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Word up! Explore the lexicon of tech
Don't be a newb. Get to know the neologisms of IT...

By Natasha Lomas

Published: Friday 24 November 2006

F

Fat pipes - Nickname for broadband

Firewall - Software or hardware that polices incoming and outgoing connections to a network or an internet-connected PC in order to enforce a particular level of security

Flamebait - A message posted online or sent to a mailing list that aims to antagonise its readers
e.g. "When silicon.com ran an article about Steve Jobs not being fit to mow Bill Gates' lawn, the Apple community assumed it was flamebait"

Flame war - A prolonged exchange of hostile and/or insulting messages posted online or sent via email

Freeware - Software that is distributed by its author/s for free

New word order

Want to own your fellow techies? Then get your teeth into our essential guide to IT neologisms by clicking on the links below…

A to E: Adware to Exploit
F to N: Fat pipes to Nipples
O to S: Owned to Supercomputer
T to Z: Tag cloud to Zombie

G

Geek - A person with exhaustive knowledge of, and often childlike enthusiasm for, a niche and/or technical subject area
e.g. "Brian was a Linux geek of the highest order"

Googling - Use of an internet search engine, not necessarily Google - though use of this as a verb is a cause of some consternation for the search giant
e.g. "Have you googled the job applicant yet?"

Grey goo - A hypothetical doomsday scenario in which self-replicating nanotech robots devour all life on Earth. A grey goo virus delivers a payload that acts in a similar way

Grey net - Devices and applications existing on a corporate network that are not explicitly bad but are also not approved or installed by the company - e.g. consumer IM clients running undetected on a corporate network, or removable storage devices such as iPods or digital cameras plugged into a user's machine

Grid - A collection of networked computers acting as a virtual supercomputer and used to undertake complex mathematical calculations

Griefers - Individuals bent on causing grief in online communities, spoiling it for everybody
e.g. "The Jesus-loves-you chatroom was regularly disturbed by griefers"

H

Hackmail - The threat or process of taking a website offline, used by hackers to blackmail ecommerce businesses

Hacktivism - Politically motivated hacking

Honeypot - A computer that is isolated from a network and set up to attract, trap or deflect viruses and other malware

Hotdesking - Having fewer desks than employees in an office so that workstations are not assigned to individuals but are used by whoever is in need of desk space at the moment

Hyperlink - A piece of clickable HTML code that loads another web page, or jumps to another region on the same page
e.g. "The cinematography article hyperlinks to an interview with Richard Linklater"

I

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) - A theoretical mental disorder whereby excessive internet use is characterised as a form of addiction

Intranet - A private network that uses internet protocol but is not connected to the net and can only be accessed by users of a LAN

J

Java bomb - A piece of malware that exploits Java-compatible web browsers to open a large number of browser windows in quick succession, making normal browsing all but impossible

K

Kernel - The core part of an operating system, acting as the interface between the computer's hardware and any higher-level software

Keylogger - A piece of software or hardware that captures a user's keystrokes

Killer app - An application or feature that proves so desirable it guarantees the success of the technology that delivers it
e.g. "I'm sorry Terry but I think you'll find porn was the killer app for the internet"

L

Leet, 1337 - Modified typed parlance, popular with online gamers, hackers and other web communities, which deviates from linguistic convention by incorporating phonetic spellings, numerals and symbols. Derives from 'elite' - as in 'better than everybody else'
e.g. "Wanna pwn n00bs? Sp34k 1337..."

Logicbomb - A virus triggered to deliver its payload once certain conditions are met

LOL - Acronym for 'laugh out loud', an expression used by people in online chatrooms or within other text-based communications as a means of expressing amusement. LMAO (laughing my ass off), ROFL (rolling on floor laughing) and ROFLOL offer an ascending scale of mirth
e.g. "ROFL! Check 0ut teh n00b!"

M

Malware - Malicious software designed to cause trouble for computer users and their data

Manbag - The male equivalent of the handbag, often used to store high-tech gadgets and gizmos such as the iPod
e.g. "Rob's girlfriend was more than a little embarrassed by his faux-fur manbag"

Mash-up - The joining up of different online services to create another service that combines the functionality of the others in a new way

Mass-mailer - A type of worm that spreads by sending a copy of itself to the email addresses stored on an infected computer's hard drive

Mesh network - A method of routing data via a series of nodes

Mobisode - An instalment of a TV programme designed for and screened to a mobile phone

Moblog - A photo blog comprised of pictures taken on a cameraphone and often also uploaded to the net via a mobile

Mod - A modification made to a piece of software by someone other than its author, or to hardware such as a computer case
e.g. "Dude! Check out this Half Life mod"

N

Netiquette - A system of preferred (polite) behaviour for members of online communities and for digital communications such as email

Netizen - A participant in an online community

Newb, n00b - An inexperienced participant, especially in a computer game
e.g. "Ha! I have pwned the n00b!"

Nipple - A pointing device that substitutes for a mouse on laptops, in the form of a small rubber node located near the centre of the keyboard

Next page: O to S: Owned to Supercomputer