English4IT Vocabulary Units 1-25
Norbert Weiner
(1894-1964) is considered The forefather of Computer Ethics
George Boole
(2 November 1815 - 8 December 1864) English mathematician and philosopher who invented the boolean value
Alan Mathison Turing
(23 June 1912 - 7 June 1954) English computer scientist known as the "father of computer science"; inventor of a famous test, which is used as a empirical basis for what makes a computer a computer
Edgar Frank Codd
(August 23, 1923 - April 18, 2003) English computer scientist known for his work in inventing the "relational model" for databases, which is still in use today
Robert Noyce
(December 12, 1927 - June 3, 1990) American engineer and businessman nicknamed "The Mayor of Silicon Valley", he co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel in 1968
Charles Babbage
(December 26, 1791 - October 18, 1871) English mathematician, analytical philosopher who drew up plans for the first programmable computer called the Difference Engine
John Warner Backus
(December 3, 1924 - March 17, 2007) American computer scientist known for leading the team who invented FORTRAN, the first widely used high-level programming language
Steve Jobs
(February 24, 1955 - October 5, 2011) American founder and former CEO of Apple Computer in 1976 and a leading figure in the computer industry; he helped popularize the concept of the home computer and was one of the first to see the commercial potential of the GUI and mouse
Vannevar Bush
(March 11, 1890 - June 28, 1974) American Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, he coordinated the activities of some six thousand leading American scientists in the application of science to warfare; he also came up with an idea called the 'memex' which was a forefather to hypertext.
Seymour Cray
(September 28, 1925 - October 5, 1996) American supercomputer architect who founded the company named after himself; he quickly became known as manufacturing the world's fastest computers for over 30 years
Andy Grove
(born 2 September 1936) Hungarian-American Chairman of Intel Corporation during much of its rapid financial growth in the 1980's and 1990's
Tim Berners-Lee
(born 8 June 1955) Englishman known as the father of the World Wide Web; in 1989, he proposed a global hypertext project based based on URIs, HTTP and HTML; he also founded the World Wide Web Consortium ( W3C )in 1994
Yukihiro Matsumoto
(born April 14th, 1965) Japanese creator of the Ruby programming language, considered to be the most object-oriented language ever created
Steve Wozniak
(born August 11, 1950) American co-founder of Apple Computer, fifth grade math teacher, and famous for designing the first commercially successful home computer (Apple II)
Linus Torvalds
(born December 28, 1969) Finnish creator of the Linux operating system in 1991; his motivation was to create a Unix-like Operating System for the x86 processor as an alternative to Windows, which he described as a "broken toy"
Bjarne Stroustrup
(born December 30, 1950) Danish inventor of the C++ programming language
Ken Thompson
(born February 4, 1943) American co-inventor of the Unix Operating system in 1969 while working for AT&T; he also invented the 'B' programming language and worked on the UTF-8 character set
Guido van Rossum
(born Jan 31, 1956) Dutch inventor of the Python programming language
Gordon Moore
(born January 3, 1929) American co-founder of Intel Corporation and the author of a law later named after him which predicts the speed increase of integrated circuits over time
Richard Stallman
(born March 16, 1953) American freedom activist and founder of the free software movement, the GNU project, and the Free Software Foundation
Ralph Baer
(born March 8, 1922) German-American who was instrumental in inventing the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game console
James Gosling
(born May 19, 1955) Canadian computer scientist known as the father of the Java langage.
Rasmus Lerdorf
(born November 22, 1968) Danish inventor of the PHP programming language, currently the world's most popular web programming language.
Bill Gates
(born October 28, 1955) American founder of Microsoft Corporation and developer of Windows; he was the richest man in the world for many years before he gave away a lot of his wealth to charity.
Larry Wall
(born September 27, 1954) American programmer and author, most widely known for his creation of the Perl programming language in 1987.
