateway.

Thanks From Me

February 03, 2013

In the industry, failure is when a business becomes unsuccessful, ceases to function, or declares chapter 11. Entrepreneurs do not look at failure as totally negative. Instead, when they hear your first business failed, they'll say, "Welcome to the club." Many successful business people will tell you they've gone through dozens of failures before getting it right. So then, failure is not always lack of success, it is when you know something is wrong but you choose to do it anyway. Take petstore.com for example, where did they fail in that, in listening to experts and following a dream? Unless it is based on poor management or the like, a business failure is better thought of as a life lesson.

A LAN that connects data devices with wireless transmissions (such as radio or infrared) instead of phone lines or fiber-optics.

no problem

where are you?

February 04, 2013

The name for a loss of contact between two IRC servers, it is usually fixed in a short period of time. When two IRC servers lose contact with each other, the whole network splits. Users on the same side of the network can still communicate, but they lose contact with users on the other side.

No OFfence Intended

Tears Running Down My Cheeks

With the advent of scanners, desktop publishing, page layout programs, and advanced printing options, the hobby of scrapbooking has gone digital. Computers make it relatively easy to create professional-looking layouts in digital form, and the Internet allows "scrapbookers" to self-publish their work.

Because the images are all digital, there can be a greater diversity of materials, and you can manipulate page elements using editing software without making permanent adjustments. Some Web-based digital scrapbooks include a variety of wallpapers and skins to help users create a rich visual experience.

There is also less environmental impact, major cost savings, and the ability to share finished pages more readily on the Internet, via blogs, Web pages, and social networking sites.

Digital scrapbooking has advanced to the point where digital scrapbook layouts may be made entirely online using Web-based software. Users upload their photos, create a digital scrapbook layout using a Web page and digital scrapbook graphics. The layout can then be downloaded as a low-resolution JPG file for sharing on the Web or as a high-resolution JPG file for printing.

February 05, 2013

Slang for an exclamation point (!). "Bang" is used to signify surprise in an online forum. Users type out "bang" to emphasize what they've just said.

E-mailing While Intoxicated

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.

Parents Looking Over Shoulder

February 06, 2013

Wordsmith In Training

A low-cost financial transaction paid with an e-wallet or via an online service such as PayPal. Micropayments enable the sale of digital content, like music, archived news stories and photographs, for as low as a penny.

A micropayment is any kind of Internet transaction that is for a very small amount, such as a subscription or pay-for-research service. For example, Apple Computer's iTunes online music service, which charges 99 cents a song, is a form of micropayment.

As opposed to generating revenue exclusively from online ads, some publishers are turning to a subscription-based business model. Publishers charge users a small fee to access their online content (which allows Web sites to get rid of online ads thereby making the browsing experience more pleasant). For users, it's similar to paying for a magazine, newspaper, or cable TV subscription each month. The challenge is that many netizens feel information on the Web should be free (see: dot-commies), yet at the same time, the majority of content-worthy sites need to generate revenue from their online presence. The hope is that eventually subscriptions will become accepted online, especially if they are cheap, have little or no advertising, and supplement the content with additional material.

Not Before Time

February 07, 2013

A number, created by an operating system, that computers use to reconstruct data sent over the Internet.

A grassroots phenomenon whereby users label Web sites with descriptive tags, building a network of knowledge dubbed folksonomy -- a taxonomy of knowledge organized by ordinary folk. Yahoo! was quick to spot this trend, as are other Web sites linked to below.

The term "tag" has evolved to refer to content that identifies a particular image or file, to be used in conjunction with other images or files of the same tag. On some Web sites, communities have formed around particular tags, for example: the tag "memorymaps" refers to digital scrapbooks that make use of the ability to annotate photographs with boxes (which display pop-up captions when the mouse pointer rolls over them). Starting with a satellite image of a city or town, users attach captions to places of particular significance, for example old school friends' houses or high school hangouts. Other communities sprinkle maps with restaurants, cinemas, and other places of interest. Hey, people are into it!

Basically it is an intelligent method and tool for browsing and sharing the best Web sites.

