In RetroTech: NetLingo Blog

AI has already spawned a host of new lingo including these tech terms: 

ABCD - which stands for Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud, Data. From the Chinese government endorsing tech on farms in early 2019, promoting an ABCD of modern farming, this cocktail of artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and data technology is on the rise.

AI - it used to just be a texting acronym that means "As If," now it's the buzzword for artificial intelligence. 

AI/ML - this is short for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and it represents an evolution in computer science and data processing concerned with the development of algorithms that can generalize and perform tasks without explicit instructions.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) - this refers to software that exhibits human-like intelligence and when faced with an unfamiliar task, AGI will find a solution (or as the tech gurus say, it's "generally smarter than humans").

artificial intelligence - in addition to AI, it's also part of systems called machine intelligence and refers to computer hardware and software that emulates human intelligence, using reasoning and learning to solve problems. The concept of artificial intelligence was conceived in 1950 by Alan Turing, who used the term "computer intelligence." The concept was renamed "artificial intelligence" in 1955 by John McCarthy.

artificial life - also known as a-life -or- alife, this describes the modeling of complex, lifelike behaviors in computer programs. Artificial life forms can supposedly evolve and produce behaviors not contained within the rules set by the programmers.

chatbot - also known as chatterbot, smartbot, talkbot, bot, IM bot, interactive agent, conversational interface, Artificial Conversational Entity, and ChatGPT, this is only the beginning of the way in which everyday people will interact with this technology. It refers to a computer program or an artificial intelligence which conducts a micro, conversation-based experience via talk or text. It is designed to convincingly simulate how a human would behave, thereby "passing the Turing test" which is when a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior equal to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human.

GenAI - or Generative Artificial Intelligence, this is an advanced form of artificial intelligence using neural networks to identify the patterns and structures within existing data to generate new and original content.

sentient AI - And then there is sentient artificial intelligence, also known as sentient robot and sentient machine. Sentience is the capacity to feel, perceive or experience subjectively, so sentient AI refers to the capacity for artificial intelligence to have subjective perceptions, feelings and experience, including robots and machines.

In the AI tech world, there are two views: The doomsday "end of the world" scenarios and the accelerationists' "it's good for technology to evolve" camps. The doomers worry about AI’s potential to cause catastrophic harm, such as mass unemployment and the birth of an all-powerful Artificial General Intelligence that might snuff out humankind on a whim. The accelerationists, on the other hand, want to speed ahead with developing and commercializing generative AI systems before we even understand it. 

One of the biggest threats is deepfake videos to create FUD. The dark web will utilize intelligence that's not even known yet where only institutions like the military are capable of tracking, hacking and informing our lawmakers. Government regulation is already happening in the European Union where they reached a deal to implement vast new regulations known as the AI Act. The regulations place new levels of scrutiny on companies using AI and include new transparency requirements for AI systems, protections against the spread of misinformation and the use of facial recognition software. 

And then there are humans like Anthony Levandowski who pioneered the self-driving car and penned his Way of the Future. His idea fuses religion and the understanding of artificial intelligence, and raised eyebrows over its focus on worship and the acceptance of a future God developed through computer hardware and software. With AI now in the mainstream, Levandowski said it is time to consider how sophisticated AI systems could help guide humans on moral, ethical, or existential questions that are normally sought out in religions. Basically TEOTWAWKI.

The evolution of technology is fascinating, and my prediction is that AI will become so ubiquitous, there will be AI cable-type trucks driving around to fix your chatbots just like they do for TV. Yes, some of you will use AI on a regular basis moving forward, and yes many of you will like it.  I personally have little interest in additional man-made screen time so I'll bid you a Happy New Year 2024 from the nature-made world on my island, cheers! 

One of my favorite things about tracking internet terms for 30 years now (!) is seeing how the jargon morphs. There are so many words that are a combination of two or more things a.k.a. "hybrids" including the NetLingo Word of the Year for 2022... hybrid work. 

