Language as usual continues to be a segregator, even in our on line environment. Sitting on the bus on my way to the office, I was at once entertained and taken by the multiple names for the same thing. And all in a single bus journey.

This is by no means a fully researched survey, but a passing observation on the growth in the range, acceptance and adaptation of internet technology into our everyday vocabulary.

A huge assumption in user experience seems to define how and what people say, usually shouted across the bus down a mobile line.

Loud Americans shout about ‘EARLS’. I can assume that this man was around in the mid 90s and worked on US web projects. I’d say that this was a heavy browser – sorry uses the web a lot for work, oh!, OK, and pleasure.

Young women ask for a ‘Website address’, as does my mother-in-law and no doubt her friends. I’d say they were on the cusp of changing from dial up to broadband. And then when they write down the url, they always start with http://www…. not yet realising that this is generic to sites.

And those we like to think of who are in the know ask for a ‘YouareElle’, and they’re probably using WiFi – sorry - wireless broadband.

Just for the record, a URL is “a standardized address name layout for resources on the internet”.

Anybody heard a URL called anything else?

Note: Originally posted at SmartApps

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