13 Internet Terms You Probably Didn’t Know Existed

Do you consider yourself a connoisseur of online jargon?

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lBF_pE71Z7s.

The term “graymail” may not ring a bell, but chances are you end up sifting through it daily. On average, about 80% of your inbox is made up of graymail, which consists of the daily deals, social coupons and newsletters you’ve signed up to receive but don’t always want to read. Find out more about graymail here!

Aside from one of the greatest talents of our time, “meatloaf” is also a term for something you can find in your inbox. Unlike spam, meatloaf is unsolicited personal e-mail. Meaning, it’s circulated by friends or co-workers. Meatloaf can be considered any type of e-mail consisting of jokes, anecdotes, and other trivia that will leave your inbox looking a bit chunky.

Via: netlingo.com

“Zen” mail Is the term to describe e-mail messages that arrive with no text in the message body. Sure, they may be peaceful, but they can also be really annoying.

Via: wordspy.com

You may think Urkel’s been gone since the ‘90s, but he’s actually been in your inbox this whole time. All of those fake virus warnings, urban legends and stock hoaxes that you can’t stand sifting through. Yup, there’s a word for them. Turklebaum.

Via: netlingo.com

Are Mom and Dad’s constant updates about Aunt Tabatha’s prize winning reborn baby doll collection geting a little creepy/annoying? There’s a word for those, too. “Fram” is the term used to describe spam mail that is sent to you by your friends or family.

Via: securitybeacon.com

Think Wi-Fi is the end all be all? Think again. Introducing Li-Fi, the transmission of wireless data using LEDs. The new competition to traditional broadband is able to transfer data quicker by varying the intensity of light. And unlike traditional broadband, Li-Fi can also be used in hospitals where the use of radio waves are prohibited. In the future, you can bet Li-Fi will definitely give Wi-Fi a run for its money.

Via: wired.com

The term that is used for a visually noisy or over-designed web-site, usually with too many graphics and too much animation. Just take a look at The Million Dollar Homepage, a perfect example of cornea gumbo at its worst.

Via: encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com

Out of all the acronyms that exist on the internet, POTATO might just be the most hilarious. “POTATO” is used to describe people over thirty who act like they are twenty-one online. You can often catch them abbreviating everything and using acronyms like “A/S/L” and “ROTFLMAO”.

Via: netlingo.com

Hungry for information? Did you know that every time you consume snippets of info in a hurry, you’re data snacking?

Via: dougseven.com

Think you’re influential? Your social score may say differently. This score is comprised of a person’s level of influence among their followers, friends, and postings on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. You can check your social score with websites such as Klout and then boast to your friends about how your score is higher than theirs. Because what’s cooler than a Klout score above 55?

Via: socialmediatoday.com

We all know that since his run on The Hills and declaration of bankruptcy, reality star Spencer Pratt now spends his days surfing the web for just about any kind of self-fulfillment he can find. And of course, there’s a term for that! Scouring the interweb looking for mentions of your own name is affectionately known as “egosurfing.”

Via: wired.com

At one point in our internet existence, we’ve all been the victims of threadjacking. This internet phenomenon occurs when someone steers off the original topic in an email thread, especially on a mailing list, to a completely different (and usually irrelevant) topic.

Via: email.about.com

An endearing term for the male developers of your favorite websites. Originating from the movie term “bromance,” in which two or more guys have an endearing relationship. Just look at Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone, the two famous brogrammers that changed the social space with Twitter.

Via: bostinno.com