Computer words on 26, August
Are you someone who practically lives in front of the computer- a mouse potato?
Or are ou nervous about new technology -a technophobe?
In either case, if you want to master the English language, you will need to be familiar with those new computer words that seem to be popping up everywhere.
Luckily, most computer words are easy to learn. For on thing, many of these words probably already have similar forms in your own language. For example, the German word for computer is Computer, in South American Spanish it is computador, and in Japanese we find kompyuta.
Another reason why computer words are easy to learn is that many of them are so colorful. They are words that often make us smile when we first hear them such as snail mail (traditional mail rather than Internet based mail) or wisiwyg (what-you-see-is-what-you-get)
To get a feeling for computer words, it helps to understand the world that created them cyberculture, as it is often called. The computer industry is full of young people who think of themselves as very different from traditional business people in suits.
It is a world that avoids heavy scientific-sounding language in favor of words that are simple, fresh, and playful.
Above all, it is a culture that promotes userfriendliness in everything, including its language. This means using simple familiar words to describe technical concepts.
For example, it is surely nicer to talk about a mouse.
One reason why computer words are so user friendly is that many are metaphors.
We find all kinds of metaphors in computing language. Gor instance, a computer meny offers you a list of things to choose from, just like a menu in a restaurant. A computer virus spreads quickly and causes harm in the same way as viruses spread disease among people. The computer's memory holds information, just like people's memories do.
Comparing a new technical concept to an old familiar one gelps those of us who suffer from technostress. Because many people are afraid of using computers metaphors play an important part in making users feel comfortable with technology.
Computer metaphors are interesting because many of them are connected to central theme, like the office theme we just mintioned. Here are a few other common metaphorical themes.
- books: Web page, bookmark, to browse the Web.
- transportation: information highway, Web traffic.
- small animal: bug, snail mail, mouse
Computer words are easy to learn and remember because many of them use a few word forms that occur again and again.
- ware: software, hardware, shareware, freeware
- cyber and e mean " relating to the Internet " : cyberspace, cybercafe, e-mail, e-cash
- techno means " relating to computer" : technostress, technophobia
Most computer words are short and simple, so it is not surprising that longer words are often abbreviated. Many abbreviations are so commonly used that their full forms are rarely found.
- CD ROM: compact disk read only memory
- IT : information technology
- HTML: HyperTextMarkupLanguage
- LAN: local area network
- RAM: random access memory
One of the ways that alnguage grows is by giving new meanings and uses to an existing word. Icon, for example, once reffered only to religious pictures. Today, it is used to name the various small pictures we see on our computer screens. Similary, mouse, in the sense of an animal, changed over time to mean a device used for pointing. At the same time, it also started to be used in new ways. For example, we find it in phrases such as mouse pad and mousing skill.
A good way to practice your English is by using it on the Internet, either in e-mails, or by participating in mailing list. Internet communication has a definite style of its own. To make their Iternet writing seem more informal, people use various abbreviations or acronym as I did.
- B4 : before
- BTW: by the way
- GR8: great
- OTOH: on the other hand
Because the people are talking to on the Interney cannot see you, it can be difficult to express emotions using words alone. For this reason, Internet writing makes frequent use of the emoticons we mentioned. You need to read them sideways.
- :) pleased or amused
- :)) very happy
- ^^ smile, ^0^ big smile
- T.T crying
- -_- cynical
But by wide-spreading computer words and cyber-culture, you should observe good manners on the Internet, for the first time, we call it netiquette.