Dennis Ritchie
(born September 9, 1941) American inventor of the C programming language
byte (binary term)
8 bits
flash drive
A USB device used for portable data storage, typically between 1 gigabyte and 1 terabyte in size; also known as a USB drive, jump drive, and even a key drive
ethernet
A baseband local-area network originally developed by Xerox Corp. Normally running between 10 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps
Voltaic cell
A device that derives energy from chemical reaction, such as in a battery
hyperlink
A document cross-reference technique enabling the retrieval of a related document or resource simply by clicking on an underlined word or image.
tape drive
A legacy storage device using magnetic ribbon inside a plastic cassette
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
A relatively fast and convenient computer technology allowing the connection of many peripherals such as digital cameras, scanners, external hard drives, etc.
power supply
A separate unit or part of a circuit that supplies the correct amount of electrical current to a computer system.
mouse pointer
A special icon (normally an arrow) which indicates the current location of the mouse on the desktop screen.
magnetic storage
A storage technique using patterns of charged particles on a metallic surface to store data; examples include hard disk drives, tape drives, floppy disk drives
emoticon
A symbol that uses the characters on a computer keyboard to convey emotion an email or instant message, such as the smiley face :)
SATA (Serial ATA)
A widely used bus for connecting hard disk drives and similar devices to the motherboard and running at speeds up to 6 Gbit/s.
speaker
An internal or external device which converts electrical impulses into audible sound.
coprocessor
Any computer processor or portion of the CPU which assists the main processor by performing a highly specialized task
IBM (International Business Machines)
Armonk, New York based company founded by Charles Ranlett Flint in 1911; known for building large scale business machines of nearly every type from typewriters to mainframes to personal computers
Apple
Cupertino, California based computer company founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
Menlo Park, California company founded in 1994 by Mark Zuckerberg which calls itself a "social network" and focuses on advertising and interpersonal communication
Mountain View, California company founded by Larry Page and Sergei Brin in 1998; known for their search technology, Android mobile OS, web-based productivity tools, and cloud hosting services
HP (Hewlett-Packard)
Palo Alto, California startup founded in a one-car garage in 1939 by two engineering students "Bill" and "Dave"; known for producing high quality computers printers, and other peripherals
Microsoft
Redmond, Washington software company founded by Bill Gates and Larry Allen in 1977; known for Windows operating system, Office productivity software, and Azure cloud computing platform
Oracle
Redwood Shores, California company founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison and known for developing database software and supply chain management software
Dell
Round Rock, Texas computer manufacturer founded by "Micheal" in 1984; known for its direct-sales approach, low cost, and highly configurable product offerings
Cisco
San Jose, California company founded by Len Bosack, Sandy Lerner, and Richard Troiano in 1984 which sells networking and telecommunications products and services
Western Digital
San Jose, California company founded in 1970 by Alvin B. Phillips; the world's largest manufacturer of computer storage devices
Adobe
San Jose, California multimedia software company founded in 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschk; known for Flash, Photoshop and PDF software technologies
Nvidia
Santa Clara, California company founded by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem in 1993; known for producing GPUs (graphical processing units) for gaming, cryptocurrency mining, and media creation purposes
Intel
Santa Clara, California company founded in 1968 by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce; known for manufacturing microprocessors and other high tech products
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)
Santa Clara, California company founded in 1969 by Jerry Sanders; known as the second largest manufacturer of x86 processors and graphics processors
Amazon
Seattle company founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and specializing in mail order and and cloud computing
TIL (today I learned)
Something to type in a chat before stating a recently acquired humorous or educational fact
fault tolerance
The ability of a system component to fail without causing the entire system to shut down; this is often accomplished with redundancy
motherboard
The main printed circuit board in a computer that carries the system buses, sockets for processors, memory modules, etc
- (minus sign)
The operator sign often indicating the process of subtraction or difference
e-commerce (electronic commerce)
The term for buying and selling goods and services over the world wide web
download
The transfer a file or files from a remote computer to the user's computer
PHB (pointy haired boss)
This is a derogatory reference to a stereotypical IT manager who choose their technology platforms based on the latest TV commercial and have no knowledge at all of what their employees actually do
video memory
This is dedicated or shared memory set aside specifically for the graphics processor
BIOS (basic input output system)
This is normally a ROM program that controls the base functionality of the computer such as video, hard drives, optical drives, and keyboard
double-click
To depress and release the left mouse button twice in quick succession
click
To press and release the primary (left-side) mouse button
authenticate
To verify that a process is true or genuine
wcgw
What could possibly go wrong?
