It’s in The Cloud

It’s often hilarious how netspeak escapes the Internet and becomes common talk among regular people. Netspeak has been used outside the Internet in the past, but it was often used by computer geeks “in-the-know” in order to identify and bond with people outside the web. But some tech terms like “app” and, more recently, “the cloud” have escaped the web only to be used by regular people who may not fully understand what they are talking about. In Netlingo: Past, Present, and Future of Netspeak, I briefly reflected on how some netspeak is now part of the general lexicon. I also speculated on the possibility of tech terminology becoming a major force within the English language. I think netspeak is well on its way to becoming one of the major slangs used in our society.
Think about it. The word app has almost been rubbed out considering how much it has been used when speaking about phone apps. Most of the people I know who religiously use the word app couldn’t tell you what it means or what it is short for. Now that is some cultural power. People use the word app yet they don’t fully know what it means and they don’t know its origins! They simply use it to communicate some idea within the realm of ideas.
And what about The Cloud? These days, you can’t go to a business meeting without hearing someone show-off by referencing The Cloud or cloud computing. I wonder if these people know just what The Cloud is or where The Cloud is located or how data gets to The Cloud. Again, those people all feel they know what The Cloud is, but likely not one of them could give a clear definition of cloud computing. Again, that is some serious cultural power at work. The term The Cloud has cultural clout and influence, just like the word “app”. And why shouldn’t those words have influence? After all, The Cloud and Apps are a large part of most people’s lives.
Want more proof of netspeak making headway into the general lexicon. Sure you do. What about the word “hacker”? Oh, now that’s a big one. Few words these days bring with them a feeling of curiosity, maliciousness, intrigue, and fear like the word “hacker”. It has serious cultural clout thanks to the nature of hacking, its history, its proponents and opponents, and its depiction in the media. Again, most people feel at least one of the aforementioned emotions when they hear the word “hacker” and most people feel they know what it means, but, if asked, could they define the word? My guess is, no. They feel all of these emotions when they hear the word, yet they couldn’t give a clear definition of it. Do I need to offer any more proof of the grip and power some words have over people? It also doesn’t hurt that these words are tech-related and, thus, carry weight for that reason alone. If you know these words, or just use them regularly, you are considered to be “in-the-know”. And who doesn’t want to be considered to be “in-the-know”?
Netspeak is on the rise for a number of reasons: the prevalence of technology and its growing influence in our lives, its depiction in media, the “in-the-know” factor, and more are all pulling for netspeak to become a dominant force within the English language. Don’t resist it, enjoy it. And, to be safe, you better brush up on your netspeak at netlingo. You can’t afford to be out of the loop.
Come to think of it, just today I had the opportunity to use the word “leetspeak”. I never thought I would say that in public. I got a feeling I’ll have more opportunity in the future to show-off my impressive netspeak vocabulary.