Hold On

Rolling My Eyes To The Heavens

February 08, 2013

A traditional firewall is a specially programmed computer system that "stands" between an organization's LAN and the Internet. It is a security measure used by many companies to prevent hackers and other unauthorized users from accessing internal networks. The firewall computer is set up to monitor traffic and to keep unauthorized crackers from tampering with the system, thereby protecting a private network from a public network. Firewalls are also set up to protect the security of servers.

A personal firewall is software that is installed on an user's PC which controls communications to and from the user's PC. It differs from the traditional firewall in that a personal firewall will not protect any more than the one PC it is installed on (unless other PCs are sharing Internet connectivity via the protected PC). It is also different from a conventional firewall in the sense that permits or denys communications based on security measures, for example, your firewall program will prompt you each time a connection is attempted, and based on which sites you allow, it will remember your preferences and determine which Internet traffic you allow on your PC. So if you see an adware program trying to get through, all you do is deny it! Personal firewalls also provide a level of intrusion detection, meaning it will terminate or block connectivity when it suspects an intrusion is being attempted (by spyware, for example).

The term comes from firefighting; a firewall is a barrier established to prevent the spread of fire. Experts agree that a firewall is considered a first line of defense in protecting private information and for greater security, data can be encrypted.

A celebrity Web site created by a fan but not officially endorsed by the star.

Works For Me

At Your Own Risk

February 09, 2013

Fasten Your Seat Belts It's Going To Be A Bumpy Night

Named after Marty Rimm, author of the dubious "cyberporn" study from Carnegie Mellon University, it refers to a bogus academic study masquerading as legitimate science (which in his case, Time magazine gullibly took as gospel).

Stressed Out Big Time

Often seen on Facebook, "ooVoo" refers to a free high-quality video chat service where you can talk live, face-to-face, with up to 6 people at once. It also offers video conferencing services for businesses but is most popular for the "vidchat" application.

With ooVoo, people can connect with anyone, anytime, with video calls, video messages, phone calls, and text, often with unintended consequences! Read my blog posting below about Chat Roulette and watch the Fox News video here.

February 10, 2013

Be Back Soon Darling

Workplace slang that refers to the experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed somehow in the end.

On Second Thought

An abbreviation is a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole. Abbreviations such as Dr. for Doctor and U.S. for United States, and lb. for pound are well known in the offline world. In the online world abbreviations, referred to as shorthand, along with acronyms and leetspeak have created a language of its own.

Often seen in newsgroup postings, chat rooms, blogs, and social networking sites, and used in texting, instant messaging, and email, there is a difference between acronyms, abbreviations (shorthand) and leetspeak. How do you begin to understand this new language? Let’s start with the basics.

An acronym is derived from the first letters of a phrase and is pronounced as a new word,  for example SNAFU is pronounced "sna-foo" and WOMBAT is pronounced "wahm-bat".

Shorthand refers to an alphabetism, or initialism, that is pronounced by saying the letters one-by-one, for example FYI is pronounced "F-Y-I" and BRB is pronounced "B-R-B".  There are, of course, exceptions. Some acronyms go both ways, such as FAQ, which can be pronounced "fak" or "F-A-Q".

It should also be noted that acronyms are generally typed IN ALL CAPS (not to be confused with SHOUTING) whereas shorthand is often typed in all lowercase. Now let’s start to mix things up. Sometimes the shorthand isn't shorter than the original phrase, for example "dewd" means "dude" and "kewl" means "cool" and :::poof::: means "I'm gone".

Leetspeak is a relatively new type of symbolic jargon in which you replace regular letters with other keyboard characters to form words (for example, backward and forward slashes create this shape "//" to stand for the letter M); numbers and symbols often replace the letters they resemble (for example the term "leetspeak" is written as "!337$p34k"); letters can be substituted for other letters that might sound alike (for example "ph" is transposed with "f" so "phear" is used instead of "fear"); and common typing errors such as "teh" instead of "the" are left uncorrected.

The result is a dynamic written language that eludes conformity or consistency. In fact, the culture of online jargon encourages new forms of expression and users will often award each other's individual creativity.

