Control + Alt + Delete: A Dictionary of Cyberslang - Softcover

Keats, Jonathon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1599210398 ISBN 13: 9781599210391

Publisher: The Lyons Press, 2007

Synopsis

The Twentieth Century revolution in technology has also sparked a revolution in language, with new words being created and accepted into mainstream at unprecedented rates. "Control+Alt+Delete" is a handy reference for anyone who doesn't know what blook, chiptune, or silvercast mean. Featuring 250 terms, this unique volume covers all the basics, such as blogs and wikis, as well as more advanced terminology. BUG - According to legend, the first "bug" to cause system malfunction was actually a moth in a computer at Harvard shortly after World War II. WEBLOGISTAN - A segment of the blogsphere maintained by Iranian activists as a parallel universe to their country's oppressive political landscape.

About this title

About the Author

Jonathon Keats is the author of the popular "JargonWatch" column for Wired Magazine. His articles have also appeared in publications such as The Washington Post and Popular Science.

From the Back Cover

“Not since Dr. Johnson explained the English language to the people of his time has there been a lexicon so witty, deep and indispensable. For any citizen of either the analog or ­digital space who wishes to live in this century instead of the last, this is required reading.”
Stanley Bing, author and columnist for FORTUNE magazine

 

 

Bug—A minor glitch in computer software or hardware that often results in major problems for the user or owner. According to legend, the first bug to cause system malfunction was a moth caught in one of the relays of a Mark II computer at Harvard shortly after World War II.

 

Podcast—Audio or video programming automatically downloaded from the Internet onto a portable MP3 player, such as the Apple iPod, for listening or viewing on the go.

 

Thumbing—A method of texting on a portable device, such as a cell phone, by typing with one or both thumbs.

 

Frazzing—Frenzied multitasking, as occurs when the combined output of cell phone, PDA, and laptop overwhelms the processing power of the human brain.

 

Web—The abbreviated name of the World Wide Web, also often shortened to www. In Chinese, the Web is called the wan wei wang, meaning “ten thousand-dimensional net.”

 

The technology revolution is also a revolution in ­language, with new words created seemingly every day. And along with a new vocabulary comes the mortifying fear of being out of the loop. Control + Alt + Delete is a reference book that will inform and entertain you while decoding the fast-changing language of high-tech ­culture. 

 

 

Edition details

• Publisher: The Lyons Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1599210398
• ISBN 13: 9781599210391
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 266