3G (or 3-G) - adj. short for third-generation mobile telephone technology; the services associated with 3G provide the ability to transfer both voice data (a telephone call) and non-voice data (such as downloading information, exchanging email, and instant messaging).
4G (or 4-G) - adj. short for fourth-generation the successor of 3G and is a wireless access technology. It describes two different but overlapping ideas; high-speed mobile wireless access with a very high data transmission speed, of the same order of magnitude as a local area network connection (10 Mbit/s and up). It has been used to describe wireless LAN technologies like Wi-Fi, as well as other potential successors of the current 3G mobile telephone standards.
Pervasive networks. An amorphous and presently entirely hypothetical concept where the user can be simultaneously connected to several wireless access technologies and can seamlessly move between them. These access technologies can be Wi-Fi, UMTS, EDGE or any other future access technology. Included in this concept is also smart-radio technology to efficiently manage spectrum use and transmission power as well as the use of mesh routing protocols to create a pervasive network.
Avatar - n. graphical representation of an Internet user, created for interactions in three-dimensional Web universes. See metaverse, virtual world, Second Life (SL).Blog - n. also Weblog ; a journal-style Web site on which an individual or group enters text, called ‘posts,’ resulting in a running conversation displayed in reverse-chronological order. Derivative: flog - fake blog, created for sales purposes, often misleading; splog - spam blog.
Citizen journalism - n. also participatory journalism , ‘we’ media, user-generated content ; as distinguished from “MSM” (mainstream media); ordinary citizens collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information with the intent of providing independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging, and relevant information in a democratic way.
Consumer-generated content - n. also user-generated media (UGM) ; digital content produced by self-publishers; sometimes picked up and reprinted or referenced by professional media.
Content syndication - n. also online editorial outreach ; the distribution of news, video, audio, etc., to Web sites, blogs, and other digital channels.
Content optimization - n. also site language analysis, link strategy ; planning, creating, editing, designing, or otherwise altering Internet content - including text, graphics, and interactive assets - for the express purpose of improving a Web site’s usability and effectiveness at eliciting an action from visitors, i.e., a click, a call, a download.
Digital communications - n. the myriad of outbound communications tactics that leverage digital technology to deliver messages: e-mail, video, text messaging, online advertising, paid search, optimized press releases, podcasts, vodcasts, etc.
Digital news hub - n. also online pressroom , Web news room, media center ; a robust source of news and media content designed to provide on-demand access to news releases, contacts, background information, and digital media assets including photos, graphics, audio, video, and multimedia content. Often incorporated into an organization’s Web site. Branded, product- and service-specific hubs (stand-alone Web properties) are effective elements of online visibility and search positioning programs.
Enhanced Podcasting - n. a broadcast that includes more than just audio, e.g. slideshows, URLs and more. This makes them exponentially more valuable to users, but it also opens up new possibilities for advertising and sponsorship. Enhanced podcasts are AAC encoded audio files (m4a or m4b, m4p) with new data inside them that can be time based, like an image or a URL to appear at a certain time. (via Makezine.com)
FH Digital - n. a global network of Fleishman-Hillard business units, teams, and individuals working together with account staff to deliver fully integrated digital media (”interactive, new media”) solutions across traditional, online, experiential, and mobile channels to drive successful communications and marketing programs for clients worldwide.
Folksonomy - n. a user-generated taxonomy, typically Internet-based, that categorizes content such as Web pages, photographs, Web links, and other Web content using user-generated labels called tags. “Folksonomic tagging” is intended to make a body of information increasingly easier to search, discover, and navigate over time. Examples of Web sites using folksonomies are Flickr and del.icio.us.
Machinima - n. a portmanteau word for machine cinema and/or machine animation, the term means both a collection of associated production techniques and a film genre (film created by such production techniques). As a production technique, the term concerns the rendering of computer-generated imagery (CGI) using low-end 3D engines (as opposed to high-end and complex 3D engines used by professionals) in video games (typically, engines in first person shooters games were used). Consequently, the rendering can be done in real-time using PCs (either using the computer of the creator or the viewer), rather than with complex 3D engines using huge render farms. Machinima is an example of emergent gameplay, a process of putting game tools to unexpected ends, and of artistic computer game modification.
Metafile - n. a file that contains other files or information that describes another file.
Metasearch - v. search that piggybacks on search engines and directories and provides the means for sending a search to numerous Internet services at one time; a search aggregator.
Metaverse - n. also virtual world ; novelist Neal Stephenson’s vision of how a virtual reality-based Internet might evolve ( see Snow Crash , 1992); a three-dimensional world involving intense user interaction, involvement, and immersion through avatars. See Second Life.
MMS - n. MMS-enabled mobile phones enable subscribers to compose and send messages with one or more multimedia (digital photos, audio, video) parts. Mobile phones with built-in or attached cameras, or with built-in MP3 players are very likely to also have an MMS messaging client-a software program that interacts with the mobile subscriber to compose, address, send, receive, and view MMS messages.
Mobile marketing - n. also wireless marketing/communications ; direct marketing that leverages technologies such as short message services (SMS), multimedia messaging services (MMS), and Bluetooth to distribute content to mobile phones and PDAs (personal digital assistant).
Moblog - n. a blend of the words mobile and weblog. A mobile weblog, or moblog, consists of content posted to the Internet from a mobile or portable device, such as a cellular phone or PDA. Moblogs generally involve technology which allows publishing from a mobile device.