For the largest list of Internet acronyms and text message jargon, click on "more info" below! Be sure to download the NetLingo iPhone app "The List: Text & Chat Acronyms" by visiting the link below ;-)

February 11, 2013

Usually seen with a dot after it, as "alt." (pronounced: alt-dot) this refers to a large variety of newsgroups that discuss "alternative" topics. Some ISPs require users to sign an agreement stating they are "over 18" before access to the alt.newsgroups is provided. For a list of all of the alt.newsgroups, click on "more info" below!

A type of GIF format that allows a series of static images to be displayed one after another or on top of each other, giving the effect of motion or animation. Since their implementation in Netscape Navigator 2.0, animated GIFs have been one of the easiest ways to put animation and movement on Web pages. Animated GIFs have been around since the introduction of the GIF89a format in 1989, but they didn't appear on the Web at that time because Web browsers initially did not support GIF89a's animation features.

Historical perspective: In early 2012, PBS released a mini-documentary about animated GIFs, watch it here!

Kiss Kiss -or- OK

Lord Give Me A Sign

February 12, 2013

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.

One of the seven "baby Bells" created by the break-up of "Ma Bell" (AT&T) in 1984: Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, Bell South, Southwestern Bell, Pac Bell, US West, and NYNEX. The baby Bells, in turn, own twenty-two smaller BOCs (Bell Operating Companies) that provide local telephone service.

Better Known As

MOment Please

February 13, 2013

When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against the debaters, rather than a discussion of their opinions and positions. A heated exchange.

A business model wherein a manufacturer or producer delivers products or services directly to an individual. For example, Dell uses a wholetail model for selling its computers.

If You See What I Mean

Subject Matter Expert

February 14, 2013

In a LAN or on the Internet, this is the computer you are using. As opposed to remote, which means off-site or "somewhere else," local means on-site or "what's in front of you."

Who cares, whatever

The brand name for several technically distinct proprietary compressed audio file formats developed by Microsoft. The original WMA (also known as WMA Standard) was initially intended to be a competitor to the popular MP3 format, and became the second most widely supported format for compressed audio. The newer and more advanced WMA Pro has positioned itself as a competitor to the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format (but hardware support remains scarce as of May 2007). The two other formats, WMA Lossless, and WMA Voice, enjoy niche popularity.

For a list of file extensions, click here!

Yes, I Understand

February 15, 2013

An audio/video (multimedia) file format for the Macintosh platform. MOV files, which have the .mov file extension, are playable on the Windows operating system if you have the QuickTime Movie Player application installed.

For a list of file extensions click here!

Over The Top

A Web newbie. Someone who's so Web illiterate that they click on the bullets in lists thinking that they're clickable buttons.

Wash My Mouth Out With Soap

February 16, 2013

An automatic mailing list server developed by Eric Thomas for BITNET in 1986. When e-mail is addressed to a LISTSERV mailing list, it is automatically broadcast to everyone on the list. The result is similar to a newsgroup or forum, except that the messages are transmitted as e-mail and are therefore available only to individuals on the list.

LISTSERV is currently a commercial product marketed by L-Soft International. Although LISTSERV refers to a specific mailing list server, the term is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to any mailing list server. Another popular mailing list server is majordomo, which is freeware.

A method of coding a Web page to divide the layout into two or more independent parts. Technically, it is the simultaneous loading of two or more Web pages within the same browser screen. For certain kinds of content frames are an excellent way to organize information on a Web site. Originally developed by Netscape and implemented in the Navigator 2.0 browser, it is now a popular feature supported by most browsers.

Some Web sites offer a "frames" version and a "no frames" version. The frames version may take a little longer to load, and it may contain "enhanced" features, such as Java or animation. Note: The way to go "back" from within a frame (since the back button doesn't always work within individual frames) is to use the right-click button on your mouse. A small menu will pop-up, and you can choose what you want to do from there, including printing the active frame. (Mac users, just press down on your mouse for several seconds, in the frame, and a small menu should appear ;-)

Hugs And Kisses

If I Tell You Will You Buy Me A Drink

February 17, 2013

Yet Another Ya-Ya (as in yo-yo)

Similar to a lurker who never posts on a newsgroup, it is slang for a user who visits online shopping sites but never makes a purchase.

