LisaCampbell MEDIA,  Information Conductor  LCM©2008

 

 

 

Advanced Audio Coding (also MPEG-2 AAC)
An audio compression scheme that is a continuation of the mp3 CODEC, but uses better filtering methods, noise shaping and quantization resolution to produce higher-quality audio files at smaller bit rates.  AAC is designed for use in digital broadcasting systems as well as for multi-channel and surround audio (such as 5.1), and based on its capability to support up to 96kHz sampling rates and 48 channels [including LFE], AAC could be the basis for audio in multimedia for the foreseeable future.  Some streaming audio formats that have adopted the AAC scheme already are Liquid Audio, AT&T’s already fading .a2b format, and the increasingly popular MP4 format. 

Adverblog
Short for “advertising blog”, a blog used for advertising purposes.

Aggregation
The process of gathering and remixing content from multiple websites that provide RSS feeds such as blogs.  The results may be displayed in an aggregator website like Bloglines, or directly to desktops using software often called a newsreader.

Aggregator
A site, such as Bloglines or Google Reader, that displays information related to user=specified keywords.  The information is gathered and remixed from multiple websites via RSS feeds.  Also, the name given the software, often free, that automatically gathers the RSS-based summaries of a set of user-based blogs or sources for easy browsing. 

AJAX
An acronym standing for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.  This is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications.  By shifting a great deal of computation to the web surfer’s computer, web pages don’t have to reload when a change is made due to user interaction.  Ajax can increase the web page’s interactivity, speed and usability.

Alerts
A service available from various online news sources and aggregators that will automatically send updates on user-selected topics whenever those topics appear online or in the specific news source.

Architecture of Participation
A phrase, coined by open source media advocate Tim O’Reily, used to describe the nature of systems created for user contribution, such as Wikipedia.  The phrase has come to define one of the key elements of what’s been called Web 2.0, describing the collection of companies, technologies and projects that are designed around the culture and economics of openness.

Astroturfing
This describes a supposed grass-roots social site which is actually supported by some powerful organization – private or public – with an agenda. 

Asynchronous Communications
Online communications independent of time or place, such as email lists, bulletin boards and forums.  Messages go to and fro rather than appearing in one place nearly simultaneously (synchronous communication). 

Audio Blog
Another name for a podcast.  Despite the casual nature implied by the word blog in this term, audio blogs can have a wide range of production value from very casual audio journals to professionally produced shows including music, sound effects and other production values. 

Audio On-Demand
Another expression for audio podcasting, referencing the ability of listeners to start, stop. Replay, and skip sections or whole recordings at any time, virtually any place in their daily lives.  See Podcast and Time-shifting. 

Avatars
Graphical images used in virtual worlds to represent people.  Users can create Avatar visual personalities selecting a gender, body type, clothing, behaviors, and name. 

Bed
Audio that is reused as a background element, such as music or sound effects.

Blegging
Derived from “blog” and “beg”, this term means to send a query through the blogosphere in search of an answer.

Blogcast
Another name for a podcast.

Blogerati or Blogophiles
Two terms used to describe sophisticated blog authors and readers.

Blogosphere
The universe of blogging and bloggers.

Blogroll
A list of sites displayed in the sidebar of a blog, which shows who the blogger reads with regularity.

Blogs
Shortened from the original term “weblogs,” these self-published websites containing dated material, are usually written in a journal format.  Content such as text, pictures, video and/or audio have URLs plus other ways of identifying them by keywords (tags).  This allows visitors to pull items to their desktop through subscriptions or aggregators without having to visit the actual website.  Blogs often have links to other relevant online content, plus invite feedback through “posts” which are comments from readers.

Board
Short for mixing board, a tool for combining multiple audio sources into one signal for recording.

Bookmarking
Saving a website address or item of content, either in a browser, or on a social bookmarking site such as del.icio.us.

Bookmarklets
Also called favelets, these are free tools to help with repetitive difficult and/or time-consuming tasks when using a web browser.