Hybrid work refers to a flexible work model that supports a blend of in-office and work from home. Many employers offer employees the autonomy to choose if they want to WFH permanently or "do hybrid work" - split their time between their home office and “The Office.”

Working from home went mainstream when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020 and millions of office workers were confined to their homes. The pandemic didn't create the hybrid work model though, it accelerated the trend which began 2000s when the internet became reliable enough to use at home. By 2022, hybrid work transformed working arrangements and influenced more than just your father's office. 

For example, real estate markets like Boise, ID and Flagstaff, AZ got flooded with white-collar workers from high-cost cities like San Francisco and Seattle, and while remote work was a financial game changer for most of the uprooted professionals, it didn't change local incomes so the real estate market in Boise and Flagstaff became "overvalued" by 76.9% and 65.6%.

Now, 68 percent of employees expect to work from home at least three days a week, according an HP survey of office workers in the U.S. and Canada. This digitization movement has also produced additional trends such as quiet quitting, the act of not taking your job too seriously so as to focus your time on life outside of the office.

The term hybrid was added to NetLingo.com in 1996 to refer to "hybrid search sites" HotBot and InfoSpace haha (I love me some business history and internet culture :) Over the decades "hybrid" morphed to also refer to hybrid site, hybrid cloud, hybrid model, hybrid company, hybrid reality, cyborg, digital analog hybrid, and hybrid shorthand.

And behind all that morphing is one of the original uses of the term hybrid, the HFC, (Hybrid Fiber Coax) which is responsible for delivering voice, Internet, cable TV and other digital services to your home and work - only one of the most important functions for everyone nowadays, and the defining factor that enables hybrid work.

Get this, the literal first use of the Latin term was in 1600 when the word hybrid came from hybrida, a variant of ibrida “mongrel,” meaning “offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar”, and was used to refer to the “offspring of plants or animals of a different variety or species”. It's funny but that kind of "weird offspring" derivative makes sense for all of the tech terms mentioned here in some way, (shape or form) lol! Even for hybrid work. 

Pajama bottoms with Zoom tops is what our century's version of the mythical half human/half horse creature Centaur looks like. Such is our hybrid work/life in the 21st century. Happy New Year everyone! 

People ask me all the time, WTF is an NFT? NFT stands for Non Fungible Token which is an individual, unique digital asset held on the blockchain to convey ownership of a property.  Non-Fungible Tokens are easily exchangeable and include multiple digital formats. 

An NFT property could be a digital asset, for example virtual real estate in an online community, a costume in a video game, an artistic image, digital content. The property could also be something in real life, for example actual real estate, an actual painting, a seat at a live concert, the first edition of a book. The property could also be a hybrid, such as who can rent a room in a cooperative working space or time share. The digital tokens, or certificates of ownership, live on the blockchain and can be bought and sold. NFTs are changing how we think about digital information, art, and ownership. 

“Non fungible” means something is unique and can’t be replaced with something else (for example if I gave you a signed George Brett baseball card and you gave me a signed Rolling Stones poster, we wouldn’t have the same thing), whereas “fungible” is something you can trade for something else and have the exact same thing (such as money and bitcoins because if you gave me $20 and I gave you $20 we would have the same thing). 

The "token" is the digital nature of the asset that lives on the blockchain. Think of blocks as individual transactions or records that are strung together on a single list called a chain or ledger. Blockchain can store anything digital, including signatures and intellectual property as well as cryptocurrency. 

To "mint" an NFT means to generate it, for example: “It was a hard mint, meaning the token cannot be changed, as opposed to a soft mint, meaning the token is changeable.” Once created, then you sell it. 

Cryptocurrency companies that enable NFT transactions are the payment platforms and the platforms that generate and maintain the NFT. NFT platforms include Rarible, OpenSea, SuperRare, Nifty Gateway, Foundation, VIV3, BakerySwap, Axie Marketplace and NFT ShowRoom. NFT payment platforms include MetaMask, Torus, Portis, WalletConnect, Coinbase, MyEtherWallet and Fortmatic.