A service providing model in which the provider offers computing resources and infrastructure management that is available as needed. Service providers such as Hewlett-Packard and IBM charge for specific usage versus a flat rate which can help minimize associated costs.

what would you like to talk about

February 18, 2013

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.

People -or- pay-per-lead -or- pay per lead

Not Safe For Work

This phrase comes from the 1978 cult mass-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Jim Jones, leader of the group, ordered his followers to drink Kool-Aid laced with potassium cyanide. The phrase "don't drink the Kool-Aid" has come to mean, "Don't trust any group you find to be a little on the kooky side" or, "Whatever they tell you, don't believe it too strongly".

In the dot-com world it refers to how many dot-coms require 14-hour workdays, not to mention unpaid on-call weekend duty, resulting in a "drink the Kool-Aid" environment.

February 19, 2013

Been There Done That

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.

A deluge of private chat messages while one is trying to do something else online. "Sorry, I'm currently the victim of a send storm. I'll be with you in a moment." On AOL, this is called "being IMed to death" (see instant messaging).

You Bet Your Sweet Ass

February 20, 2013

Sh** Happens

A type of computer monitor with a screen that only reflects what's directly in front of it (instead of reflecting everything, which sometimes makes the screen hard to see). It has the bulkiness of a regular monitor because it uses cathode-ray tubes. It is not the same as a flat panel.

To hire an independent contractor or consultant, from outside of the company, to perform a particular task or project (instead of using internal personnel).

sweetheart

February 21, 2013

A hidden element written into a program or placed on a Web site. Basically, it is a special feature that is not otherwise made obvious, but when "clicked on," it offers something special. This could be in the form of an extra game level or a secret area or an animation or a surprise image of some kind. Programmers often "bury" easter eggs in their programs to add a certain extra depth to the program and to challenge their users to find it.

To optimize your hard drive, usually with a program that "cleans it up" and makes it run as smoothly as possible. Slang usage implies some much needed R&R, as in, "I'm not going out tonight. I just want to have a quiet drink at home and defrag."

As Always, Your Friend

Jumping Up And Down Like A Monkey

February 22, 2013

The List Goes On

The act of creating computer programs, Web sites, and other applications. "Code" refers to the typed program instructions that programmers write. The written code is interpreted into a language that a system can read and execute. A favorite term among Web developers, code is often mentioned with interesting verbs. For example, you may hear programmers say, "We're busy slinging code," which means they are writing a computer program or programming a database or Web site.

To make changes or specifications to a program or Web site so that it meets your individual needs. Similar to personalize, customize generally refers to the process of selecting the files you want to include in a software installation on your computer. On the Web, you can customize a Web site in order to personalize it. For example, you can often choose from a series of features (such as weather, news, and stock quotes) to set up a portal site.

Out Of Office -or- Out Of Commission

February 23, 2013

Hope This (or That) Helps

A sales approach in which the prospective consumer gives his or her consent to receive marketing information. Developed within the interactive environments of the Web and e-mail, it aims to tailor any and all messages to meet a prospect's needs. Seth Godin, author of Permission Marketing, pioneered the concept. He states that the wrong way to compete for consumers' attention is to interrupt whatever their attention is focused on (the way an ad banner works); instead, the optimum way is to convince your prospects that your pitch is worth their attention. It is "the art of turning a stranger into a friend and a friend into a customer."

Good Night

Similar to a digital doppleganger, it is another individual with the same name as you whose records and/or stories are mixed in with your own when you Google yourself. For example, "Hey, I just Googled my name and found that I have three googlegangers!"

February 24, 2013

The modern business title for a graphic designer, it refers to one who manipulates images in digital form for display in a variety of media (including print or digitally).

Parent is watching

Trying To Keep a Straight Face

A real-time advertising and marketing management tool that uses algorithms which allow companies to implement in-house optimization and media planning (effectively pulling these functions back from their ad agencies).

