Tech Terms (aka, Geek Speak) is like a Whole New Language

Learning a new language is one of the top 15 hobbies to master during the coronavirus pandemic. What better way to escape the doldrums than to immerse yourself into learning about another country, its culture, and its language! It also paves the way for new possibilities for work, travel (eventually), and meeting new people (virtually, for now).

Discussing technology can be like speaking another language. You might think you know the meaning of these terms:

Flash Memory: The moment you remember why you walked into the kitchen.
Handshaking: Pre-COVID‑19 ritual for greeting another person.
Drag and Drop: What you do when you get your groceries in the house.

However, if you are speaking “Geek,” this is what these phrases actually mean:

Flash Memory: A type of memory that retains information even after power
is turned off (used in memory cards and USB flash drives).
Handshaking: The initial negotiation period immediately after a connection
is established between two modems.
Drag and Drop: The act of clicking on one icon and moving it to a different location (e.g., moving a file by dragging it over and dropping it on folder).

So, be careful when learning Geek Speak! Something as innocent as saying you made a meatloaf could end up getting you removed as a contact. (Meatloaf means unsolicited emails sent in mass, especially to advertise products or moneymaking schemes.) It’s all Geek to us!

Need help deciphering some tech terms? Contact us here. We'll be happy to translate!

First published in our March 2021 IT Radix Resource newsletter