Internet acronyms and lingo

Terms related to Internet acronyms and lingo, including slang definitions and jargon about texting, Twitter and other social networking sites.
  • 4 P's marketing mix - The marketing mix, also known as the four P's of marketing, refers to the four key elements of a marketing strategy: product, price, place and promotion.
  • 404 error - 404 is a status code that tells a web user that a requested page is not available.
  • anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - Anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a method for allowing users to access public files from a remote server or archive site without requiring them to identify themselves to the server or site.
  • ARPANET - The U.S.
  • autofill - Autofill, also called autocomplete, is a software feature that automatically inserts previously entered personal information into web form fields for the user's convenience.
  • BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) - BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) is a business model that allows consumers to shop and place orders online and then pick up their purchases in the brick-and-mortar store, often within the same day.
  • brain hacking - Brain hacking is the application of techniques and/or technologies to affect an individual’s mental state, cognitive processes or level of function.
  • chat room - A chat room is an online platform that enables users to communicate with each other in real time.
  • chatting - While the term chatting or chitchat refers in general to communication between two or more parties that can occur in person, in today's modern age, it can also occur over the internet via Short Message Service (SMS) text message and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) or, for example, through tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
  • chatty protocol - A chatty protocol is an application or routing protocol requiring a client or server to wait for an acknowledgment before transmitting data again.
  • corportal (corporate portal) - Corportals, short for corporate portals, are sometimes referred to as enterprise information portals and are used by corporations to build their internal web presence by leveraging a company's information resources.
  • cruft - Cruft is the elements of a program, system or product that are either useless, poorly designed or both.
  • cyberbullying - Cyberbullying is a type of bullying in which one or more individuals use digital technologies to intentionally and repeatedly cause harm to another person.
  • cyberpsychology - Cyberpsychology is the field of study pertaining to the way people interact through computers or digital devices and the emotional effects that usage has on the brain.
  • death by PowerPoint - Death by PowerPoint is a phenomenon caused by the poor use of presentation software.
  • digital citizenship - Digital citizenship is the online presence, behaviors and response to others within a digital community where one is a member.
  • digital drugs - Digital drugs, more accurately called binaural beats, are sounds that are thought to be capable of changing brain wave patterns and inducing an altered state of consciousness similar to that effected by taking drugs or achieving a deep state of meditation.
  • digital footprint - A digital footprint -- sometimes called a digital shadow -- is the body of data that an individual creates through their actions online.
  • digital wellness (digital wellbeing) - Digital wellness (digital wellbeing) is the use of technology to ensure an employee's physical and mental health.
  • distributed learning - Distributed learning is a general term used to describe a multi-media method of instructional delivery that includes a mix of Web-based instruction, streaming video conferencing, face-to-face classroom time, distance learning through television or video, or other combinations of electronic and traditional educational models.
  • dopamine-driven feedback loop - A dopamine-driven feedback loop is a self-perpetuating circuit fueled by the way the neurotransmitter works with the brain’s reward system.
  • dumpster diving - Dumpster diving is looking for treasure in someone else's trash.
  • e-procurement (supplier exchange) - Electronic procurement, also known as e-procurement or supplier exchange, is the process of requisitioning, ordering and purchasing goods and services online.
  • Facebook Connect - Facebook Connect is a single sign-on application which allows users to interact on other websites through their Facebook account.
  • Facebook page - A Facebook page is a public profile specifically created for businesses, brands, celebrities, causes, and other organizations.
  • FQA (frequently questioned answers) - FQA (frequently questioned answers) are conventions or mandates scrutinized by individuals or groups who doubt their validity.
  • FUBAR - FUBAR is an acronym that originated in the military to stand for the words "f***ed up beyond all repair.
  • Generation Facebook (Generation F) - Generation Facebook (Generation F) is a term used to define millennials who have grown up using social media as their primary networking tool.
  • HELLO packet - A HELLO packet is a special data packet (message) that is sent out periodically from a router to establish and confirm network adjacency relationships to other routers in the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) communications protocol.
  • honey monkey - A honey monkey is a virtual computer system that is programmed to lure, detect, identify and neutralize malicious activity on the Internet.
  • hosting (website hosting, web hosting and webhosting) - Web hosting -- also known as website hosting or webhosting -- is the process where a web hosting provider stores and maintains website files and applications on a server to make its customers' websites accessible on the internet.
  • instant messaging - Instant messaging, often shortened to IM or IM'ing, is the exchange of near real-time messages through a standalone application or embedded software.
  • LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) - LAMP is an open source Web development platform that uses Linux as the operating system, Apache as the Web server, MySQL as the relational database management system and PHP as the object-oriented scripting language.
  • leet speak (leet) - Leet speak, also known as simply leet, is the substitution of a word's letters with numbers or special characters.
  • logic bomb - A logic bomb is a string of malicious code that is inserted intentionally into a program to harm a network when certain conditions are met.
  • Luddite - A Luddite is a person resistant to increased industrialization or new technologies, especially computers.
  • microblogging - Microblogging is a short blog post designed for quick and typically direct audience interactions.
  • MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) - MIME, or Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, is an extension of the original email protocol.
  • mobile computing - Mobile computing refers to the set of IT technologies, products, services and operational strategies and procedures that enable end users to access computation, information and related resources and capabilities while mobile.
  • multi-channel network (MCN) - A multi-channel network (MCN) is a company or entity that works with multiple channels and content creators, consulting or assisting towards success on streaming video platforms such as YouTube.
  • netizen - A netizen is a person who uses the internet, especially as a forum, for the expression of views and participation in political society.
  • phishing kit - A phishing kit is a collection of tools assembled to make it easier for people with little technical skill to launch a phishing exploit.
  • phubbing - Phubbing, a contraction of the words “phone snubbing,” is the act of ignoring a companion in favor of using a smartphone.
  • POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) - POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) is the most recent version of a standard protocol for receiving e-mail.
  • RickRoll - On the Internet, a RickRoll is a prank where a visitor who clicks on a specific link is intentionally misdirected to a video of pop star Rick Astley's hit "Never Gonna Give You Up.
  • shoulder surfing - Shoulder surfing is using direct observation techniques, such as looking over someone's shoulder, to get information.
  • ToFu, MoFu and BoFu - ToFu, MoFu and BoFu is a method used by sales and marketing professionals to pace and cater their approach to sales leads within a sales funnel, depending on the customer’s current phase of the purchase decision.
  • U (measurement) - A U is a standard unit of measure for designating the height in computer enclosures and server rack cabinets.
  • walled garden - On the internet, a walled garden is an environment that controls the user's access to network-based content and services.
  • war driving (access point mapping) - War driving, also called access point mapping, is the act of locating and possibly exploiting connections to wireless local area networks (WLANs) while driving around a city or elsewhere.
  • weblog - A blog, short for weblog, is a frequently updated web page used for personal commentary or business content.
  • whitelist (allowlist) - A whitelist (allowlist) is a cybersecurity strategy that approves a list of email addresses, IP addresses, domain names or applications, while denying all others.
  • wiki - A wiki is a web-based collaborative platform that enables users to store, create and modify content in an organized manner.
  • XACML (Extensible Access Control Markup Language) - XACML (Extensible Access Control Markup Language) is an attribute-based access control policy language (ABAC) or XML-based language, designed to express security policies and access requests to information.
  • yak shaving - Yak shaving is programming lingo for the seemingly endless series of small tasks that have to be completed before the next step in a project can move forward.