OS (operating system)
a GUI or CLI software link between the computer and operator; also provides a framework for productivity software such as an office suite, web browser, or programming languages
VB (Visual Basic)
a Windows-only, multi-paradigm programming language developed by Microsoft and intended for beginners or casual use
switch
a block of code or function causing a program to change its default behavior
ethics
a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality (what is right and wrong)
social engineering
a broad term for any online or offline technique that uses deception to trick people into giving out confidential information
backbone
a central high speed network that connects smaller, independent networks
_ (underscore)
a character often used in file names to join words without using a space; originally used on typewriters to make underlined text
spec (specification)
a clear set of technical or quantitative requirements
SAN (storage area network)
a cluster of storage devices working together to provide shared network storage
cipher
a coded message or secret way of writing
privacy coin
a coin that focuses on anonymous transactions over other features
packet
a collection of bits normally sent through a network that contains data surrounded by error correction information
chipset
a collection of integrated circuits on the motherboard designed to perform certain tasks such as control components and system buses
FLOPS (floating point operations per second)
a common measurement of computer speed dealing with decimal calculations in a given amount of time
satoshi
a common measurement of the worth of altcoins, measuring one hundred millionth of a Bitcoin.
graphics card
a component of a computer which is designed to convert a binary image stored in memory to a display medium
sound card
a component which allows a computer to play and record audio
supercomputer
a computer designed to perform intensive tasks such as weather prediction, big data calculations, or space research.
crash
a computer failure due to faulty hardware or a serious software bug
Ctrl (control key)
a computer key often used in shortcuts or to initiate some action with the help of another key
embedded system
a computer using a relatively slow and specialized processor and ROM chip, normally used to control a particular device such as a washing machine or an MP3 player
path
a continuous trace or wire in electric circuit which connects various components
optical storage
a data storage technique using a pattern of markings on a disc that can be read by a laser; examples include CDROM, and DVD-ROM technology
array
a data structure such as a variable that holds other variables in a particular order; For example: $a = ($b, $c, $d)
blockchain
a decentralised digital ledger of transactions maintained by consensus
DAO (distributed autonomous organization)
a decentralised organisation often enabling users to purchase shares and vote for rule changes
ir/else statement
a decision making process wherein a block of code may or may not be executed based on pre-existing condition
leech
a derogatory term for a person who uses download bandwidth without contributing appropriate upload bandwidth
spaghetti code
a derogatory term for poorly organized programming code
scanner
a device for capturing a binary digital image from a hard copy
firewall
a device or software program designed to prevent unauthorized access to a network
modem
a device which converts digital signals into analog signals, and back again when needed
fingerprint reader
a device which forms a digitised image of a human finger print for the purpose of biometric authentication
cryptocurrency
a digital asset using secure computer algorithms to secure its transactions, create additional units, and verify transfer
touchscreen
a display that also acts as an input device by allowing a user to navigate a program by pressing specific locations of the screen
hidden file
a file which does not appear by default in a directory listing; normally for security reasons or to spare confusion in end users
current
a flow of electric charge (such as electrons or ions)
SDLC (software development life cycle)
a formalized approach to creating and maintaining software
WWW (World Wide Web)
a global hypertext system operating on the Internet that enables electronic communication of text and multimedia
network
a group of connected computers which share resources
consensus process
a group of peers responsible for maintaining a distributed ledger
smartphone
a hand-held multimedia computer optimized for communication and featuring a touch screen and internet connection
mouse
a handheld input device used to move an onscreen pointer by means of sliding on a flat surface
soldering iron
a handy tool used to assemble the electrical components on a PCB (printed circuit board)
microphone
a hardware device plugged into a computer's sound card optimized for voice commands or other audio recording
dongle
a hardware device that plugs into a parallel or a USB port, acting as copy protection for a particular software application
barcode reader
a hardware peripheral designed to 'scan' products into an inventory tracking system
workstation
a high quality computer, typically with lots of RAM, plenty of CPU power, and a high quality video card
enterprise architect
a high-level position responsible for understanding a business's overall needs and then designing an IT structure to support it
Java
a high-level, compiled, object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems.
