TheNightling
@TheNightling
1
Have you ever noticed that our internet terminology has naturally veered toward the gothic, spooky, and supernatural? Here. Let me show you.
Troll = Someone who deliberately causes arguments online and antagonizes people for the fun of it.
Trolling = The active behavior of a troll, deliberately antagonizing and / or causing arguments online.
Trollish = Troll-like behavior but may not deliberately be acting like a troll.
Lurker = Someone who watches a message board, discussion group, or chat room without actually participating.
Lurker mode = The status of being a lurker which can be temporary.
Lurk / Lurking = To watch the activity of a message board, discussion group, or chat room without actively participating.
Wizard = Now slightly outdated term for a helper app used for installing new apps or hardware into your PC.
Typo Goblin = Old chat room slang / excuse to explain away spelling errors and typos in a rapid fire chat room.
Gremlin = Very old joking scapegoat for glitches or technical issues is that a gremlin got into the machine. The word dates back to the 1920s Royal Airforce to mean someone of low rank but in World War 2 the term shifted to mean a mischievous and imp-like creature that would mess up equiptment and technology.
Ghosted = When someone abruptly stops talking to you via text, E-mail, phone, or social media. Sometimes even blocking your account.
Ghosting = To actively avoid interacting with someone online and / or over the phone.
Zombie-computer / Zombie-puter = A computer that has been taken over by a hacker and used to spread malicious software or bad links to others.
Zombie account = A hacked account used by a hacker to spread malware and or dangerous links to take over other accounts and access the information in those accounts. With a zombie computer all accounts attached to that PC or phone are accessed by the hacker. In this case it’s just one account.
Zombie Network = A network of hacked accounts being used by hackers.
Zombie-post = When an old and long-inactive post or conversation is re-vitalized on social media or message board.
Frankencomputer / Frankenputer = A computer built from the parts of other computers.
Digital necromancy = Reviving a previously thought to be dead electronic like a waterlogged cellphone that hadn’t worked in months, or an old VCR that had tomato juice spilt in it back in the 80s, or reviving an old computer with a dead motherboard, ect.
Terabyte = Sounding a lot like terror bite, a terabyte consists of 1000 gigabytes. Also Teratophilia happens to mean attraction to monsters. Teras is Greek for “Monsters.” So, yes, a Terabyte is a “Monster bite.”
Mailer Demon = A deliberate mispronunciation / mishearing of mailer-daemon, the E-mail notification that an E-mail you sent was unable to be delivered either because someone’s mail box was full or the E-mail address was invalid. The implication is a little demon intercepted the E-mail and prevented it from reaching it’s recipient.
Shark / Bid Shark = An ethically questionable bot or app used to swoop in on an online auction (usually Ebay) to bid on an item at the very last possible second. Sometimes auctioneers have been caught using these to jack up the bids on an item and after they win their own item they contact the second highest bidder and claim the winner backed out and ask them if they want it for the winning price or slightly lower. Things like this are part of why Ebay has been on a gradual decline as a place to go for collectors.
The Jack Sparrow method = A discrete way to say you are pirating something.
Burning / disc burning = Now slightly outdated term for copying music CDs, DVDs, or blu Rays onto blank discs, or even copying digital files such as Mp3s or videos onto a disc.
Web = World Wide Web. The www on all websites. We’re in a giant Spider’s web and just take it for granted.
Worm = A type of computer virus that burrows into your computer’s operating system.
Virus / computer virus = An application specifically designed to gain access to and do harm to computer operating systems.
Hacker = Someone who breaks into a computer, network or website against the will over the owner.
Hacked = A compromised computer, or account that a hacker or their bot has broken into.
The void = an empty, black space where a glitching avatar might end up on a 3D chat room or video game.
A cloud = Nebulous online storage, like a locker room you can only access online.
Loki’d = 2012 Internet term named for The Norse God of Mischief to mean you were pranked. The term was first used by actor Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in the MCU) when he appeared on a talkshow and did a comedy skit of being a prankster. It was later turned into a viral music video / song called “You just got Loki’d.
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Internet terms that have a valid reason for having paranormal or spooky terminology attached to them:
TikTok Witch = Usually used as a derogatory term for a pretentious witch or Pagan who has followers and who posts dubious spells, methodology and lore online. Consider it the witchcraft equivalent of a Mall Goth. A poseur who tries to look as if they are an expert and unfortunately often get even-less informed people to listen to them and so spread questionable ideas online.