Bulletin Boards
An early forum for online collaboration, where users are connected with a central computer to post and read email-like messages. 

Business-Class Podcast
A term to describe podcasts directed toward a professional audience.  Business-class podcasts can be casual in nature, although typically don’t have the garage-band feel or outreach that more lifestyle podcasts have.  LCM’s Microphone Messages division produces these for many types of businesses with great success, increasing our clients visibility and sales almost instantly.  Lifestyle podcasting or trendy casts are generally targeted at the youth market, and have little long-term branding goals. 

Buzz
Online “chatter,” or social discussion and interaction characterized by frequent expressed interest and/or mentions of a subject among the online or water-cooler community. 



Channel
A group of podcast items, each of which represents one mp3 audio file (or program).  When subscribing to podcasts, it is the channel you subscribe to.

Chat
Real time interaction on a web site, with a number of people adding comments via text entries. 

Chat Room
A designated online location for chat to take place.  Unlike forums, chat room conversations are real-time exchanges.

Chicklet
Nickname for the small buttons used as links to RSS files (usually orange with a graphic resembling waves or ripples expanding out).  Many podcatchers allow you to drag chicklets onto them to quickly add a subscription. 

Clodpasting
A lame attempt to use online audio programming to launch a career into show business.  Noun: clodpast, a poorly conceived and/or executed digitally broadcast audio message. 

Collaboration
Being able to discuss and work with people across physical and temporal boundaries through the sharing of information enabled by a variety of online media (email, blogs, forums, chatrooms, podcasts, websites, and various social networking sites).  Collaboration is considered one of the higher goals of social networking and software. 

Communitainment
Coined by investment bank firm, Piper Jaffray, this term describes a trend involving consumers moving communication beyond a mere exchange of information to facilitate an exchange of content, ideas, and entertainment within an online social context.

Compensated Consumer-Generated Media (CCGM)
This is media where marketers pay consumers to do certain things, or when publishers compensate artists or content creators for submissions frequently based on their popularity, i.e. number of unique hits. 

Consumer-Generated Media (CGM)
First-person commentary posted or shared across a host of expression venues, including message boards, forums, rating and review sites, groups, social networking sites, blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.

 

Consumer-Generated Media (CGM)
First-person commentary posted or shared across a host of expression venues, including message boards, forums, rating and review sites, groups, social networking sites, blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.

Consumer-Generated Multimedia (CGM2)
Consumer created sight, sound and motion components powted online using sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, iTunes, etc.

Consumer –Fortified Media (CFM)
Asvertiser created digital media that is shaped and promoted by consumers through online commentary and debate.

Consumer-Solicited Media (CSM)
Often called “co-creation” or “participator advertising,” CSM involves an online advertiser who provides a format and invites visitors to add their content.  Examples include “create your own 30 second commercial”, “upload your sponsor-relevant photo or video”, or “send us your best recorded memory of how our brand impacted your life.”

Content Management Systems (CMS)
These are versatile software suites very important to social media, offering the ability to create static web pages, document stores, blogs, and wikis, among other tools.

Creative Commons License
A copyright license that spells out how proprietary online content can be shared, reused or altered.

Crowdsourcing
This refers to harnessing the skills and enthusiasm of those outside an organization who are prepared to volunteer their time contributing content and solving problems.

Directory
There are dozens of directories listing podcasts, serving as vertical search engines for podcasts. Examples include iTunes, Yahoo! Podcast, Podcast Alley, Singing Fish, Podcast Pickle, etc.

Download Fraud
In a pay-per-download podcast advertising model, there is the possibility that someone could maliciously download a podcast to get advertising fees.

Ear Fatigue
The literal translation is ‘tired ears.’ Ear Fatigue is not really a clinically recognized state, but audio professionals have been referring to it for years.  It’s caused by a combination of TTS (Temporary Threshold Shift) and general fatigue.  The condition we call ear fatigue usually occurs after many hours of listening to or working with audio, especially when working at relatively high volumes.  It causes us to not hear the sound in the same way we do when we are fresh. 

