Whether you’re in financing, consumer electronics, software or any other tech-dependent industry, you’ve probably encountered a fair share of questionable tech and web terminology – and equally quirky products and company names. While you may know what it does in your calculation, for your mobile gadget or for your favorite internet game, have you ever considered what it is exactly? Some jargon*, however, is so unfamiliar that even techies proceed with caution. Just for fun, a dictionary even Webster wouldn’t be able to comprehend . . .
Arduino n. An open-source, single-board microcontroller that uses a wiring-based language and evolved from an open-source wiring platform; similar to open-source software, it’s designed to make the process of using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible.
cell phone jammer n. A device that blocks cell phone use (from 30 feet to five miles) by sending out radio waves along the same frequencies that cell phones use; they are often used to disable cell phones to prevent loud incoming calls or phone conversations that may be disruptive.
crowdsourcing v. The outsourcing of tasks (e.g. problem-solving, creation, development, production, etc.) and open call for solutions to an undefined group of collaborators, who may or may not be compensated.
culturomics n. The quantitative analysis of language and word usage specific to cultural phenomena; research related to human behavior and cultural trends and how that plays in the long-term lexicon.
griefing v. The intentional disruption of, or causing grief to, other members in an online community or in online gaming; a griefer is the participant in the community or game who deliberately irritates and harasses the other participants.
hybrid cloud n. An combination of two or more clouds (whether private, community or public) that are bound together, while remaining separate entities, and offer the benefits of multiple deployment models.
prosumer n. A combination of the words producer and consumer that refers to an active consumer that is more involved in the design or customization of the end product; the word is often used to describe the millions of Web 2.0 participants.
pwnedv. To be dominated or “owned” by an opponent in online gaming; the term originated in the online game Warcraft, when a map designer misspelled the wordowned.
Quora n. An information and social networking site that helps users find answers to various questions by pulling previously submitted answers from other users; a “searchable repository of information” built around a community of people with questions and answers.
WikiLeaks n. A web-based, nonprofit international organization that publishes private and classified content that has been submitted from unnamed sources and news outlets. The organization was unveiled in 2006, but has grown popular recently following several government leaks, including Guantanamo prison files.
.wwf n. An eco-friendly file extension for a document that cannot be printed, created by the World Wildlife Fund (no, not the World Wrestling Federation) as part of a tree-saving campaign.
Zerg Rush n. An interactive online game, where letter Os devour the words on the results page, created by Google that appears in the search engine's results for “Zerg Rush”; also an online gaming term used to describe an overwhelming scale of attack carried out by one player against another.
*This is part two of an existing list.
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