CreepyPasta / Creepypasta = A scary story or neo (new) folklore spread online, often being passed off as a possibly real paranormal encounter.
Ghost app / Ghost Box app: usually unreliable ghost hunting apps for a smart phone.
Paracryptid = Coined in 2015 it means a corporeal entity that may be of paranormal origin or has paranormal abilities or both. Term was coined online.
Paracryptozoology = Similar to Cryptozoology (The study of hidden or undiscovered life) Paracryptozoology is the search for possible corporeal entities with paranormal origins or paranormal abilities or both. Term was coined online.
Ghostmart = Online store for paranormal investigating equipment.
Alienware / Alien ware = The gaming division of Dell computers and accessories.
Halloween Radio = Specifically Halloween radio dot net is a year ‘round online Halloween radio stationw here they treat every day as if it is Halloween with spooky and Gothically incline music. It’s now also available as a phone app.
Spirit Halloween = The seasonal Gothic horror and Halloween stores. Their online version is year round.
Backrooms / Back Rooms = Popular 2022 Creepypasta and movie theme that suggests a surreal pocket dimension or outside-reality that resembles the corridors of large, empty warehouse or abandoned mall with no window or visible outside light. Part of a trend of surrealist, otherworldly horror that became popular in the late twenty teens and is still going now.
Slender Man / Slenderman = Fictional character popular in video games and creepypastas that briefly became a fad where many people became convinced he had roots in actual folklore. Might have some egregore impact…
Dark Web = The genuinely scary, underground part of the Internet that deals in very illegal activities and morally questionable content. Despite it’s already sinister nature, there are creepypastas and claims of paranormal related misdeeds connected to The Dark Web.
Unalive = A term used to skirt around many social media censors that may not allow the word “Die” or “Kill.” Early use of this is when Deadpool appeared in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series and he noticed that a kids show probably wouldn’t let him say “The K word.”
Loki’d / Lokied = 2012 Internet term named for The Norse God of Mischief. The term was first used by actor Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in the MCU) when he appeared on a talkshow and did a comedy skit of being a prankster. It was later turned into a viral music video / song called “You just got Loki’d.
Troll = Someone who deliberately causes arguments online and antagonizes people for the fun of it.
Trolling = The active behavior of a troll, deliberately antagonizing and / or causing arguments online.
Trollish = Troll-like behavior but may not deliberately be acting like a troll.
Lurker = Someone who watches a message board, discussion group, or chat room without actually participating.
Lurker mode = The status of being a lurker which can be temporary.
Lurk / Lurking = To watch the activity of a message board, discussion group, or chat room without actively participating.
Wizard = Now slightly outdated term for a helper app used for installing new apps or hardware into your PC.
Typo Goblin = Old chat room slang / excuse to explain away spelling errors and typos in a rapid fire chat room.
Gremlin = Very old joking scapegoat for glitches or technical issues is that a gremlin got into the machine. The word dates back to the 1920s Royal Airforce to mean someone of low rank but in World War 2 the term shifted to mean a mischievous and imp-like creature that would mess up equiptment and technology.
Ghosted = When someone abruptly stops talking to you via text, E-mail, phone, or social media. Sometimes even blocking your account.
Ghosting = To actively avoid interacting with someone online and / or over the phone.
Zombie-computer / Zombie-puter = A computer that has been taken over by a hacker and used to spread malicious software or bad links to others.
Zombie account = A hacked account used by a hacker to spread malware and or dangerous links to take over other accounts and access the information in those accounts. With a zombie computer all accounts attached to that PC or phone are accessed by the hacker. In this case it’s just one account.
Zombie Network = A network of hacked accounts being used by hackers.
Zombie-post = When an old and long-inactive post or conversation is re-vitalized on social media or message board.
Frankencomputer / Frankenputer = A computer built from the parts of other computers.
Digital necromancy = Reviving a previously thought to be dead electronic like a waterlogged cellphone that hadn’t worked in months, or an old VCR that had tomato juice spilt in it back in the 80s, or reviving an old computer with a dead motherboard, ect.
Terabyte = Sounding a lot like terror bite, a terabyte consists of 1000 gigabytes. Also Teratophilia happens to mean attraction to monsters. Teras is Greek for “Monsters.” So, yes, a Terabyte is a “Monster bite.”
