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Social Media Language Part 8
You are at a disadvantage if you visit a non- English speaking country and can not speak the language. In order to effectively operate in the New World order of social media and social networking, it is important to understand the terminology. This is the final in a series of posts covering social media language from A through Z. Enjoy T – Z. Check older post for previous language articles. (Source references are listed at the bottom of each post including this one.)

Tagging:
A way of categorizing online content using keywords describing what can be found at a website, bookmark, photo or blog post. Tags are keywords attached to a blog post, bookmark, photo or other item of content so you and others can find them easily through searches and aggregation. Tags can usually be freely chosen.

Taxonomy:
An organized way of classifying content, as in a library. Providing contributors to a site with a set of categories under which they can add content is offering taxonomy. Allowing people to add their own keywords is to endorse folksonomy.

Technology Steward:
Someone who can facilitate community and network development. Nancy White offers the definition: “Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs. Stewardship typically includes selecting and configuring technology, as well as supporting its use in the practice of the community”.

Teleconferencing:
Holding a meeting without being in the same place, using a network connection and tools like Voice over IP, Instant Messaging, Video, and Whiteboards.

Terms of services:
The basis on which you agree to use a forum or other web-based places for creating or sharing content. Check before agreeing what rights the site owners may claim over your content.

Threads:
Strands of conversation. On an email list or web forum they will be defined by messages that use the use the same subject. On blogs they are less clearly defined, but emerge through comments and trackbacks.

Thumbtribe:
People who are skilled at using their thumbs to manipulate objects such as cell phone keys, small joysticks, and notebook computer pointers.

Time-Shift (or time-shifting):
Used as a verb, people schedule when they want to listen or watch a program. TIVO and other digital video recorders allow people to time shift television programs. Podcasting’s popularity is built upon the opportunity to time-shift. Someone can download a program and listen to or view it at their convenience, during a commute, while at the gym, while on an airplane or any other convenient time.

Tool:
Term used as shorthand for software applications on your computer, and also for applications that are Web-based.

Topic:
An online discussion is an idea, issue – talking point – in a conversation that is made up of threads.

Trackback:
Some blogs provide a facility for other bloggers to leave a calling card automatically, instead of commenting. Blogger A may write on blog A about an item on blogger B’s site, and through the trackback facility leave a link on B’s site back to A. The collection of comments and trackbacks on a site facilitates conversations. Trackbacks also contribute to Search Engine Optimization. (SEO)

Transparency:
Enhancing searching, sharing, self-publish and commenting across networks makes it easier to find out what’s going on in any situation where there is online activity.

Troll:
A hurtful but possibly valuable loser who, for whatever reason, is obsessed with, constantly annoyed with, and deeply offended by everything you write on your blog. You may be able to stop them from commenting on your blog, but you can’t ban them from commenting on other sites and pointing back to your blog. You can’t ban them from posting things on their own blog that point back to your site.

Upload:
To transfer a file or other content from your computer to an Internet site.

URL:
Unique Resource Locator is the technical term for a web address like http://www.bbc.co.uk

Usenet:
Portmanteau (opens into both halves) of “user” and “network”, is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system.

User generated content:
Text, photos and other material produced by people who previously just consumed.

USM Universal Subscription Mechanism:
Allows certain podcatchers to automatically add a subscription from an RSS file.

Vcasting:
See Video Podcast

Video:
Many digital cameras and mobile phones take videos good enough to view on the Net. Sites like YouTube and blip.tv now make it easy to open an account, upload and share your videos. These sites will also provide some unique code for each video so you can, if you wish, embed the video in a blog post. Short interviews that “capture the moment” work well, particularly if you provide a text summary so people can easily decide whether or not to view. However, check whether the audience you are aiming at is likely to have a fast enough connection and up to date browser to easily view your video.

Video Podcast:
A podcast with enclosures containing video files rather than audio ones. Unlike audio podcasts which may only contain MP3 files, various file types can be used when podcasting video.

Video Podcasting:
The process of publishing video files along with news feeds so that viewers can download them and watch them on their computer or portable digital video player.

Virality:
The extent to which an issue will spread from one consumer to another across the Internet (by e-mail, links, blogs, social tagging, etc.). Low virality means little distribution; high virality means wide or broad distribution.

Viral Marketing:
The planned promotion of a product, brand or service through a process of interesting actual or potential customers to pass along marketing information to friends, family, and colleagues. This word-of-mouth advertising is usually accomplished by a creative use of social networking and other non-traditional marketing channels.

Virtual worlds:
Online places like Second Life or World of Warcraft, where you can create a representation of yourself (an avatar) and socialize with other residents. Basic activity is free, but you can buy currency (using real money) in order to purchase land and trade with other residents. Second Life is being used by some voluntary organizations to run discussions, virtual events and fundraising.

Vlog:
See Video podcast

Vodcast:
Another name for video podcasting. Short for Video On-Demand Podcasting.

Voice:
Online Social media enables you to extend your voice by increasing your reach across the Net, and doing that in the way that suits you best. You can write – or if you are a visual person you can upload photos or other images and invite comments. If you prefer talking, use Voice over IP, or perhaps record and upload a podcast, capture interviews and events on video. Your voice can be focussed on your blog … or be available on other sites through your commenting, linking and use of social media websites.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP):
Enables you to use a computer or other Internet device for phone calls without additional charge, including conference calls. By using headphones and a microphone you can also free your hands to use instant messaging to keep a shared note of conversations, or use other virtual presence tools. You can use Voice over IP to do interviews for Podcasts. The best-known VOIP tool is Skype.

Web 2.0:
Term coined by O’Reilly Media in 2004 to describe blogs, wikis, social networking sites and other Internet-based services that emphasize collaboration and sharing, rather than less interactive publishing (Web 1.0). It is associated with the idea of the Internet as platform.

Web-based tools:
Google, Yahoo and a host of other commercial organizations provide an increasing range of free or low-cost tools including email, calendars, word processing, and spreadsheets that can be used on the web rather than your desktop. Provided you are happy to entrust your data to these organizations – and are always online when working – you can reduce your software costs significantly and forget about upgrades.

Web Surfer:
A person who explores the online world using a web browser to seek or browse for information.

Webinar:
Short for “web-based seminar” webinars are interactive presentations, lectures, workshops or seminars transmitted online, where the audience can participate by offering, receiving and discussing information.

Widgets:
Mini-applications that connect to the Internet from your desktop or web pages like FaceBook. Widgets usually have a specific function, such as providing weather updates and news headlines.

Whiteboards:
They are the equivalent of glossy surfaces where you can write with an appropriate marker pen and wipe off later. They are tools that enable you to write or sketch on a web page, and as such are useful in collaboration online.

Wiki:
An online, collaborative work space for multiple users of a web page or set of pages that can be edited collaboratively. The best known example is Wikipedia, an encyclopaedia created by thousands of contributors across the world. Once people have appropriate permissions set by the wiki owner, they can create pages and/or add to and alter existing pages.

Wikis:
A page or collection of web pages that support multiple contributors that can access and modify content. The most popular wiki is Wikipedia.

Source References for Blog:
CGM Glossary
Social Media Glossary
Wikipedia
Webopedia
Netlingo
Digital Dialogues