Enclosure
An addition to RSS that allows multimedia files (such as those used in podcasts) to be included along with each item in an RSS file.

Feeds
The means by which you can read, view or listen to items from blogs, podcasts and other RSS-enabled sites without visiting the actual site – by subscribing to a directory or aggregator such as iTunes or Bloglines.

Flog
A fake blog, frequently created by an agency to look as though it was created by consumers.  These are often ‘outed’ by vigilant bloggers who dislike the practice.

Folkmind
Described by some as the “virtual mind of humanity,” it represents the dynamic sum of the accumulated intelligence existing and interacting online. 

Folksonomy
A term for the collaborative, but unstructured, way in which information is categorized on the web.  Instead of using one, centralized form of classification, users are encouraged to assign freely chosen keywords (called tags) to pieces of information or data. 

Forums
Discussion areas on websites, where people can post messages or comment on existing messages asynchronously – that is, not part of any real time discussion.  Chat rooms offer the synchronous equivalent. 

Imaging
Term for using audio effects, spoken phrases or music to create an “image” or brand for a radio station or show. 

Intro
The beginning of a podcast; can include a music lead-in with an announcer naming the show, the episode and possibly the sponsor.

Frogmeat
A neutral term describing a podcast that has a lot of content (meat) to offer but suffers from organizational issues, like jumping around from topic to topic.


Guest
Someone invited to participate in a podcast because of their point-of-view, expertise or experience.  Often, guests provide testimonials or experiential stories.  Guests may also be representatives of a sponsor. 

Id3 Tag
An addition to MP3 files that allows data such as the file’s title, performer, category and even cover art to be stored directly in the file. 

iPodder
One of the original podcast clients, iPodder Is a free program that can automatically download new shows when they become available, and synchronize them with portable digital audio players. 

Item
A single entry in a news feed or podcast channel.  In podcasts, each item contains the enclosure linking to the podcast file and various information about the file such as title, author, category, etc.

iTunes
Apple’s multimedia player software.  As well as playing multimedia files, iTunes links to a directory of podcasts and acts as a podcatcher by allowing users to subscribe to podcasts.

Learning Style
There are three basic ways people learn: visual (reading, watching demonstrations, reviewing charts), auditory (listening, making a presentation) and tactile or kinesthetic (performing a task, actively doing). Most people use a combination of all three.  Podcasting, either audio only or video, allows marketers to add depth to their communications and offer prospects more ways to learn about their product or service.

Lick
A small piece of music often used in an intro or exit of a show; can also be used to break a podcast into segments.  In radio, we often called them ‘bumpers’. 

Lifestyle Podcast
Typically, these are personal commentaries on what is “cool” for a targeted demographic, psychographic or cultural group.  Topics include music, movies, fashion, gaming, TV and other pop cultural trends.  Because such podcasts rely so heavily on fleeting fads, they are not considered long-term branding opportunities.  Marketing strategies, whether a business is considering series sponsorship or podcast commercials, should focus on short-term marketing goals based on the population of the audience.

Lilypod
A derogatory term describing a podcast that doesn’t provide the audience with meaningful information; may be used when a sponsored podcast becomes too commercial; can also describe lifestyle podcasts that are boring or a narcissistic rant of the producer or the host.

Link Baiting
The process by which websites, blogs, etc. encourage links from other sites to improve popularity and raise positions on search engines.  The enticement may include content, online tools, free downloads or anything else that another site owner might find worthy of a link. 

Links
The highlighted text or images that, when clicked, jump you from one web page or item of content to another. 

Listening
The art of skimming feeds in the blogosphere to see what topics are creating buzz, including establishing “alerts” with various aggregators which will automatically monitor when certain topics or terms are mentioned. 

Lurkers
People who read but don’t contribute or add comments to forums. 

Mashups
An online service or software tool that skilled “techies” develop by combining two or more tools to create an entirely new service.

Meme
A unit of cultural information such as a popular tune, catch-phrases, beliefs or fashions that can virally propagate from one mind to another.  Online, it may be shared among bloggers or participants of social sites as a game, activity or quiz.  

