6 Tech Words You Can Now Use In Your Papers

Dark web

If you're only using the Internet to research or browse social media, you may not have come across the term "dark web." However, the term may come up in a variety of classes or contexts, from Criminal Justice to Computer Science. It refers to, as Dictionary.com puts it, "the portion of the Internet that is intentionally hidden from search engines, uses masked IP addresses, and is accessible only with a special web browser." It is not synonymous with "deep web," but instead is a portion of it, says Dictionary.com

Dox

Those of you on Twitter may be familiar with this term, defined by Dictionary.com as "to publish the private personal information of (another person) without the consent of that individual." 

Frequent tactics include posting home addresses, phone numbers, and/or license plates. From exposing individuals in response to his or her anonymous Internet activity to threatening or harassing people in the public eye, doxing has made headlines in recent months. The practice is criticized by some and applauded by others, remaining very controversial.

Black hat

Referring to "a hacker who violates the security of a system for personal profit or for the gratification of causing damage," says Dictionary.com, this term is also used to describe sketchy SEO practices on the Internet. 

Think of black hat as a sort of all-encompassing term for shady things done for personal gain online.

Gesture

While this word isn't new, its definition might be. In a technological context, Dictionary.com says gesture refers to "a particular movement of the fingers or hand over a screen, used to control or interact with a digital device."

In web design communities, this term is thrown around quite often. You would perform a gesture to access a new screen on a mobile device, for example.

Haptics

Haptics refers to "the study or use of tactile sensations and the sense of touch as a method of interacting with computers and electronic devices," according to Dictionary.com. This term is particularly interesting given the growing relationship to and with technology.

Smartwatch

Dictionary.com defines this piece of wearable tech it as "a computing device that resembles a wristwatch and is attached to a band worn around the wrist." Sure, it isn't a complicated definition, but it is certainly one that will soon be in the daily language of people living in the United States. 

Language is ever-changing, so it is no surprise that technology has found its way into the dictionary. Before including a word in a paper for class, it may be best to look up that word to see if it has become a proper term - what you find out might surprise you!