Mr. Cs Top 15 Current IT Buzzwords

Here are 15 terms that will make you grin, cringe or run for the nearest thesaurus.

Written and Illustrated by Paul Connolly

When a corporation sends out the vibe that it is more environmentally friendly than it actually is.

A term coined at Microsoft to describe people’s attempts to combine beta versions of Vista with the final code to create a pirated version of the software that would circumvent activation checks.

A mobile version of phishing in which crooks send fake SMS (Short Message Service) messages that attempt to lure users into downloading a Trojan horse that will take over their mobile device.

A way to social network or micro-blog by sending short posts (up to 140 characters) called Tweets using SMS, IM, the Twitter Web site, or applications such as Twitterific and Twitterlicious. Hard-core Twitterers annoyingly announce every mundane moment of

Driving while texting-arguably as debilitating as operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Something accepted as reality or truth according to a general consensus or majority rule, like the way Wikipedia entries are formed. The term is attributed to comedian Stephen Colbert (at least that’s who everyone says coined it.)

A faux word that has entered the IT vernacular over the last few years, its used to describe the speed, general performance and cost-efficiency of a product. Example: ‘We’ve made the system more performant.’

Unwanted, OEM-installed, third-party programs (also called crapware or bloatware) loaded onto your computer before purchase.

Stumbling upon or intentionally seeking out and browsing the online photo albums of complete strangers.

A TV program that you’ve recorded on your Tivo but never got around to (and probably never will get around to) watching.

Although the idea of running desktop apps on the Web has been kicked around since the mid-90s, the word Webtop (or Web OS) seems to be a hot term again due to the recent explosion of hosted services and APIs.

Mobile Web surfing on phones or other mobile devices.

Forget your mission statement, today a company is expected to have a vision statement for the future as well-preferably written in ambiguous Nostradamus-like quatrains, so your business prophecies can easily be reinterpreted when they don’t come to pass.

A small bank account for online spending only, which won’t cause a devastating blow to your wallet if hacked or compromised by thieves.

A mistake caused by humans, not attributable to machines or technology.

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