 

Moblog
Abbreviated from “mobile blog”, this is a blog dedicated to the distribution, sharing and/or rating of digital/camera-phone images.

MP3
An audio compression format that allows almost CD-quality fidelity with only 10% of the file size by discarding frequencies that cannot be heard by the human ear or that clash with similar frequencies.  The name comes from MP(EG-1 layer) 3.

Narrowcasting
A term used in opposition to “broadcasting” to describe a podcast’s ability to reach a narrowly focused, highly interested audience. 

Netroots
A term coined to describe political activism organized through blogs and other online media including wikis, podcasts and various social networking sites.

News Feed
A collection of headlines, news or story highlights, made available on the internet in a standard format, often from a blog or news source made available in RSS format so that other sites and programs can check and download them automatically.  News feeds can be used to publish information about podcasts.  Podcast clients can subscribe to podcast news feeds, and use their information to find new shows to download.

Newsreader
A website or desktop tool that acts as an aggregator, gathering content from blogs and similar sites using RSS feeds, so that you can read the content in one place, instead of having to visit several different sites.

Newsreader 2
A term that I found quite insulting while working in the News business and wearing many hats, including writer, producer and Anchor.  The term newsreader implied that I was simply ‘showing up’ to read someone else’s copy.  I am a zealot for good writing and was a contemplative and ‘thought’ful producer – so the implication that my newscasts were just ‘read’ was a bit disconcerting.  I didn’t sweat the small stuff.  (lc)

Open-Source Software
Software often developed in a public, collaborative manner whose license permits users to study, change, improve and share the software, in a modified or unmodified form.

Pay-Per-Download
Similar to a pay-per-click ad campaign on a search engine, some companies offer auction models where advertisers upload commercials, content preferences and a bid for placement.  As spots become available the auction house coordinates placing the commercials into the podcast.  Advertisers pay only if the podcast is downloaded.  The advertiser’s ability to define placement in a particular podcast depends on the auction house’s stable of podcasts and its willingness and abilities to target individual productions.  See download fraud.

Pay-To-Play
Different than pay-per-download in that viewers foot the bill. Consumers pay to download a video or audiof file.  Pay-to-play podcasts can be training, seminars, movies, concerts, sports programs or even TV shows.

Permalink
The address (URL) of a specific item of content, such as an individual blog post, rather than the address of a web page where many items or blog posts are located. 

Photosharing
The social media practice of uploading digital images to a website such as Flickr, where tags can be added, so that others can comment or even reuse the images under certain stated copyright license conditions. 

Ping
An acronym standing for “packet Internet grouper” or “packed Internet popher,” this is an automatic notification sent when a blog has been updated.  It also describes the automatic communication between networked computers/servers. 

 

Pod Commercial
Similar to traditional radio commercials or ads; some are as short as :10 sec. long.  Can be as long as 10 minutes, although at that length, they are more commonly referred to as sponsorship shorts or podvertorials.
 
Pod Sponsorship
Companies or organizations who purchase sponsorship rights to podcasts; packages vary widely in scope, price and editorial content.  Can include "brought to you by.." tags, logos, or promotional materials, links to sponsoring sites, etc.
 
Podcast
A digital broadcast made available on the Internet.  Currently, the majority of these broadcasts are audio files sent to directories through XML feeds and RSS - Really Simple Syndication formatted XML files.  The word "podcast" is derived from "pod" as in Apple's iPod, and "cast" from "broadcast" meaning to transmit for general or public use.
 
Podcatcher
A term for programs used to automatically subscribe to and download podcasts; also called an aggregator.  Podcatchers typically seek out new podcast episodes or items as soon as the program is opened. 
 
Podvertorial
A podcast where content is provided by a sponsor; similar to an "advertorial" in print publications, which is a derivative of editorial and advertisement.

