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DNS & Jargon

Heather

Heather

LostCousins Member
Ok.................... I'll ask what I'm sure a few of you want to know, I admit that I am not very computer literate :( , so what does DNS stand for? :confused: Maybe I could suggest that we have a section with all the technical jargon in it along with the abbreviations eg PDF--- portable document format, then us poor non computer literate members can refer to it when the need arises :) . Thanks
 
Heather said:
Ok.................... I'll ask what I'm sure a few of you want to know, I admit that I am not very computer literate :( , so what does DNS stand for? :confused: Maybe I could suggest that we have a section with all the technical jargon in it along with the abbreviations eg PDF--- portable document format, then us poor non computer literate members can refer to it when the need arises :) . Thanks
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Literally Domain Name Server and you can find out more here domain name server I like your idea for a section defining technical jargon, my computer magazine does just that in one place in every issue. Over time it really does sink in. Hope that helps.
 
Heather said:
Maybe I could suggest that we have a section with all the technical jargon in it along with the abbreviations eg PDF--- portable document format, then us poor non computer literate members can refer to it when the need arises :) . Thanks
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I do think that's overkill there's already a very quick and simple way to find out such thing so when you ask"what does DNS stand for?" Simply type that text into Google and you'll get an answer. Far far better answers and more detail than we could ever provide here.

P.S. You can think of DNS as a phone book. The internet works on numbers so this forums address is 176.56.63.168 and the Lost Cousins website is 80.248.179.52 but it's a lot easier for a human to remember forums.lc and www.lostcousins.com than it is to remember the numbers. DNS converts the human readable name into the numbers.
 
Bob Spiers said:
Literally Domain Name Server and you can find out more here domain name server I like your idea for a section defining technical jargon, my computer magazine does just that in one place in every issue. Over time it really does sink in. Hope that helps.
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Thanks Bob, very interesting, I think that has sunk in now, although I won't place any bets on how long it will remain there !! :rolleyes:
 
Alexander Bisset said:
I do think that's overkill there's already a very quick and simple way to find out such thing so when you ask"what does DNS stand for?" Simply type that text into Google and you'll get an answer. Far far better answers and more detail than we could ever provide here.

P.S. You can think of DNS as a phone book. The internet works on numbers so this forums address is 176.56.63.168 and the Lost Cousins website is 80.248.179.52 but it's a lot easier for a human to remember forums.lc and www.lostcousins.com than it is to remember the numbers. DNS converts the human readable name into the numbers.
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Thanks Alexander, that's a really good way to explain it, you see you have killed your argument, as I now understand what DNS is from your explanation more than from any answer that Google could give, but I do take your point.
 
Heather said:
Ok.................... I'll ask what I'm sure a few of you want to know, I admit that I am not very computer literate :( , so what does DNS stand for? :confused: Maybe I could suggest that we have a section with all the technical jargon in it along with the abbreviations eg PDF--- portable document format, then us poor non computer literate members can refer to it when the need arises :) . Thanks
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Well done Heather:). I have previously suggested a glossary of acronyms would be appreciated:confused:....(not just IT terms)
 
emjay said:
Well done Heather:). I have previously suggested a glossary of acronyms would be appreciated:confused:....(not just IT terms)
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Yes agreed, as sadly acronyms are the refuge of the Nerds amongst us (myself included if my wife is to be believed when she encounters me using them she says, 'English please Robert, English'). If you think IT is bad try reading an American crime novel! :mad:

I have sympathy with IT professionals (such as Alexander) as they are used to communicating amongst themselves. Genealogists (amateur or otherwise) are just the same but some struggle with IT short-form terminology, just as newcomers to a family history Forum do with genealogical equivalents.

Google is of course the life saver that Alexander suggests but I still believe a "Jargon Buster" Glossary has its place, just as my Computer Magazine realised long ago. I wonder what prompted them to provide same?
 
Jargon has nothing to do with IT really if you think about it. It certainly has nothing to do with people trying to make things complicated. Jargon is shorthand plain and simple. Every profession, hobby, I'd say every walk of life has jargon in one form or another.

It's just a quick shorthand you use as its a pain to write or type stuff out all the time. eg: How many of you refer to OPR records and BMDs, or would record someone was b.abt 1845, m.15 Jul 1868, d.31 Oct 1902, and note you'd got a LC 1881 entry for them.

To the uninitiated that's all jargon, to family historians it makes perfect sense. Its the same with all walks of life, just typically we are talking to like minded people so we use shorthand.
 
Not to forget that fount of all jargon, the Armed Services, where exactly the criteria Alexander has outlined have always existed in spades.
 
I support the suggestion for (at least) spelling in out in full what an abbreviation stands for, even without a full explanation. (I haven't got the hang of what LOL means) As emjay humorously indicates, one abbreviation can stand more than one full phrase. and you need to have some idea before googling it. And those of us who don't know may be abashed at asking an 'obvious' question.

And 'jargon' isn't actually a perjorative term - it merely refers to "the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group." Although a line manager of mine once put as a criticism on my annual appraisal that I had complained that the company was full of jargon - I thought I was 'just' explaining how difficult I found it to pick things up when I didn't understand the terminology, but she took umbrage, and marked my appraisal accordingly...
 
Tim is right often people misunderstand and think it means "Lots of Love" as in the classic text of mother to daughter..."Your granddad just died. LOL" and the reply "Mum WTF?"

(WTF is easily found on Google and is probably best not explained here! ;) )
 
Alexander Bisset said:
....How many of you refer to OPR records
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Actually as someone fairly well versed in family history research 'OPR' was an unfamiliar term so I resorted to Google. I found a definition with the annotation 'UK genealogy' standing for Old Parochial Register . I'm glad I spotted the ('uk genealogy') clue as there were 54 other definitions listed and -perish the thought - another 122 available in their 'Acronym Attic'. :(

I would refer to such as Parish Registers (or Records) and then, if needing to repeat the same words show (PR) in brackets as an aid to later understanding. Acronyms are self defeating when they go over the heads of people and I suggest should be sparingly used.
 
'OPC' also Bob, Online Parish Clerks . 'BMD' or 'bmds' is an acronym that I must admit to using - always.

Alex, I certainly had to lol at your little mother to daughter example earlier.
 
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