Internet Glossary

Browse 21 internet terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.

21 Internet Terms

AI Slop
A dismissive term for low-quality, generic, mass-produced AI-generated content, especially when it is repetitive, shallow, or obviously made without care. The...
Archive.org
The Internet Archive and its associated services, widely known for preserving websites, media, software, and public digital history. In tech culture,...
ARPANET
Advanced Research Projects Agency Network — the first wide-area packet-switching network and direct precursor to the modern internet. Launched in 1969...
Blog
A regularly updated website or section of a site where articles, notes, essays, updates, or commentary are published. In tech culture blogs have long been...
Bot
An automated software agent that performs tasks such as posting updates, scraping sites, responding in chat, or simulating user behavior. In internet culture...
Brandolini's Law
The principle that refuting nonsense takes much more effort than producing it, often invoked in online technical arguments.
Clearnet
The publicly accessible part of the internet reachable through standard networks and browsers, as opposed to anonymizing overlays like Tor hidden services. In...
Cope
A dismissive term for rationalizing an unfavorable situation or defending an inferior technology choice. In tech, used when someone defends their stack against...
Cyber Monday
A major online shopping day following the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, associated with heavy ecommerce traffic, promotions, and operational strain. In tech and...
dial-up
A method of connecting to the internet by using a modem to place a telephone call to an ISP's access number. Characterized by the iconic handshake screech,...
Digital Citizenship
The idea of participating responsibly, safely, and ethically in digital spaces, including issues like privacy, respect, literacy, and civic behavior online. In...
Digital Footprint
The trail of data, content, activity, and identifiers a person or organization leaves across digital systems. In internet culture digital footprint is often...
Digital Native
A person who grew up in a world where digital technology was already a normal part of daily life. In culture, the term is useful but often oversimplified,...
Down Detector
A service people use to check whether popular websites, platforms, or internet services appear to be down for many users. In tech culture it often becomes a...
Emoji
A small digital symbol used to convey emotion, tone, objects, or reactions in messages and online communication. In tech culture emoji carry real social weight...
Eyeball Metric
A crude metric focused on attention or audience size, such as views or visitors, often criticized when it stands in for more meaningful business outcomes. The...
Fake News
False or misleading information presented in the style of legitimate news. In digital culture the term became widely used in debates about misinformation,...
Geek Culture
The broader culture around enthusiastic interest in technology, games, science fiction, comics, gadgets, and adjacent fandoms. In tech history geek culture...
Giving Tuesday
A global giving campaign that encourages charitable donations and community support, held after the U.S. Thanksgiving shopping weekend. In digital culture it...
Gone Viral
Describing content, a product, or a moment that spreads extremely quickly across networks and attracts sudden widespread attention. In internet culture the...
Open Web
The idea and ecosystem of a web built on open standards, interoperable protocols, and broad participation rather than locked-down proprietary silos. In web...

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