The first-known NFT is considered to be Kevin McCoy’s 2014 image “Quantum” and the first projects began appearing on the Ethereum Blockchain in the ERC20 standard. The technology didn’t start hitting mainstream attention until in 2021 when people were buying and selling an estimated 85,787 NFTs —at a total value of $5.8 million— a day, according to DappRadar. On March 11, 2021, a blockchain-based digital artwork sold at Christie’s for a history-making $69 million, putting Beeple, its creator, among the top three most valuable living artists. If you fancy yourself an early adopter, it sounds like it's time to mint your own blonde babies, or at least check out some bored apes. 

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Brand new? I think not... I'm surprised the following terms were just added in 2019 to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary!

According to Molly Pennington, Merriam-Webster added over 600 new words to the dictionary in 2019, and as is always the case with language, there are old words with new meanings on their list too, check out the full list here.

Snowflake - On a molecular level, snowflakes are all basically the same, even though you may think they’re each unique and special. Snowflake also has a few definitions beyond, “a flake or crystal of snow.” The term has become disparaging slang for both someone treated as precious and special or one who thinks they should be treated as such. Yes, snowflake is a grand insult. If you are called this term, the user thinks you’re too sensitive or that you find yourself precious. It works the other way around, too—get a look at these 11 words and phrases that used to be insults but are now compliments.

Page view - Gotta get those clicks! A page view is a compound term of the Internet age. Page view is an example of “lexicalization,” because it’s a phrase that now expresses a concept: “an instance of a user viewing an individual page or website.” Page views are crucial because they insinuate engagement with info that’s on a web page or site.

Gig economy - The gig economy means that work comes from freelance, part-time, or contract jobs or gigs. While a gig economy offers lots of flexibility for workers, it does not provide the stability and assured growth that secure, full-time positions used to do. Coined in 2019, Merriam-Webster offers that the gig economy uses temps or freelancers, “primarily in the service sector.” However, over 70 percent of academic teaching positions are now part-time, temporary, or adjunct, and the gig economy affects many other sectors as well.

Swole - Do you work out? If so, you probably look swole. The term basically derives from swelling or swollen, but it’s a positive adjective used to describe top-notch or particularly aesthetic musculature. As in, Robert Pattinson as the new Batman is looking swole.

EGOT - Very few people have achieved peak EGOT—the ultimate threshold for performance accomplishment. Only 15 performers have reached it so far, and that list includes Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, Whoopi Goldberg, and Mel Brooks. However, there are 40 performers on deck to become EGOT with just one more win. The term is an acronym using the first letters of the awards Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Once you win one of each, you’ve got an EGOT.

Stan - Stans have been around as long as celebrities, but this term for an obsessive and over-the-top groupie just made it into the dictionary. Way back in 2000, Eminem (of rap fame) had a song about an extremely devoted fan, “Stan.” And the term was born. Merriam-Webster notes that it’s often used in a “disparaging” way, but that’s usually in the form of self-awareness about a star or franchise’s epic greatness and the known insanity (instanity?!) of adoring it. Consider the way Game of Thrones stans still obsess over various dragon minutiae even though the series has ended.

And so on... these words have been in NetLingo for years! C'mon Merriam-Webster, time to subscribe to my NetLingo blog :)

And like most things that end in "opoly" it's the consumers, who pay the price. What is an oligopoly you ask? It refers to a state of limited competition, in which a market is shared by a small number of producers, and according to David Leonhardt in The New York Times, a  new era of oligopoly might be costing you more than $5,000 a year.

In industry after industry, a few companies have grown so large that they have the power to keep prices high and wages low. The outsize growth of GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) is only one example. Most Americans also have a choice between only two internet providers or four major airlines, while Home Depot and Lowe’s have displaced local hardware stores and regional pharmacies have been swallowed by national giants. There's even a NetLingo word for it: big box store.

