The language of the internet

What is the language of the internet?

Because the use of computers and the spread of information through the internet – or world wide web – has happened only recently, a whole new vocabulary is developing to talk about these technological developments. This page introduces you to some of the key vocabulary you need to understand radio items about the internet.

1. Look at the three extracts below. Which one tells you ...
   a) how to access the BBC via the internet?
   b) why the internet can be expensive?
   c) how the internet works?

• Understanding the internet requires a leap of the imagination, there are no managers or owners. First, your home computer connects to an internet service provider – either a university or a private company. Now you have direct access to computers around the world offering millions of menus and letting you talk to others directly or discuss any topic under the sun.
  
  For £5.50 you can surf the net for an hour in this café, or in any other ‘Cyberia’ cyber-café in the country. But because they pay by the hour, customers watch the clock. If telephone calls to the internet were charged at a fixed rate and not by the hour, this café and many others like it would reduce their rate, giving e-commerce a boost.
  
  A reminder that all this and more can be found on the Home Truths website. To log on simply go to www dot bbc dot co dot uk forward slash Radio 4 forward slash Home Truths.

1. The words in bold are important when we talk about the internet. Read the passages again and match the words in bold with the definitions and descriptions below.
   
   a) to look at different pages of information on the internet
   b) a collection of pages on the internet belonging to the same company, programme or individual
   c) an electronic form of doing business
   d) lists of different types of information or things you can do on the internet
   e) to connect your computer to the internet, or to a website on the internet
   f) words for the symbols . and / when they are in internet addresses
   g) a company which connects your computer to the internet through a telephone line
   h) an adjective which refers to the world of electronic communication networks and communities that can be reached through a computer
   
   Answers
   
   1. a) 3. b) 2. c) 1.
   2. a) to surf the net
   b) a website
   c) e-commerce
   d) menus
   e) to log on
   f) dot, forward slash
   g) internet service provider
   h) cyber-

The vocabulary of the internet
The vocabulary used to talk about the internet falls into two main groups: new words and phrases created especially to talk about the internet, and old words which are being used in a new way.

Nouns: The internet is also known as the net and the web (or world wide web – www). Both ‘net’ and ‘web’ are used to give us a picture of how information on the internet is connected. Information is linked together, but there is space between the links and both webs (like spiders’ webs) and nets (like fishing nets) can change shape and move.

Adjectives: Perhaps the most useful adjective is online, meaning something which can be contacted via the internet. So we can have online doctors, teachers and even BBC World Service is online.

Prefixes: We can create new words with two important prefixes: e-, as in e-mail and e-commerce and cyber as in cyber-space and cyber-café. E- before a word means ‘electronic’ – so email is electronic mail or post. Cyber- shows that the word refers to the world of electronic communication networks and communities that can be reached through a computer – so cybercafé is a café where you can buy time on a computer to access the internet. The word web is also used as a prefix to show that something can be found on the internet. So we have webpage, website and web address.

Verbs: We use new phrasal verbs – verbs with prepositions – to talk about connecting to the internet: to log on and to log off. When we talk about looking for information on the internet, we either browse – we look for something specific, following a path through different web pages, or we surf – that is, look at different websites for our own amusement.

Language task
Complete the paragraph using the following words. Put one word or phrase in each space.

e-commerce the web websites online log on

The world wide web was created in 1990. Also known as (1)________, it’s made up of published pages which you see when you connect (or (2) _________ to the internet. These pages are organised into (3) _________. Some of these are set up by companies and enable customers to make bookings or order goods and services (4)___________. This type of business or (5)__________ is also affecting the way companies deal with each other because firms can easily place orders or market their products with businesses in many different countries.

Answers

1. the web
2. log on
3. websites
4. online
5. e-commerce