Web 2.0 Vocabulary Lesson

Okay, so maybe you know that what we're writing here are blogs, short for web logs, and that spam, inspired by Monty Python, is the word used to describe unwanted email. But do you know what spim, spit, splog, and sping are?

The Internet has spawned lots of creativity, and, along with it all, jargon to describe it. As a parent, some of the words that are second nature to our kids may be lingo we haven't heard yet. Or heard but don't want to admit we don't quite know the meaning.

For those of us not fully in the know, I came across a fun article in the International Herald Tribune with a few definitions of current web terms. Here are a few:

Spim - unsolicited sales pitches that arrive via instant messages or chat software

Spit -  unwanted messages over Internet telephone

Splog - a fake blog set up to boost traffic and possible attract paid advertising, either by lifting content from legitimate blogs or publishing nonsensical words.

Sping - A message from a splog that indicates the fake blog is updated and worth checking out as a means of driving more traffic to the site.

SEO - Stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the use of keywords and links on a web page to attract search engines that comb the Internet and return certain web sites high on search lists in response to users' queries.

Tagging - Giving a web page, photo, video, or blog entry individual search terms that make it easier to find by you and others.

Mashups - It's not only a mix of different kinds of music to make a new song or sound.  It's also the combining of content from web sites or web applications to create a single new site or experience. Say a map site with a photo application to overlay photos over neighborhoods.

Have you come across any new web terms you've learned lately? Post 'em below, or search for terms you've been wanting to know more about. Don't be left behind as the ever-evolving web spins forward.