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'Geek Speak' Confuses Net Users
jonney02 writes "BBC News is running the following story 'The average home computer user is bamboozled by technology jargon which is used to warn people about the most serious security threats online.' "
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" a survey for AOL UK has found Bright bunch they are...
AOL users stupid!
Pictures at 11... or just watch the next AOL commercial, they run every 45 seconds or so.
Thank God Microsoft is here to help newbies understand all that computer talk with their parent's primer to computer slang
While it has many nicknames, information-age slang is commonly referred to as leetspeek, or leet for short.
Non-alphanumeric characters may be combined to form letters. For example, using slashes to create "/\/\" can substitute for the letter M, and two pipes combined with a hyphen to form "|-|" is often used in place of the letter H. Thus, the word "ham" could be written as "|-|4/\/\"
Three Squirrels
g33k 5p3aK 15 1337 d00d, 1+ wi11 r0x0r y0uR 80>0rZ!
god I feel like such a tool...
Distributed proteome folding @ WorldCommunityGrid.org
Team Slashdot - Members:#1 Run Time:#1 Points:#1 Results:#1
maybe they are 2st00pid
www.weberseite.at
"Some of the terms being bandied around are more suitable for a computer programmers' convention than for people who want to go online at home," said Will Smith, AOL's net security expert.
Wow, he's gone from uploading viruses to alien spaceships to helping keep AOL's network secure.
Guru: So click on the icon.
Luser: Woah dude, what's with all this technical mumbo jumbo? Click? Icon? We don't all have CS degrees like you pal.
Guru: See this, this is called a mouse. You put your hand on it and use it to move the cursor to that little picture.
Luser: Oh, man, I have no idea what you just said. What's a 'mouse'? You mean the foot pedal? Also, are you saying we should swear at it? I do that all the time.
Unknown host pong.
Viruses bad. Okay.
Gator bad.
Firefox good.
Outlook bad.
Thunderbird good.
Email saying they will give you money, bad.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Perhaps leave the "geek-speak" and have a section for non-geeks?
Something like:
"Dude, this is really bad, your mp3s could be TOAST"
Geek for a really good investment idea.
Someone you trust is one of us.
Of course AOL users don't understand geek speak.
</ENGLISH VERSION>
<AOL VERSION>
OF COURSE AOL USERS DONT UNDERSTAND GEK SP3AK111!1 OMG WTF LOL
</AOL VERSION>
http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertransla
I work at a small private university with Ivy League educated faculty. These are not dumb people--well, not in their own fields. But, get them outside their comfort zone, and they're just as dumb as anyone.
...wait, is that my right your right?
Recent ID10T errors on my watch:
User: There are invisible folders and files in this folder. What happened to them?
Me: Hmmm. Let me see...scroll up a bit?
User: There they are! F*ck me! (repeating)
User: I'm not sure what to do...
Me: Ok, right click on the...
User:
User: My mail client is losing my e-mail!
Me: Really? Let me see...
User: See--it says I have new mail but it isn't here
Me: OK, sort them by date instead of subject
User: Wow! You're magical.
If users ever take a few moments to learn how to use their software, my job will be in danger.
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
Hibbert: Homer, I'm afraid you'll have to undergo a coronary bypass operation.
Homer: Say it in English, Doc.
Hibbert: You're going to need open heart surgery.
Homer: Spare me your medical mumbo jumbo.
Hibbert: We're going to cut you open and tinker with your ticker.
Homer: Could you dumb it down a shade?
Ok, if users are like that, from now on I'll start my warnings, messages, etc with one of the following :
..."
"Get V1AGRA Anonymously!"
"80% off software!"
"8x Longer than V1AGRA, and cheaper!"
"PLEASE HEAR ME OUT ( GOD BLESS YOU )
"CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS TRANSACTION"
"Pen1s enlarg3ment p1lls"
"CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU HAVE WON"
1|= y()u (4|\| r3@d 7#][5, y0|_| /\r3 @ IVI0/\/$+3|2 &33|
Source: Magical Hacker
Also, 1f u c4n r34d +h1$, u r3411y n33d +0 g37 141d
Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars
Is any comment really necessary?
Who says that changing the oil will increase its level? Perhaps you'll just end up with not enough oil that is newer.
I think instead of your options, I'd prefer:
:-)
"Oil levels are low. Would you like to:"
[add oil] [ruin engine]
I think it gets the point across better.
"Flame away, I wear asbestos underwear"
Pray tell, how else can you get Linux on a machine that currently has windows on it, other than by doing a clean install?
You know, that's a good idea. We could make a little idiot light that blinks in the upper right hand corner of the screen whenever something needs to be done to the computer.
Of course, if we did it it would imeediately be hijacked by spammers, and would blink forever until you bought their enlargements or whatever.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
When i was a sysadmin i frequently got calls like these:
- hey, my computer says blah blah, what should i do?
- how many button do you see on the dialog box?
- one, it says "OK"
- hey, my computer says it has been locked and can only be unlocked by [username]!, what can I do? help!
- what else does it say?
- well, it says "to unlock, press... oh nevermind"
- hey, my computer had this dialog with an OK and a CANCEL button and I didn't know what to do! And I don't remember what it said!
- what did you do then?
- well, i closed it with the X in the corner!
--
mnbjhguyt
Can it really be a holocaust if the people in charge of it are intentionally breeding enough chickens to replace the ones they eat? I thought a holocaust was (my own loose definition) to eradicate an entire race or species. If I recall correctly, Hitler didn't breed Jews for their tasty wings or meaty thighs...
...unless you work at hooters.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Because the proper dialog box:
"You're fucked."
Offends users rather than merely confusing them.
I won't do anything unless Clippy tells me to. :)
I use Macs to up my productivity, so up yours Microsoft!
nop@prentice:~$ sepdate
Wed Sep 4236 17:38:23 EDT 1993
Quoting from the original post:
Outraged vegetarian vs. Outraged cousin of deathcamp victim.
Who will own the word holocaust and get a chance to compete for the phrase "mass graves" against the upstart "Right to lifers", fresh off their stunning defeat of the "Anti-war movement."
Only on pay per view.