Have you ever listened to technology savvy people have a conversation and wondered if they were speaking a foreign language? They are speaking a new language and even when the concept or steps are simple for some current technology it is impossible to follow the conversation if you don’t speak the language. Here a few common ones used for authors and bloggers that can trip people up.
(dot) doc—File extensions from Word documents from Microsoft 2000, 2002 or 2003. CreateSpace allows you to upload your work as a print-ready .pdf, .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
(dot) docx—File extensions from Word documents from Microsoft 2007 or 2010. CreateSpace allows you to upload your work as a print-ready .pdf, .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
(dot) rtf—A text file formate used by Microsoft products (rich text format) developed in 1987 for cross-platform interchange. CreateSpace allows you to upload your work as a print-ready .pdf, .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
(dot) pdf—A Portable Document Format that allows you to convert documents, forms, graphics and webpages invented by Adobe Systems used as an electronic document exchange.
App—Also known as application software designed to help perform specific tasks on a computer or mobile device.
Author Platform— An author platform is used to create visibility, authority, and reach to a target audience. All of the aspects of an author platform should direct your audience back to your branded website. A platform can include social media, email newsletter, a body of published work, speaking engagements, YouTube or podcasts, a tribe, membership in organizations, awards, recurring media appearances or interviews and a branded website.
Bandwidth—The amount of data that can be transmitted during a fixed amount of time.
BISAC Category—Stands for Book Industry Standards and Communications categories and are used by the book-selling industry to group books by subject matter.
Blogosphere—The buzz word that represents the blogging community on the Internet.
cPanel—Is a Unix (operating system) based web hosting control panel that provides interface and automation tools designed to simplify hosting a website.
Disk space—The available space on a magnetic disk.
Domain Registrar—An organization that is accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) who has the authority to register domain names.
EPUB—Is a free and open eBook standard by the International Digital Publishing Forum. EPUB is short for Electronic Publication. EPUB is designed for reflowable content that can optimize text for a particular display devise.
Google AdWords—An advertising program offered by Google, Inc.
Hashtags—Are used to engage in Twitter conversations, find relevant people to follow, gain valuable social media insight and participate in trends. A hashtag can be a word or phrase proceeded by # mark.
Keywords—A word or phrase used to help index content on Web pages for search engines.
MOBI Files—A MOBI formatted document with the extension (dot) MOBI used by MobiPocket Reader.
Plug-in—A set of software components that add specific abilities to customize the function to a larger software application.
Retweet—Is a method of engaging in social media in which you share someone else’s tweet. Here is an example on my Twitter feed today from @Donnamaria, “Wisdom from my friend –> RT @KaylaFioravanti Are You Running the Right Race? http://kaylafioravanti.com/are-you-running-the-right-race #goals #dreams”
Scripts—A list of commands that contain instructions written in a scripting language to generate pages on the Internet that can be installed and managed.
SEO—Is short for Search Engine Optimization. It is a strategy used to increase the amount of visitors that visit you website by obtaining a high placement on search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.
URL—A formatted text string used by Web browsers to indemnify the network resource on the internet.
Viral—The spread of information, links, photographs and videos from one person to another on the Internet.
Virtual assistant—An entrepreneur who provides contracted professional administration and technical services while operating outside of the client’s office.
Widget—A generic term that allows the user to interface with an application and operating system.
All of these were terms that at least one person on the crowdsourced editing team for How to Self-Publish asked for a further definition of while reading the early drafts.
What have you come across that has tripped you up?
