The Internet has contributed several new words to the revised Oxford Dictionary of English, which has been released today.
‘Social Media‘, Interweb and netbook have all joined culturally relevant words such as ‘quantitative easing’, vuvuzela and ‘chill pill’.
The Oxford Dictionary of English (ODE) is periodically updated, unlike the Oxford English Dictionary which maintains a bank of words which is continuously updated. An update to the ODE therefore marks a milestone of common usage and cultural relevance.
With language surrounding technology changing so rapidly, it’s easy to fall behind with the latest jargon. Fish.Net strives to speak in ‘plain English’, but here’s a guide to some of the words which have made the ODE!
- Social Media
The tools (Web sites, applications) used for online social networking. - Tweetup
A group meeting arranged via social networking service Twitter. - Microblogging
Making short blog entries, typically on Twitter. - Netbook
Small laptop typically used for browsing the Web, email and light word processing. - Interweb
Humourous term for the ‘Internet’ or ‘Web’. Satirises the amount of technology jargon! - Paywall
A restriction on Web sites whereby only paid subscribers can access content. - Viral
Rapidly-spread news or promotion, typically via social networks and email. - Defriend
To remove the status of ‘friend’ from an online acquaintance, typically in social network Facebook. Opposite of ‘befriend’. - Dictionary attack
An attempt to hack into an account by entering complete words as found in the dictionary as passwords.
Are you confused by jargon? Do you know of any other technology words which are creeping into common parlance? Let us know 