Word of the Day

: March 21, 2008

netiquette

noun NET-ih-kut

What It Means

: etiquette governing communication on the Internet

netiquette in Context

"On the end-user side, unsolicited e-mail advertising has long been considered a breach of netiquette." (Al Bredenberg, Internet World, July 1996)

Did You Know?

When the first computer networks were being developed in the 1950s and 60s, few people could have predicted the extent to which the Internet would revolutionize our culture -- and our language. These days, you don't have to be a "computernik" (a computer expert or enthusiast) or a "mouse potato" (someone who spends a great deal of time using a computer) to be familiar with words like "blog," "download," or the verb "google." And even "computerphobes" are likely to know that in modern jargon, a "mouse" isn't necessarily a small furry rodent and the newest "virus" may be more of a threat to your computer than to your health. "Netiquette," a blend of "net" (as in "Internet") and "etiquette," joined our language in the late 1980s.