Python
a high-level, interpreted programming language developed by Guido van Rossum at CWI in the Netherlands
Perl
a high-level, interpreted programming language written by Larry Wall in 1986 and typically used for a wide variety of programming tasks including system administration
PHP (PHP Hypertext Preprocessor)
a high-level, interpreted programming language written by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995 and aimed mainly at web developers creating dynamic applications
IT manager
a job position acting as a bridge between upper management and IT; one who encourages personal development in IT staff; the boss of an IT worker
QA manager (quality assurance manager)
a job title whose responsibilities include ensuring appropriate performance for a software project and organizing and instructing testers
software tester
a job title whose responsibilities include ensuring that a software project meets established quality guidelines
Esc (escape key)
a key normally in the upper left corner of a keyboard labeled with program specific functions such as backing out of a menu
tab key
a key that, when pressed, moves the insertion point to the next preset marker
\ (back slash)
a key used for separating files and folders, normally in a Windows file system.
/ (forward slash)
a key used to separate folders and files, often used in Unix file systems
& (ampersand)
a key which is used in many languages to mean 'and'
Pgdn (page down key)
a key which jumps the cursor a preset amount of distance towards the bottom of a document
Pgup (page up key)
a key which jumps the cursor a preset amount of distance towards the top of a document
Del (delete key)
a key which moves the cursor one space to the right deleting any character which might be there
Pr Scr (print screen key)
a key which normally captures the current screen to the clipboard to be pasted into an imaging program
caps lock key
a key which toggles letters between upper and lower case
PCB (printed circuit board)
a laminate board which supports electric components in the circuit
PDA (personal digital assistant)
a legacy handheld computer often running Palm OS or Windows CE and used as a contact organizer, game machine, work tool, or access controller
scroll lock key
a legacy key, normally with a corresponding LED light, which often has no assigned usage
floppy disk drive
a legacy storage device which can read and write data slowly from a removable magnetic medium (normally 3.5" in diameter and holding 1.44 MB of data)
private key
a long random string of text used to create your digital signature
C
a low-level, compiled programming language developed in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie for use on the UNIX operating system
portability
a measure of how easily programs can be moved to a new system without having to make any changes.
usability
a measure of how easy or efficient a program is to use
bandwidth
a measurement of the capacity of data which can be moved between two points in a given period of time
benchmark
a measurement or standard that serves as a point of reference by which process performance is measured
compression
a method of packing data in order to save disk storage space or download time
domain
a named group of networked computers that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures
function
a named sequence of procedural code statements that perform a certain task
electrical circuit
a network or interconnection of electric components in a closed loop
WAN (wide area network)
a network which covers more than one building or area
client-server
a networking model in which the functions are divided between "child" computers and a single "parent" computer which stores and controls access to data
P2P (peer-to-peer)
a networking model where computers seamlessly share data; used primarily to reduce sever bottlenecks and reduce costs
PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
a newer bus type used mainly for graphic cards and running at speeds up to 16,000 MB/s
EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory)
a non-volatile (permanent) memory type that is erasable via ultra-violet light and reprogrammable
CEI (Computer Ethics Institute)
a nonprofit research, education, and public policy organization focused on the issues, dilemmas, and challenges of advancing information technology within ethical frameworks
stylus
a part of an input device resembling a pen used to draw on the surface of a graphics tablet
printer
a peripheral device that produces a hard copy, normally paper, from data stored in a computer
DBA (database administrator)
a person in charge of managing and maintaining relational databases and their access rights
early adopter
a person who likes new things and often buys them before they are proven
end user
a person who uses a product or service on a computer
troll
a person who writes intentionally controversial posts on a user forum in order to start a flame war
programmer
a person who writes or modifies computer programs or applications
desktop computer
a personal computer typically in the shape of a tower or box with a connected keyboard, mouse, and monitor
medium
a physical transmission device or storage device of information
RC (release candidate)
a piece of software that has passed its testing stages and is close to release
trial version
a piece of software which is available for evaluation by customers free of charge, normally for a limited amount of time
killer app
a piece of software which redefines the industry, often causing people to rush out and buy new hardware so they can use it
trackball
a pointing device consisting of a ball on top of a base that is rotated to move a cursor on the computer screen
JavaScript
a popular web page scripting language created by Brendan Eich at Netscape to provide client-side interactivity in Web pages.