 

Portmanteau (Word)

The blending of two or more words, combining their meanings to make another word and meaning.  We're seeing a lot of these linguistic blends lately including our own division sMeedia, which blends social+media+encyclopedia, to mean the social media encyclopedia.  Smog of course blends smoke+fog.  The standard linguistic term for this type of word is a blend.  It was Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass who coined the term portmanteau to describe them.  In the book, Humpty Dumpty explained that: "Well, 'slithy' means 'lithe and slimy.' What other portmanteau's can you think of.  Are you reading this on Wifi?  (wireless+fidelity).  Send us your favorite portmanteau by clicking here .  

 

Post
An item on a blog or forum, also the act of placing a blog or comment online. 
 
Profile
The information that someone provides when signing up for a social networking site.  This may include such information as a picture, basic biographical information, geographical information and tags to help people search for specific demographics.
 
Remixing
An aspect of social media which allows, with appropriate copyright license, the combining of different items of content in new and different ways. 
 
RSS
Really Simple Syndication, RSS is the XML format that allows you to subscribe to content on blogs, podcasts and other social media, and have it delivered to you through a feed.
 
Segment
A section of a podcast that generally completes a topic; a complete podcast might have 2, 3, or 4 segments.  LCM uses 'blocks', typically an A, B, C, and D block -- separated by promotional content.
 
Skype
An Internet telephony service that allows you to make calls via an Internet connection.
 
Slivercasting
The increasingly popular practice of broadcasting niche-audience films over a high-speed Internet connection rather than using costlier TV/network channels.

 

Social Anthropology

The branch of anthropology (the study of humanity) that considers how human beings behave in social groups; specifically using social networks and new media for information, communication, and understanding. 

 

Social Bookmarking
The collaborative equivalent of storing favorites or bookmarks within a web browser.  Social bookmarking services such as del.icio.us or Furl allow people to store their favorite websites online and share them with others who have similar interests.
 
Social Media
The umbrella term used to describe the tools and platforms that people use to publish, communicate and share content online.  These include blogs, wikis, websites, podcasts, intranets that share information, stories, photos, audio and video files and bookmarks.  Social media or social networking (one example of social media) have a number of characteristics that make them fundamentally different from traditional media (i.e., newspapers, television, books, magazines, and radio. Primarily, social media depends on interactions between people as the discussion and integration of words (Information ArchiTEXTure) builds shared-meaning, using technology as a conduit.
 
LisaCampbellMEDIA's blinkTHINK division created the methodology of fusing Web Technology with Psychology and Culture for effective Social Media publicity, marketing and promotions.  See blinkTHINK and thePRDesignGroup for more details.
 
Social Media Marketing
The planned, often paid, use of social media to create interest and awareness of a brand, product or specific promotion. 
 
Social Media Optimization
Approaches and methodologies used to increase the positions of various social sites and postings on search engines. (SMO) is a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites. Methods include, but are not limited to, adding RSS feeds, adding a "Digg This" button, blogging and incorporating third party community functionalities like Flickr photo slides and galleries or YouTube videos.
 
Social Networking
Sites developed to help people discover new friends or colleagues with shared interests, related skills, or a common geographic location.  Leading examples include Friendster, LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace.
 
Social Search
An online search of social sites that determines the relevance of search results by considering the interactions or contributions of users.  Social search metrics are evolving and currently include both automated software and human judgments about the nature of web content. 
 
Social Tagging
The placement on shared social sites of keywords that describe the content of a website, bookmark, photo or blog post.  Tag-enabled web services include social bookmarking sites (del.icio.us), photo sharing sites (i.e. Flickr), and blog tracking sites (i.e. Technorati).  Social tagging provides a useful way of organizing, sharing, retrieving and discovering information. 
 
Splogs
Blogs created by spammers for the sole purpose of increasing site traffic and page ranks in order to generate revenue.  Splogs are filled with keywords, news (real or fake) and links to websites.
 
Stinger
A brief sound or musical phrase used as "audio punctuation."
 