Well they're finally asking the question: Does Big Tech abuse its power? The federal government has unleashed its full investigative powers on the world’s biggest tech firms, according to The New York Times. The Justice Department announced an antitrust review of the dominant players in tech—Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon - known collectively as GAFA.

The DOJ joins the Federal Trade Commission and Congress in examining how these tech firms accumulated market power and whether they acted to reduce competition. The agency has already begun meeting industry experts to learn the kinds of harm the companies have caused, the clearest sign yet that the longtime arguments that helped shield the tech giants from antitrust scrutiny are eroding.

The big question about the tech giants, according to Bloomberg, is whether these companies have used their success to cheat their way into more success. The answer is a resounding YES. Take Google for instance, with the development of their Answer boxes, they've funneled web traffic and ad revenue away from websites because now users can view the content directly on Google.

The giants will protest, as they always do, that they offer free services to consumers, and competition could make them die at any moment. They’ll wave the flag and say their success is a credit to the best of America. But the antitrust cops don’t care about these kinds of displays. Yes, Google, Apple,  Facebook, and Amazon have built worthy businesses, but they still have a responsibility to play fair with their power and keep the competition fair for the good of consumers.

What a fantastic book review, Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, as seen on NPR.com! I am super impressed with linguist Gretchen McCulloch's insights and how they relate to all of the potential for miscommunication online - which is what I've been preaching as well. If you are one among us who has wondered whether a message in ALL CAPS meant it was urgent, or furious, or enthusiastic, then my website NetLingo.com and her book can help you!

Below is Gretchen's interview where she says the "new" rules, are "emergent..." so, for example, "The old rules are these top-down, 'here's how you use an apostrophe,' 'here's how you use a semicolon' type of thing." "The new rules are about: How are other people going to interpret your tone of voice? ... The old rules are about using language to demonstrate intellectual superiority, and the new rules are about using language to create connection between people."

Gretchen says a lot of the confusion stems from the fact that people read Internet writing differently, depending on when they first went online. Here are a few excellent examples, enjoy!

On the changing use of LOL

There's a difference between how these different groups use "LOL" ... the acronym which initially stood for "laughing out loud." And if you talk to people in some of these older generations who are, you know, have been using the Internet for 20 years but came online in a less social space, they see it: OK, here's an acronym; they're told it is an acronym; it must mean "laughing out loud." And so they still use it as actual laughter. Whereas when you talk to the youngest groups, LOL may have meant laughter for a very short period of time, but that laughter quickly became aspirational — you know, "Oh, that is kind of funny." And then it became not even real laughter at all. It became more a marker of irony or softening or "I'm not angry at you," "I'm not feeling hostile" — you know, these additional subtle social meanings.

And for the youngest group of people, there's no literal meaning left to LOL at all. ... It's a filler that specifically indicates that there's some sort of double meaning to be found. ... If I say something that could be interpreted as rude or hostile like, "Oh, I hate you" — if I say "I hate you LOL," now I'm joking, so it's fine. I'm not laughing out loud while I hate you, like in a malicious sort of way; I'm undermining my message and saying "I hate you LOL [but I'm not serious about it]." But in the inverse, if you say "I love you LOL," that doesn't soften the message any more. Now that means "Oh no, I fake-love you," like I'm being quite mean about that. So it's not always a softener — it just hints toward some sort of double meaning, which could be good or bad.

On the passive-aggressive period

The period is such an interesting new battleground for Internet language because there's definitely a traditional use which is still found in formal writing. You know, the book contains many periods, and they're not passive-aggressive because it's a formal context. But in an informal context, you don't need the period anymore to distinguish between one sentence or one phrase and the next because you're just going to hit "send" in a chat context. You can just send the message. ... And that makes your messages easier to read than this massive wall of text, particularly on a tiny screen.
And yet that means that the period is now open and available for taking on other sorts of meanings and other connotations. And one of those is that very sense of formality — and you know when you read a formal sentence ... and making your voice deeper at the end of the sentence, like you conventionally do with a period in formal writing, adds a note of solemnity or finality or seriousness to what you're saying. ... But the problem is if you say "OK, sounds good." — and you add that note of seriousness — now you've got positive words and serious punctuation, and the clash between them is what creates that sense of passive aggression.