tablet
a portable computer shaped in the form of a notebook and capable of advanced handwriting recognition via use of a stylus or on-screen keyboard.
laptop
a portable computer with a built-in screen, integrated keyboard, and battery power
diskette
a portable magnetic storage media enclosed in a plastic sleeve, typically holding 1.4 MB of data
DVD (digital versitile disc)
a portable storage medium which can hold between 4.7 and 17 gigabytes of data, often used for storing movies, games, and operating systems
software developer
a position responsible for gathering information around a programming task and performing it
network administrator
a position responsible for maintenance of all aspects of a computer network; often a specialist in TCP/IP, Linux, and related routing technology such as Cisco
information architect
a position responsible for making complex data structures easy to understand and navigate; especially critical at the beginning of new software development projects to ensure the application performs in a useful way for it's intended end-users
IT support engineer
a position responsible for on-demand support for end users including: fixing hardware, installing software, and troubleshooting minor network issues
PM (project manager)
a position responsible for organizing and delivering a project on time and on budget; often acts a bridge between developers and stake-holders
database developer
a position responsible for programming and optimizing databases
IT security manager
a position responsible for setting best practices for securing wi-fi networks, servers, backups, laptops, and VPNs
technical writer
a position responsible for the creation and maintenance of documentation relating to an IT project including online help, user guides, white papers, and design specifications
graphic designer
a position responsible for the creation of images, typography, mock-ups for an organizations's front end systems; normally works under a company Art Director
BA (business analyst)
a position responsible for the interpretation of business rules and delivering them to technical systems
BBS (Bulletin Board System)
a predecessor to modern websites, these were early online communities that users could dial into using a modem
m (milli)
a prefix meaning one thousandth
paper wallet
a printed version of a cryptocoin's private key
open source
a program in which the code is distributed allowing programmers to alter and change the original software as much as they like
interpreter
a program that reads a high-level programming language, converts it into machine code, and then immediately runs that code
compiler
a program that takes human readable code and turns it into machine readable code for running at a later time
multi-paradigm language
a programming language that supports both procedural and object-oriented programming philosophies
attribute
a property such as order, size, or color
VPN (virtual private network)
a relatively high security connection to a private network
restriction
a rule or law which limits or controls something
commandment
a rule to be observed as strictly
LED (light-emitting diode)
a semiconductor source of light
statement
a sentence of code in a programming language, usually ending with a semi-colon
for loop
a sequence of instructions set to be repeated a specified amount of times until a condition is met
while loop
a sequence of instructions set to continue until a certain expression is false
string
a series of letters and/or numbers
DIP switch
a set of electric switches using a dual in-line package design
IC (integrated circuit)
a set of electronic interconnections in a small "chip" or plate where all the elements are inseparable
arrow keys
a set of four input buttons on a keypad or keyboard often used for navigation in interfaces or applications.
protocol
a set of standards or rules which govern communication
file permissions
a set of strict rules for controlling read, write, and execute access to a file or directory
double spend problem
a single financial transaction potentially happening in two places at once
shitcoin
a slang term for a pointless or worthless cryptocurrency with no future
LAN (local area network)
a small computer network normally contained within one room or building
.NET Framework
a software framework by Microsoft which executes code via a virtual machine
app (application)
a software program which allows a user to perform specific tasks such as word processing, email, accounting, database management
VM (virtual machine)
a software program which mimics the performance of one or more hardware devices in order to run software independently of the actual hardware
X (X Window System)
a software toolkit for UNIX systems underlying numerous GUI window managers including KDE and Gnome
patch
a software update intended to fix bugs or security holes in a software release
beta
a software version which is feature-ready, has passed early testing, and ready for more widespread testing
light bulb
a source of electric light which uses a filament stored in a glass enclosure
Alt (alternate key)
a special key which can open toolbar windows, assist other commands, or change the accent over a letter.
