The techie world is awash in acronyms and terminology that can stump even the most savvy of digital natives. There’s certainly no reason to be embarrassed that you’re getting a bit lost when your grandson starts rattling off the latest jargon!
This language specialization happens in all fields and industries, allowing experts to talk with more precision, but techies and online folks seem to be more prone to it than most. Well, except maybe doctors, who have a language all their own, to the dismay of every patient who has tried to understand a diagnosis.
Let’s jump in!
COOKIES AREN’T FOR SNACKING
To start, “cookies” are tiny text sequences that your Web browser hands to websites you visit. Mostly, they’re benign, helping you have a personalized experience. “Third-party cookies” are given by sites other than the one you’re visiting, and they’re almost always related to advertising networks. Usually, you can safely block those.
HIGHWAYMEN HAD CACHES TOO
A “cache” (pronounced “cash”, hence your confusion) is a storage area where your computer can save local copies of online data. For example, if you read ten pages on CNN.com, the images that make up the basic page design will only be sent on the first page; your browser will “cache” (save) temporary copies to speed things up. Caches are big performance boosts.
This idea has been around for a long time; even highwaymen in the Old West would have a stash of weapons and supplies that were generally known as their secret cache. They probably didn’t stop to check their phones for messages en route to a robbery, though. 😄
GREAT WALLS OF FIRE
“Firewalls” are low-level programs that protect you from nefarious online traffic. Think of it as having a gatekeeper who evaluates every message to determine if it’s a known and trusted address. Think of it as having someone at the end of your driveway checking to ensure everyone who’s gonna go to your front door should be allowed, and turning away suspicious people and solicitors. Firewalls can go a long way to protecting you online and should almost always be enabled.
ABOUT THE BAD GUYS
“Malware” has nothing to do with shopping malls. It’s a category of software apps and programs you want to keep off your computer. This includes “viruses” that can not only infect your computer – think “destroy all your data” – but that can spawn copies of themselves to infect your friends and family’s computers. Anti-virus software protects you from all malware, not just viruses.
“Phishing” is a particularly dastardly type of scam, often a bogus website, intending to fake you out and have you think you’re logging into your real online bank or paid subscription service. The scammers then use your inadvertently shared credentials to log in to the real site and steal from you. Very no bueno. To protect yourself, always be skeptical of email, text notifications, and even phone calls telling you to go to a specific site online. Instead, type in the address of the organization or business into your browser to ensure you’re going to the correct place online.
There are, of course, hundreds of additional terms and phrases that people use in the tech world. The best way to learn what they mean is to simply look up their definition in a search engine, like Google or Bing. If you’re more adventurous, try asking an AI Chatbot to explain it in simple, non-technical terms. For example, you might ask ChatGPT: “Explain the term ‘ad blocker’ in simple words and tell me why some websites complain if I have one enabled.”
With just a little bit of help from modern technology, I’m confident you can figure out the vast majority of the terms that your grandson uses and that you encounter as you explore the web. Good luck!
Pro Tip: I’ve been writing about and demystifying the tech world for many years. Please check out my computer basics help area while you’re visiting for more helpful tutorials. Thanks!