Mailer Demon = A deliberate mispronunciation / mishearing of mailer-daemon, the E-mail notification that an E-mail you sent was unable to be delivered either because someone’s mail box was full or the E-mail address was invalid. The implication is a little demon intercepted the E-mail and prevented it from reaching it’s recipient.
Shark / Bid Shark = An ethically questionable bot or app used to swoop in on an online auction (usually Ebay) to bid on an item at the very last possible second. Sometimes auctioneers have been caught using these to jack up the bids on an item and after they win their own item they contact the second highest bidder and claim the winner backed out and ask them if they want it for the winning price or slightly lower. Things like this are part of why Ebay has been on a gradual decline as a place to go for collectors.
The Jack Sparrow method = A discrete way to say you are pirating something.
Burning / disc burning = Now slightly outdated term for copying music CDs, DVDs, or blu Rays onto blank discs, or even copying digital files such as Mp3s or videos onto a disc.
Web = World Wide Web. The www on all websites. We’re in a giant Spider’s web and just take it for granted.
Worm = A type of computer virus that burrows into your computer’s operating system.
Virus / computer virus = An application specifically designed to gain access to and do harm to computer operating systems.
Hacker = Someone who breaks into a computer, network or website against the will over the owner.
Hacked = A compromised computer, or account that a hacker or their bot has broken into.
The void = an empty, black space where a glitching avatar might end up on a 3D chat room or video game.
A cloud = Nebulous online storage, like a locker room you can only access online.
Loki’d = 2012 Internet term named for The Norse God of Mischief to mean you were pranked. The term was first used by actor Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in the MCU) when he appeared on a talkshow and did a comedy skit of being a prankster. It was later turned into a viral music video / song called “You just got Loki’d.
___________________________________
Internet terms that have a valid reason for having paranormal or spooky terminology attached to them:
TikTok Witch = Usually used as a derogatory term for a pretentious witch or Pagan who has followers and who posts dubious spells, methodology and lore online. Consider it the witchcraft equivalent of a Mall Goth. A poseur who tries to look as if they are an expert and unfortunately often get even-less informed people to listen to them and so spread questionable ideas online.
CreepyPasta / Creepypasta = A scary story or neo (new) folklore spread online, often being passed off as a possibly real paranormal encounter.
Ghost app / Ghost Box app: usually unreliable ghost hunting apps for a smart phone.
Paracryptid = Coined in 2015 it means a corporeal entity that may be of paranormal origin or has paranormal abilities or both. Term was coined online.
Paracryptozoology = Similar to Cryptozoology (The study of hidden or undiscovered life) Paracryptozoology is the search for possible corporeal entities with paranormal origins or paranormal abilities or both. Term was coined online.
Ghostmart = Online store for paranormal investigating equipment.
Alienware / Alien ware = The gaming division of Dell computers and accessories.
Halloween Radio = Specifically Halloween radio dot net is a year ‘round online Halloween radio stationw here they treat every day as if it is Halloween with spooky and Gothically incline music. It’s now also available as a phone app.
Spirit Halloween = The seasonal Gothic horror and Halloween stores. Their online version is year round.
Backrooms / Back Rooms = Popular 2022 Creepypasta and movie theme that suggests a surreal pocket dimension or outside-reality that resembles the corridors of large, empty warehouse or abandoned mall with no window or visible outside light. Part of a trend of surrealist, otherworldly horror that became popular in the late twenty teens and is still going now.
Slender Man / Slenderman = Fictional character popular in video games and creepypastas that briefly became a fad where many people became convinced he had roots in actual folklore. Might have some egregore impact…
Dark Web = The genuinely scary, underground part of the Internet that deals in very illegal activities and morally questionable content. Despite it’s already sinister nature, there are creepypastas and claims of paranormal related misdeeds connected to The Dark Web.
Unalive = A term used to skirt around many social media censors that may not allow the word “Die” or “Kill.” Early use of this is when Deadpool appeared in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series and he noticed that a kids show probably wouldn’t let him say “The K word.”
Loki’d / Lokied = 2012 Internet term named for The Norse God of Mischief. The term was first used by actor Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in the MCU) when he appeared on a talkshow and did a comedy skit of being a prankster. It was later turned into a viral music video / song called “You just got Loki’d.