router
a specialized computer which connects two networks
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
a specialized coprocessor designed to handle graphical calculations such as 3D modeling and games
lambo (Lamborghini)
a sports car closely associated closely with cryptocurrency millionaire memes
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
a standard 32-bit bus running at 132 MB/s
privacy policy
a statement or a legal document that discloses the ways an organization gathers, uses, and stores the end user's data
SSD (solid state drive)
a storage device characterized by high speed, no-moving parts, and low energy consumption
hard disk drive
a storage device using rotating magnetic platters to quickly store and retrieve digital data
regex (regular expression)
a string that describes or matches a set of strings, according to certain syntax rules
operator
a symbol that represents a arithmetical calculation
variable
a symbol used to represent data which can be changed while the program is running
plug and play
a term used to describe the technology where a peripheral device is automatically recognized and configured when it is detected
cookie
a text file created by web sites which contains personal information about an end user
CLI (command line interface)
a text-only link between a computer and its operator
Waterfall
a top down approach to software development with everything decided up front with milestones and distant deadlines
Wi-Fi
a trademarked, nontechnical term used to describe a certain quality of wireless networking compatibility
server
a type of computer intended primarily for central distribution of data to other computers on the same network
RAM (random access memory)
a type of computer memory known for being volatile (temporary) and fast.
distributed computing
a type of computing in which a computational task is divided into subtasks that execute on a collection of networked computers
ROM (read-only memory)
a type of memory which is known for being non-volatile (permanent) and fast
semiconductor storage
a type of storage using integrated circuits to store data; examples include RAM, ROM, and flash memory
IP address
a unique string of numbers that identifies a computer or server on the Internet
operand
a value from which an operator derives another value
argument
a value passed to a function when it is called
parameter
a variable specified inside a function or subroutine definition which may set by the code which calls it
monitor
a visual interface display between the computer and the operator; normally a large rectangular LCD, LED, or CRT device
NIC (network interface card)
a wired or increasingly wireless PCI or USB device that connects a computer to a network
productive
able to deliver a high number of something efficiently
voltage
also known as "electric tension", is a difference between electric potential between two points
acronym
an abbreviation; a way of writing a longer string of words more concisely
IDE (integrated development environment)
an application normally consisting of a source code editor, a compiler and/or interpreter, build-automation tools, and a debugger
MVP (minimum viable product)
an early release with only the most important features included
capacitor
an electrical component which uses electrostatics to store energy
resistor
an electrical component, which restricts the flow of electrons in the circuit.
solar cell
an electrical device which converts the energy from light into electricity
microprocessor
an electronic device constructed from microscopic transistors and other circuit elements on a single integrated circuit; popular manufactures of these devices include Intel, AMD, and IBM
computer
an electronic, digital device that stores and processes information
EMF (electromotive force)
an energy measured in volts; refers to the potential which causes the flow of electrons (and ions) in a conductor
bug
an error in a computer program
CTO (chief technical officer)
an executive position responsible for all scientific and technological issues related to a company; normally has a strong technical and somewhat less strong management background
CIO (chief information officer)
an executive position responsible for internal processes and practices; normally has a stronger business administration background than technical background
peripheral
an external computer add-on, such as a printer or a scanner; also known as an 'accessory'
GUI (graphical user interface)
an icon based link between a computer and its operator
error
an incorrect action attributable to poor judgment, ignorance, or inattention
subroutine
an independent block of code, separate from the main program, which performs a specific task necessary to the program
geek
an individual with a passion for computers, to the exclusion of other normal human interests
touchpad
an input device consisting of a sensitive rectangular area in which one uses a finger to move a cursor on a display
graphics tablet
an input device or mouse alternative using a sensitive rectangular surface and a stylus
light pen
an input device using a light-sensitive pen shaped handle which can be used to draw on the computer screen
joystick
an input device with a vertical rod mounted on a base used to control pointing devices or on-screen objects; normally with one or more buttons
goto statement
an instruction in older procedural programming languages that specifies that the instruction execution is to jump to specified location, normally a line number
quantum memory
an interface between light and matter that allows for the storage and retrieval of entangled photonic qubits
Hz (hertz)
an internationally used frequency unit; equals one cycle per second
Agile
an iterative and incremental software development approach with work divided into sprints of a predetermined length
Ruby
an object-oriented, high-level, interpreted programming language developed in the 1990's by ace Japanese programmer Yukihiro Matsumoto.
