Lingo for a techno age.

How we say things is often more important than what we say. It can speak volumes about our character and personality, where we grew up, what kind of education we received and whether we're anchored in the past or hankering after the future.

Just as information technology has changed the way we work and play, it has also changed the way we speak, with new computer-related words and slang coming into existence as frequently as new computer viruses.

As with any other field, you can't walk the walk unless you talk the talk. But even if you don't want or need to walk the walk, knowing how to talk the talk can be useful and interesting.

Buzzwords, jargon, and acronyms can condense complicated concepts into shorthand words and phrases, saving time. They can shed light on where our culture is headed. They can separate the insiders from the outsiders. They can tell you what your kids are saying to one another while instant messaging or texting.

Here are some of the more useful and interesting computer-related neologisms used today. Some are candidates for "Word of the Year" honors in 2006 and previous years from the American Dialect Society (www.americandialect.org). Some are found at the sites listed at the end of this column. Some are from my own observations in wandering around cyberspace.

B2B: business-to-business e-commerce

B2C: business-to-consumer e-commerce

bf: boyfriend

blog: Web log or diary

blognut: blog fanatic

blook: blog turned into a book

brb: be right back

gtg: got to go

clickstream: unique pattern of an individual's Web surfing habits

cd9: code 9, for parents are around

cybersquat: to register a Web address with the sole purpose of trying to sell it for a profit

data valdez: accidental releasing a quantity of private information

dot-bomb: failed dot com

flame: hostile online post

geek: successful nerd

gf: girlfriend

hit: request for a file from a Web server

idk: I don't know

Imirl: let's meet in real life

lol: laughing out loud

meatspace: where you meet Internet pals in person

multislacking: playing on computer when you should be working

newbie: newcomer

offline: out of the loop and uninformed

p911: parent emergency

pir: parent in room

phishing: trying to trick someone into revealing private information online

podcast: audio or video designed to be downloaded to a portable MP3 player

pos: parent over shoulder

prw: parents are watching

spew: gibberish in spam designed to fool a spam filter

sockpuppet: false online identity

troll: person who deliberately starts online arguments

ttyl: talk to you later

wu: what's up?

Want more? Here are some Web sites that provide it:

Computing Dictionary: computing-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com

Geek.com's Technical Glossary: www.ugeek.com/glossary

Internet Slang Dictionary & Translator: www.noslang.com

NetLingo: www.netlingo.com

Teen Chat Decoder: www.teenchatdecoder.com

One further option is to use Google by typing in the term you're unfamiliar with followed by the word "definition" (without the quotation marks).

Reid Goldsborough's column covers a gamut of topics on the subject of information technology. He is a syndicated columnist and author of the book "Straight Talk about the Information Superhighway." He can be reached at reidgold@netaxs.com or http://members.home.net/reidgold

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