The digitization of marketing decision-making is fundamentally changing the landscape for marketers due to ROI data and marketing software. The idea is that brands such as Coca-Cola, Best Buy, and MTV have saved billions in wasted advertising spend with improved, self-managed technology and equations known as Spend to Impact Response Functions (SIRFs).

February 25, 2013

The name given to the terminal nodes of networks, where data transactions are executed on cell phones and other wireless-enabled handheld devices. As computing moves away from desktop computers and toward "edge devices," such as the Blackberry, the Palm PDA, and WAP-enabled phones, it is making more use of distributed computing technologies, such as peer-to-peer networking. While P2P technology is not yet used commercially by applications on wireless devices, edge-software applications, which are basically software programs sold in downloadable modules on the fly (see: by the drink) are on the rise.

"The edge" also refers to the boundary between a local network and the backbone. In that sense, it describes a way of getting around Internet traffic jams. For example, moving digital libraries in a centralized server to caches at the margin (or "the edge of the network") will place the library content nearer to subscribers.

Same as cost-per-click, it is an online advertising payment model in which payment is based only on the number of click-throughs that are generated.

There is a similar payment model called a "pay-per-click search engine" (a.k.a. PPCSE) in which search engine results are ranked according to how much an advertiser pays to be listed, but advertisers are only charged if and when a user clicks on their listing.

In other words, pay-per-click ads work like this: You bid for certain keywords that describe your site and the products or services you offer. When a user searches with these keywords, they are brought to your listing. Money is paid only when someone clicks on the listing.

In 1998, Overture pioneered the idea of selling contextual-based advertising. Since then it has grown into one of the leading marketplaces in the world with Google's version known as AdWords. PPC listings are usually marked as "Sponsored Links" and appear above or beside the search engines organic listings.

Those in the industry advocate pay-per-click as an ideal short term strategy because of the immediate results and complete control.

As Far As I Am Aware

Go For It

February 26, 2013

A derivative form of lamer, most commonly used in Internet gaming circles.

People who are in perfect alignment on an issue, an idea, or a belief system. Allegedly coined by Rush Limbaugh to refer to his legion of faithful followers.

Parent Alert

Hi Again

February 27, 2013

A host computer on a network, it houses information and responds to requests for information (for example, it houses Web sites and executes their links to other Web sites). The term "server" also refers to the software that makes the act of "serving information" possible. Commerce servers, for example, use software to run the main functions of an e-commerce Web site, such as product display, online ordering, and inventory management (you'll also hear this described as shopping cart technology). A server is the control computer on a LAN, meaning it controls the software, access to printers, and other parts of the network (usually accompanied by workstations that "share the load"). A server may be dedicated (where its sole purpose is to be the server) or non-dedicated (where in addition to being the server, it can be used for basic computing purposes).

If you encounter one of the unfortunate side-effects of using Microsoft technology, you've been "Gatesed." In typical IT usage, "If it Gatesed (BSOD), you were SOL."

Got A Pic? -or- Gay Ass People

Brazil, Russia, India, China

February 28, 2013

A general framework for describing a Web site's metadata, or the information about the information on the site (see: meta-). RDF is based on XML and provides interoperability between applications that exchange machine-understandable information on the Web.

For example, it details information such as a site's sitemap, the dates when updates were made, keywords that search engines look for, and the Web page's intellectual property rights. Developed under the guidance of the W3C, RDF enables search engines to rely on metadata and allows users to share Web site information more readily.

Look The Teacher Is Coming

Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish

The yottabyte is a unit of information (or computer storage) equal to one septillion bytes (which is one long scale quadrillion or 1024) or equal to one quadrillion gigabytes.

Derived from the SI prefix yotta- as of 2011, no storage system has achieved one zettabyte of information. The combined space of all computer hard drives in the world does not amount to even one yottabyte, but was estimated at approximately 160 exabytes in 2006. As of 2009, the entire Internet was estimated to contain close to 500 exabytes.

The term "yobibyte" (YiB), using a binary prefix, is used for the corresponding power of 1024.