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Internet slang includes expressions related to computers and networks, including emoticons and acronyms. It also includes terms for different types of internet users, such as internauts and cybernauts. Offensive words and jargon specific to certain online communities also exist. As technology evolves, internet slang will continue to change.
Internet slang includes expressions related to network technologies and computers in general. While slang typically refers to words specific to a group, club, sports, hobo even a generation, in the broadest sense of internet slang it also includes emoticons or simple graphics typed with keyboard keys. The most common of these is the “smile” produced by a colon representing the eyes and a right bracket representing a smile, read sideways. Acronyms are also part of the Internet lexicon.
Many Internet slang expressions combine network terms with real-world terms to refer to particular types of Internet users. Some examples follow:
Internaut (Internet + Astronaut): An online veteran with an academic understanding of the Internet.
Cybernaut (cyberspace + astronaut): A person skilled in online gaming communities involving virtual worlds, simulations (sims), and cyberspace in general.
Digerati (digital + illuminati): Someone savvy in digital technologies.
Netizen (Internet + Citizen): A citizen of the Internet or an enthusiast of online communities such as USENET newsgroups or Web forums.
Web surfer (World Wide Web + surfer): Anyone who engages in surfing the web.
Emoticons (emotions + icons) are another kind of internet slang. These simple keyboard pictograms can spice up text to indicate intonation so that a joke, for example, would be understood as such. An emoticon can indicate anger, laughter, teasing, crying, sadness, surprise, sarcasm, embarrassment and many other emotions.
An alternative to emoticons are Internet-related acronyms. In this case the shorthand becomes a kind of Internet slang. Laughing out loud becomes LOL, for me it becomes AFAIC, and if you know what I mean it is abbreviated to IYKWIM. There are literally hundreds of these acronyms.
Terms like “nerd” and “geek” can also be considered Internet slang, although they specifically emphasize a knowledge of computers. “Newbie” is slang for someone unfamiliar with whatever he or she is undertaking, whether it’s joining a new gaming community or building a computer for the first time. The novice might be very skilled in areas outside the newly undertaken or uniformly green cause.
Other types of Internet slang borrow offensive words from the real world and apply them to the online community. A “troll,” for example, is someone who ignores netiquette in a newsgroup, forum, or chat room by attempting to start discussions or fire wars — more Internet slang for heated discussions that spiral out of control into personal attacks.
In some online communities or mailing lists, Internet jargon specific to the group or topic develops. As per etiquette, a list of these acronyms and their meanings should be available in the group’s frequently asked questions (FAQ).
As networking and its technologies grow, Internet slang will continue to evolve. Many websites store general listings for netizens to refer to, available through any search engine.