PC (personal computer)
an older device or application that continues to be used because of the high cost of replacing it
legacy system
an older device or application that continues to be used because of the high cost of replacing it
Linux
an open source version of Unix developed by a volunteer team of programmers around the world
Bluetooth
an open wireless protocol for exchanging data; primarily used for connecting mobile devices to computers
BD (Blu-Ray Disc)
an optical read-only disc storage media format used for data or movie storage with same dimensions as a standard DVD or CD; holds up to 50 GB or 6 times the storage of a DVD
CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory)
an optical storage medium which can store approximately 650 MB of read-only data
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
an organization which develops specifications and guidelines for the World Wide Web.
database
an organized, electronic collection of information optimized for fast access and typically consisting of rows, columns, indexes, and keys
display
an output screen which contains visual information; some variants include: LED lights, CRT or LCD monitors, and virtual reality goggles
IPS (instructions per second)
an very raw measurement of computer processor speed
node
any computer or other device connected to network
altcoin
any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin
component
any device internal to the computer, such as a primary hard disk drive or motherboard
hypertext
any electronic cross-referencing document first prophesized by Vannevar Bush in 1945
function key
any one of several "F" keys on the keyboard that performs a programmable input
input device
any peripheral used primarily to enter data into a computer
software
any program designed to run on a computer
object-oriented language
any programming language optimized for modeling real-world objects and concepts
procedural language
any programming language that is based on a step-by-step approach to solving a problem.
webcam
any specialized video camera designed to transmit video over the internet
leading edge
at the forefront of a new technology; also referred to as "state-of-the-art"
you should be wary
be careful because something might be dangerous or disastrous
mining
being rewarded with cryptocurrency for providing routine bookkeeping and verification services
tedious
boring, repetitive, or slow or long
AFK (away from keyboard)
busy in the 'real world'; often used in chats after a long pause in a chats
compatible
capable of being used without modification
callback
code that is passed as an argument to other code
horked
completely broken in some mysterious way; corrupted
wearables
computers designed to be worn on the wrist, head, or other places on the body often to improve mobility.
barebone
computers which are sold incomplete or in kits that require extra components to be functional
elegant code
concise, clean, and clear code which allows other developers to understand and extend it
multitasking
concurrent execution of two or more tasks by a processor
cracking
criminal hacking; exploiting security holes to gain unauthiorized access to computer systems
dependent
decided or controlled by something else
ARPANET (Advanced Projects Research Agency Network)
developed by the US military for defense purposes, this was first global network with packet switching
photoshopping
digitally transforming or altering a photograph in order to misrepresent the original
perform a meaningful task
do something useful as opposed to waste time
help file
electronic documentation included with a program
freemium
functioning software distributed free of charge with the possibility to buy more features later if desired
Internet privacy
general techniques and technologies used to protect sensitive data, communications, and preferences
print server
hardware or software designed to connect a network device with a printer
case
in typography, this is the distinction between capital (big) and lower (small) letters
fintech
innovation that aims to compete with traditional delivery of financial services
fungible
interchangeable and replaceable
data
literally meaning 'that which is given', this term refers to raw information of any kind
non-volatile
long-term, persistent, does not require power to retain it's state
phishing
obtaining sensitive information through a deceptive email campaign, while pretending to be a trusted person or business
^ (caret key)
often used to denote rising another number to a power; also used in regular expressions to denote the starting point
G (giga)
one billion
n (nano)
one billionth
M (mega)
one million
µ (micro)
one millionth
1337
one of the best hackers or coders that you know
K (kilo)
one thousand
T (tera)
one trillion
consent
permission, allowing
hardware
physical things that make up a computer, such as a component or a peripheral
format
prepare a device to store data, erasing any existing data
proprietary
privately developed and owned technology
daps (decentralized applications)
programs designed to work without a central owner, server, or controller
consequences
results; things that happen as a result of a previous action
syntax
rules governing the structure of a programming language
groupware
software applications that facilitate shared work on documents and information
closed source
software in which the license stipulates that the user cannot see, edit, or manipulate the source code of a software program
device driver
software which converts the data from a component or peripheral into data that an operating system can use
fanboy
someone obsessed or devoted to a particular item or genre
n00b
someone who can't hack or program very well
code monkey
someone who sits and programs all day; someone who is only valued for their programming skills
trendsetter
someone who successfully defines a path for the rest of the industry to follow
feature
something a computer program is "supposed" to do; these are often reasons to use a particular program or upgrade to a more recent version
whatever
something sarcastic you can say to non-technical people when they tell repeatedly give you misguided technical instructions that are impossible, impractical, dangerous, or overly time-consuming
IMHO (in my humble opinion)
something to put in a chat before stating something which is subjective (not a fact)
FTW (for the win)
something to say when you are trying to accomplish something important and you are very near to your goal "Lizard Team attack the base FTW!"
ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing)
something to type when lol simply isn't enough
LOL (laughing out loud)
something to type when someone else types something funny
BRB (be right back)
something you say in a chat message to show you will need to go to the toilet or go grab a Coke
l8r (later)
something you say when you are leaving a chat
AFAIK (as far as I know)
something you type in a chat message to say you are not 100% sure about the accuracy of your statement
volatile
temporary, requires power to retain it's state
speech recognition
the ability of a computer to convert spoken words from a user into usable data
OCR (optical character recognition)
the ability of a computer to determine standard letters and numbers based on fuzzy logic
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
the address which specifies the location of a file on the Internet
* (asterisk)
the character which often means "multiply" in a math equation or "match all" in a RegEx wildcard
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
the coding or tagging syntax used to write documents for web browsers
reputation
the common opinion about someone or something
convergence
the evolution of devices towards common functionality
alpha
the first version of a software application that is "feature ready" but still very far from "production ready"
kernel
the fundamental part of an operating system responsible for providing access to the machine's hardware
alpha geek
the guy the other engineers go to when they have a problem they can't solve
Internet
the largest known public network in the world, connecting millions of computers around the world
frequency
the number of cycles per unit time of a sound wave, most often measured in hertz
ECMAScript
the official name and standard for the commonly known JavaScript language
+ (plus sign)
the operator sign normally indicating the operation of addition
EOL (end of life)
the point when something is no longer useful or relevant
the dark web
the portion of the Web that has been intentionally hidden and is inaccessible through standard web browsers
encryption
the process of making information 'more secure' by rendering it unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient
parentheses
the punctuation marks '(' and ')'used in pairs to group values or sets of values.
square brackets
the punctuation marks '[' and ']' used in pairs to set apart or interject text within other text
brackets
the punctuation marks '{' and '}' used in pairs to set apart or interject text within other text
% (percent sign)
the sign meant to show a common measurement based on a fraction of 100
@ (at sign)
the sign often used in email addresses to separate usernames from domain names
< (less than sign)
the sign which means that the value on the left is smaller than the value on the right
> (greater than sign)
the sign which means that the value on the right is less than the value on the left
form factor
the size, configuration, or physical arrangement of a computing device
bit (binary digit)
the smallest unit of storage; normally referred to as a '1' or '0'
mooning
the term when a crypto coin's market activity and price go way up in a short amount of time
domain name
the unique name which identifies a website
pita (pain in the ass)
this is nerd slang for anything annoying
# (hash key)
this key is often used to comment out code or signify a number; in the US this known as a pound sign or a number key
~ (tilde)
this key normally means "approximately" in mathematics; in Unix systems this character is used to represent a home directory
rest at ease
to be free from worry
abort
to end a program or a process before its completion
sign out
to end a session with computer or network resource
sign in
to enter information related to an account name and its password in order to access a computer resource
encounter
to meet or come across
right-click
to press the right-side mouse button
upgrade
to replace an older version of software or hardware with a newer version
snoop
to search for private information without permission
execute
to start a program on a computer
upload
to transfer a file from a local computer to a remote computer
copyright infringement
to use somebody's content without proper permission
flame
to write an intentionally abusive reply to a comment or forum post
global scope
usable anywhere in a program
local scope
usable only in a limited section of program text such as a function