Stream
The term is typically used as a verb: video streaming or audio streaming.  Generally it means "play" like one would play a video or audio file.  More specifically though, the term stream describes a constant flow of digital information that is displayed or played as it arrives -- as opposed to downloading a whole file and then playing it. 
 
Synchronous Communications
Communications occurring in real time, such as online chat or face-to-face conversations.
 
Tag(ging)
A way of categorizing online content using keywords that describe what can be found at a website, bookmark, photo, or blog post.
 
Tags
Keywords attached to a blog post, bookmark, photo or other item of online content so you and others can easily find them through searches and aggregation.

 

Text Editor

A text editor is any word processing program that you can use to type and edit text. Hey, they don't call it a text editor for nothing... Word Pad and NotePad for Windows and SimpleText and TextEdit for the Mac are common text editors. Larger programs such as Microsoft Word and Word Perfect are also text editors, but they have many more features. You can actually write HTML code and create HTML pages with a simple text editor, as long as you know the correct HTML syntax. (see a really neat one that we like a lot, below)

 

 

Threads
Strands of online conversation referring to messages, feedback or content that relate to the same subject.  
 
Time-Shift (or time-shifting)
Used as a verb, people schedule when they want to listen to or watch a program.  TIVO and other digital video recorders allow users to time shift television programs.  Podcasting's popularity is built upon the opportunity to time-shift.  Users can download a program and listen to it or view it at their convenience, during a commute, while at the gym, while on an airplane or any other convenient time. 
 
Trackback
An automated feature contained in some blog software programs that allows a blogger to determine who has seen an original post and written another concerning it.  Facebook has perfected this in our opinion.
 
User Generated Content
Text, photos and other material produced by internet users and posted online for public consumption.
 
USM
Universal Subscription Mechanism.  Allows certain podcatchers to automatically add a subscription from an RSS feed.
 
Vcasting
See Video Podcast
 
Virality
The extent to which an issue will spread from one consumer to another across the internet (by email, links, blogs, social tagging, etc.) Low virality means little distribution; high virality means wide or broad distribution. 
 
Video Podcast
A podcast with enclosures containing video files rather than audio.  Unlike audio podcasts which may only contain MP3 files, various file types can be used with podcasting video. 
 
Video Podcasting
The process of publishing video files along with news feeds so that viewers can download them and watch them on computers or portable digital video players. 
 
Viral Marketing
The planned promotion of a product, brand or service through a process of inspiring actual or potential customers to pass along marketing material to friends, family, colleagues and others on their lists.  This word-of-mouth advertising is usually accomplished by a creative use of social media and other non-traditional marketing channels. 
 
Virtual Worlds
Sites such as  Second Life, where individuals can create profiles and representations of themselves (avatars) to interact with others in an imaginary world.  Marketers have taken up real estate on Second Life in an attempt to extend their brand to potential new customers. 
 
Vlod
See Video podcast
 
Vodcast
Another name for video podcasting.  Short for Video On-Demand Podcasting.
 
VolP
An acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, this enables you to use a computer or other internet device for phone calls without additional charges. 
 
Web 2.0
A second generation of user-controlled, web-based services such as social networking and resource sites emphasizing online collaboration and sharing. 
 
Webinar
Short for "web-based seminar," webinars are interactive presentations, lectures, workshops or seminars transmitted online, where the audience can participate by offering, receiving and discussing information.
 
Whiteboards
These are useful online collaboration tools that enable a user to write or sketch on a web page and then remove or "wipe off" the information when finished.
 
Widgets
Mini-tools that may appear as floating items on a desktop, or as buttons on blogs.  These may help users subscribe to a feed, do a specialized search, or even make a donation.  Some common widgets include weather guides, stock lists, flight trackers, calendars, and search boxes.  If you own an Apple, they are the icons that float on your dashboard.  
 
Wiki
An online, collaborative work space for multiple users of a web page -- or set of pages that can be edited collaboratively.  The best-known example of a wiki is wikipedia, an encyclopedia created by thousands of contributors across the world.  Once people have appropriate permissions set by the wiki owners, they can create pages and/or add to and alter existing pages.