MP3 Blog - n. a type of weblog in which the creator makes music files, normally in the MP3 format, available for download. They are also known as audio blogs or audioblogs. MP3 blogs have become increasingly popular since the beginning of 2003. The music posted is normally hard-to-find, often has not been issued in many years, and selections are often restricted to a particular musical sub-genre or theme. In 2004, several MP3 blogs began to offer Podcasts as well as MP3s.
Online advertising - v. also online media buy, banner ad campaign ; Web-based equivalent of traditional advertising; advertisers purchase Web site real estate, typically from online advertising networks, for the purpose of displaying brand messages. Purchasing models vary including impressions, clicks or click-throughs to a given site, and conversions, defined as downloads, purchases, etc.
Online audit - n. focused Web-centric research effort designed to document a comprehensive profile of a site, brand, product, service, concept, idea, or topic for the purpose of evaluation and optimization or improvement.
Online editorial outreach (OEO) - adv. also online media outreach, content syndication, blogger relations ; Web-based equivalent of traditional public relations outreach pitching content, story ideas, videos, audios, etc. to both professional media and self-publishers on the Web.
Online monitoring - n. the act of formally tracking progress toward agreed-upon goals for Web-based communications activities, such as online conversations/blogs, search marketing campaigns, and search engine optimization.
Podcast - n. audio recording, hosted on a Web page, accessible for individual downloads using ‘pull’ technology, such as RSS feeds, MP3 players, etc.
Releaselet - n. also social media news release, optimized news release , new media release ; small, typically less than one paragraph, digitally optimized news items designed for Web distribution.
RSS - n. acronym for Really Simple Syndication; plug-and-play technology, typically called a ‘reader’, that allows non-technical Web users to easily ‘feed out’ or ‘pull in’ by way of subscription select Web content to or from a proprietary Web property.
Search engine marketing (SEM) - n. also paid or sponsored search ; advertisers participate in a competitive online auction to bid for and purchase the optimal rank or position within search results listing. Bidding models vary, including pay-per-click (PPC), in which advertiser is only charged when a searcher clicks on their purchased term.
Search engine optimization (SEO) - n. act of planning, creating, editing, designing, or otherwise altering Web site content - including text, graphics, interactive assets - for the express purpose of improving a Web site’s natural visibility and rank or prominence in the results listing for top search engines such as Yahoo!, Google, MSN, and AOL .
Second Life (SL) - n. also metaverse, virtual world ; an Internet-based virtual world developed by Linden Lab. Prospective inhabitants access a downloadable client program that allows users to interact with each other through avatars, two- or three-dimensional graphical representations of real-world lifeforms.
Self-publisher - n. also citizen journalist ; content creator whose content development and delivery is not affiliated with professional media or communications.
Social bookmarking - v. also, folksonomy, tagging ; popular method of classifying, sharing, and storing electronic content to facilitate easy sorting or search. The bookmarks, or tags, help users identify relevant content, as well as rank content based on the number of viewers, relevance, etc. Examples: Digg, Reddit, Newsvine, StumbleUpon.
Social media - n. online tools and digital platforms used to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives; includes blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, and vlogs; messages can be delivered via text, images, audio, and video.
Social media news release (SMNR) - n. also new media release, Web-optimized release, releaselet ; traditional press release content repurposed for optimal online visibility in Web search and to encourage Web user interaction: key messages are ‘chunked’ into sound bites, also called message nuggets; includes text links to relevant content, tags (keywords), multimedia, feedback mechanisms, and other assets that encourage user dialogue and content sharing.
Social networking site (SNS) - n. also social network ; Web sites featuring focused, often user-generated, content that exists at the center of an active, engaged network, or community, of site visitors who openly converse about a common interest; includes personal profiles, blogs, discussion groups, photos, music, videos, and more.
Tag - n. keywords or phrases assigned to Web content, such as blog posts, wiki entries, photos, podcasts, etc., to facilitate easy organization, called indexing and searching.
Topic aggregator - n. also content aggregator, RSS aggregator, news aggregator ; allows users to electronically capture and display in a central location content from a variety of online media outlets including e-zines, Web sites, and blogs using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.
Viral marketing - n. also buzz, word-of-mouth communication ; the sharing of information, especially recommendations or endorsements, in an informal, person-to-person manner, rather than by mass media or traditional marketing. Includes verbal communications, but also expanded Web dialogue, such as blogs, message boards, and e-mail. See Word-of-Mouth 101, www.womma.org .
Virtual world - n. also metaverse ; computer-based, simulated environment. Prospective inhabitants access a downloadable program that lets users interact with each other via avatars, two- or three-dimensional graphical representations of real-world lifeforms. See Second Life.
Vodcast - n. video recording, hosted on a Web page, accessible for individual downloads using ‘pull’ technology such as RSS feeds, video-capable MP3 players, etc.
Web 2.0 - n. a term coined to loosely describe Web-based services such as wikis and social networks that emphasize online collaboration and content-sharing among users.
Web syndication - v. form of syndication in which a section of a Web site is made available to other sites, often by information feeds; subscribers receive a regularly scheduled summary of the most recently added news and posts.
Wiki - n. from the Hawaiian word ‘ wikiwiki ,’ meaning fast ; a Web environment that allows visitors to quickly and easily support, refute, add to, or otherwise openly edit the content; collaborative content development and publishing; example - see Wikipedia.
Word-of-mouth - n. see viral marketing.
