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Average Internet user puzzled by latest lingo

Doctor Q

Doctor Q

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Sep 19, 2002
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The average American Internet user doesn’t know the meaning of some of the hottest new online terms, according to a study released this month by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
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Terms most know: firewall, spam.

Terms most don't know: podcast, RSS, phishing.

Their study of 2000 Americans shows that knowing more of these types of terms correlates with being male, having a college degree, being online more frequently, and with being younger. I assume that the results would be the same if they interviewed Internet users in other countries as well.

I don't think these results are surprising, and for the most part I don't think it's a problem either. People learn new terms all the time, as the need arises.

One worry: Spreading the word about phishing is important (rather than waiting for people to learn about scams by falling victim), and perhaps banks and other official organizations that warn their customers are confusing people by using too many buzzwords.
 
This doesn't surprise me too much. Actually that "firewall" is an understood term does surprise me; I would think that a difficult one.

I used to work tech support for an ISP in the US and got calls along the lines of "I'd like the latest version of the internet install on my CD drive, please." Most people I've run into cannot use the words "download" and "upload" properly. The one that gets me the most is when they say on TV to "log onto our website" Arrrrgh! You don't log onto a website!!
 
Well, I got 7 right. Of course I didn't know the BBC comedy series, how many people in the UK are on broadband, and who started the napster (that one was a change-up pitch, though.)

I like the term Dongle Reflex Maintenance now :D
 
Applespider said:
Very easy although I suspect our overseas friends might have difficulty with the TV show that the Beeb is showing online first.
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I guessed and got it right :)
Got the one about %age of UKers using broadband wrong though.

Oh, and E: None of the above. Digital Restrictions Management, thank you very much. After all, that's what it does! :rolleyes:
 
Applespider said:
The BBC did a story on 'digital citizens' this week and had a quiz to go along with it

Are you a digital citizen?

Very easy although I suspect our overseas friends might have difficulty with the TV show that the Beeb is showing online first.
Click to expand...
Wow, I had 9 right. Just missed the UK broadband users by 4% points. I must admit though, that I had to guess with the online show.
 
I took it too, got 8, all the ones except for the two UK specific.

More like are you an Apple addict more than a digital citizen!
 
Applespider said:
The BBC did a story on 'digital citizens' this week and had a quiz to go along with it

Are you a digital citizen?

Very easy although I suspect our overseas friends might have difficulty with the TV show that the Beeb is showing online first.
Click to expand...

9/10. I only missed the BBC question. Does this make me a geek? :)
 
What the **** is a moblog? Man, some people have wierd names for stuff...
 
Applespider said:
The BBC did a story on 'digital citizens' this week and had a quiz to go along with it

Are you a digital citizen?

Very easy although I suspect our overseas friends might have difficulty with the TV show that the Beeb is showing online first.
Click to expand...

I took the quiz and got 9/10 right. The only one I missed was "What percentage of internet users in the UK are now using broadband?"

Even got the TV show one correct although I have never heard of it before.
 
Veldek said:
Wow, I had 9 right. Just missed the UK broadband users by 4% points. I must admit though, that I had to guess with the online show.
Click to expand...
I took the test before reading the other posts about it (so I wouldn't learn anything that would be cheating). I got 9 out of 10, and I see that my score and error exactly matched yours. We must be twins. :)
 
9/10 - I guessed (wrongly) the BBC show - I hadn't actually heard of any of them, and guessed correctly the percentage of broadband users, the two middle options being very close together.
 
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