Confusing Social Terms Defined. Cheat Sheet Web 2.0 Glossary

Imagine for a moment that in 1998, Google was operating in a garage, Apple introduced the iMac and the founder of Facebook was still in junior high school.

Fast forward to today. A lot has changed.

We’ve seen the rise of collaborative software and social networks. Web 2.0 has made seismic shifts in our communications, play and work.

Most of us connect to the Internet via our mobile devices. And we expect free WiFi in a variety of places.

The emergence of social technologies has democratized information and changed the way we view authenticity, communications, influence, leadership, media and relationships.

Glossary Of Web 2.0 Terms

Here is a cheat sheet glossary to help you navigate the new Web 2.0 socially connected world.

Affiliate

Organization and individuals that partner, link and promote with each other in exchange for a fee or service.

Aggregation

The process of collecting content and information often via RSS or an electronic reader.

Asynchronous Communication

Communication that occurs does not occur at the same time. Examples include email, forums, listservs and message boards.

Avatar

The graphical representation of the user or the user’s alter ego.

Blog

A term that blends web and log and is a type of interactive website. Contains entries displayed in reverse-chronological order that include commentary, descriptions, graphics and video.

Collaborative Software

Software designed to help people, typically not in the same physical location, involved in a common task achieve their goals.

Crowdsourcing

The act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to a large group of people or community (a crowd), through an open call.

eCommunity

A group of individuals that who gather in dedicated spaces online to collaborate, discuss and share.

Forum

A message board or online discussion site where people communicate via posted messages. Messages are asynchronous and not real time like in chat.

Instant Messaging

Chat occurring synchronously (at the same time) with another person or others via text messages.

Listserv

An automated email list of individuals that broadcasts information to participants as it is posted or received.

Lurkers

People who read online discussions or information usually in blogs, chats, forums, listservs, message boards, newsgroup, or other interactive system, but rarely or never comment, reply or respond actively.

Mashup

An application that combines two or more other applications to create a new interface.

Message Boards

Also known as forums. Website where people can start topic discussions, leave messages and communicate asynchronously.

Metadata

A set of data that describes and gives information about other data.

Microblogging

A web service that allows users to broadcast short messages to subscribers.

Mobile Marketing

A set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network

Open-source Software

Software with source code that is available for modification and redistribution. Usually developed collaboratively.

Participatory Culture

Today’s society that is used to participating with others and software online.

Podcast

A series of audio files distributed online often via syndicated download.

Post

An entry on a blog, forum or other Web 2.0 tool.

Profile

Also known as user profile, is a collection of personal information provided by and associated with a specific user.

RSS Feed

Really Simple Syndication is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.

Semantic Web

Also known as Web 3.0. Web data that facilitates machines to understand the semantics, or meaning, of information on the Web.

Social Bookmarking

A method to manage, organize, search, share and store bookmarks of online resources.

Social Indexing

Tagging or adding keywords to media found on the web.

Social Learning

Participating with others to make sense of ideas whether in person or via social media tools.

Social Media

A term often used to define all things social. Specifically means online media transfer like Slideshare and YouTube.

Social Networking

Online networking via an application like Facebook and LinkedIn.

Social Relevancy

A person’s online credentials, reputation and value. Examples include Klout and PeerIndex.

Social Technology

Umbrella term to include all things social online.

Synchronous Communication

Communication that occurs simultaneously in real time. Examples include chat and instant messaging.

Tag

A keyword or term assigned to a post by an author or reader.

Virtual Events

Also known as digital events, events that occur online such as an online conference or tradeshow. Can also include a hybrid event, an event that occurs face to face and online at the same time.