On the construction "because [noun]," which gives the book its title (Because Internet)

One of the things I really love about Internet language these days is what I call stylistic verbal incoherence mirroring emotional incoherence. So when you're feeling upset or excited or angry or any of these extreme emotions or overwhelmed by how cute something is when you're feeling any of these extreme emotions you make your language get artfully disordered to express that. And so for the title of the book Because Internet, saying: OK, I'm going to truncate this. Instead of "because of the Internet," I'm going to make the shorter version "because Internet" — or "because homework" or "because weather" or any of these types of things, I'm going to make the shorter version because the answer is so self-evident that I can reduce it into this less coherent form. And you'll understand that I'm nodding at this bigger phenomenon that we can share.

On keysmash (i.e. "asdf;lkjasdlf" or similar to represent frustration)

For the youngest group of people, there's no literal meaning left to LOL at all. One new trend that I've seen that I really wish I had been able to spend more space on in the book is the continued evolution of keysmash. So, keysmash is when you mash your fingers against a keyboard to, you know, convey this incoherent emotion. And what I noted in Because Internet is that people have specific stylistic ways of keysmashing. He will write ASDF, etc. and they smash on the home row of keys. And I did a survey, and I asked people: Do you ever adjust or retype your keysmash if it doesn't quite look right to you? And most people said yes. Even though this is random, they still retype it because they want it to look like the right kind of social randomness.

But what I was just noticing as I was writing the book, and didn't quite have enough data to include, is that keysmashing has also been changing as we use mobile phones more. Because when you keysmash on a full mechanical keyboard you do have your fingers on the home row with ASDF and so on. But when you keysmash on a smartphone keyboard, you have your thumbs over like GHSDSK something like that so instead of going ASDF from left or right you might end up with like SKSKSK or GHGHGH, something going back and forth between your thumbs near the center of the keyboard. And so, the way we keysmash has been changing partly in response to the social pressure, partly in response to the devices we're using. And it's such an interesting example for me because it looks like we're just being monkeys typing randomly on a keyboard producing something totally incoherent, and yet there are social patterns to it. There are real linguistic trends to keysmash — even something that looks so random.

On how to avoid misunderstandings

We talk to each other. You can ask people what they mean. ... I mean, you don't have to talk to people by picking up the phone — you can talk to people by saying, "What did you mean by that?" or "Are you actually mad at me?" in the text message. ... Sometimes I say this is associated with older people, and people take that as a criticism. But I think it's just as incumbent on younger people to say: Maybe I shouldn't be overinterpreting hostility or passive-aggression ... maybe I should just be interpreting this with the context of "I know this person is older and so they're not actually being passive-aggressive at me." I think the increased understanding can go both ways.

It's OK to be a bit older. I've accepted I'm not a teenager anymore. ... It doesn't mean that just because this is what the kids are doing means we all have to talk like that. But having increased understanding across different generations can help people avoid miscommunications in their text messaging — which is really what I'm trying to do with Because Internet.  Special thanks to Mallory Yu and Emily Kopp who produced and edited the broadcast version of this interview and Patrick Jarenwattananon and Beth Novey who adapted it for the Web.

Lately I've received a huge influx of online dating jargon so I just had to compile this crazy new Top 50 List of Online Dating Terms! Back in the day, online dating was the largest segment of paid content on the Web (other than you guessed it, online porn). As Executive Editor of NetLingo, I knew the online dating jargon was proliferating but I had no idea how funny, yet super insensitive, it's become... check it out! How many of these things have happened to you?

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