Information Technology: Tech Lingo to the Rescue by Allan Hoffman

Ready or not, here's a pop quiz: 1. ASP stands for: (A) Advanced Systems Protocol (B) Active Server Pages (C) Asynchronous Service Port 2. SQL is an acronym for: (A) Structured Query Language (B) Service Query Logic (C) Select Quotient LAN   3. CORBA is: (A) a standard for communicating between software objects (B) a development platform for Windows NT (C) an international standard for databases You know all three answers? Then give yourself a gold star. These terms may not be particularly obscure, but they're not everyday lingo, either. Just peruse an online community for IT pros, such as Planet IT or TechRepublic, or scan the job listings here at Monster.ie, and you will come across an array of technology-related acronyms and phrases likely to stump even diehard techno-geeks. It's not uncommon to find a single job listing crammed with acronyms and technical terms: CGI, Unix, SQL, Linux, Solaris, SQL. And that's for an entry-level position! Let's face it: No matter how much experience you have in the industry, it's impossible to know all the terminology. In fact, being a pro in one area often means you know next to nothing about another techno-niche. An ASP guru (the answer is B), who builds Web pages, may have no idea what CORBA is (the answer is A). And while lots of techies know what SQL means (the answer is A), the term may be unfamiliar to someone not involved in database work. Still, with the growth in the importance of networks -- and the ever-increasing interrelationships among technologies -- it's often important to be conversant in areas beyond your speciality, both on the job and when you're looking for one. Lowell Thing, the founder of Whatis.com, a guide to technology lingo, recalls a story from someone who found his site handy during a job interview that was conducted over the phone. Over the course of the interview, the candidate was asked whether he knew a certain technology. "As he talked to them on the phone," Thing says, "he was using whatis to look up the words." Thing adds, "I don't know whether he got the job." That may be risky, but whatis.com -- and similar sites, such as TechEncyclopedia and Webopedia -- can be useful in preparing for job interviews, when reviewing job listings or when working on projects with teams using disparate technologies. When you're stumped by a term or acronym, visit: TechEncyclopedia More than 13,000 definitions of computer terms and concepts. Webopedia An online dictionary for computer and Internet technology, with categories ranging from communications to standards. whatis.com Definitions of IT terminology, with handy links to other resources.

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