Let’s face facts, web terminology is weird. You don’t realise just how weird until someone (like our newest PM, Kieran) admits that he initially had no idea what anyone was talking about.
So if you’ve ever found yourself frantically Googling the difference between UX and UI, or accidentally referred to Shopify as Spotify, this one’s for you.
Git
To the untrained ear, ‘git’ is a throwback insult that sounds more Del Boy than DevOps. And although we wish it were making a comeback for being the go-to slang of the decade, it’s probably because it’s now a popular term amongst devs for an open-source code management system.
Heroes and webmasters
‘Hero’ is up there with ‘webmaster’ in terms of being the larger-than-life, all-guns-blazing type of terminology that sounds more impressive than it is. Yes, they’re both important. But rather than fighting crime and saving the world, a ‘hero’ is the above-the-fold content on a webpage, while a ‘webmaster’ manages the content in your CMS.
Borked
We wish it were one of those cute slang words that become part of our everyday vocab, i.e. “My baby doggo just borked at the postman”. But it simply means your software is malfunctioning. Boring, right? But still, at least it’s more fun to say than plain old-fashioned “broken”.
Folio
AKA a design portfolio. The place where web designers show how great they can make the internet look. Is dropping the ‘port’ necessary? Probably not. But it looks cool.
Repo
Depending on how you look at it, ‘repo’ could relate to everything from repurchase agreements to bailiffs. But in the world of the World Wide Web, it’s short for repository—or in other words, a central location where data is stored and managed.
Deprecate
Google the definition of this one and you’ll get:
[verb] · dislike · criticize · reject · denounce · disesteem · disapprove (of) · discountenance · condemn · frown (on or upon)
Cheery stuff, huh? In the development sense, it means to mark older code as no longer useful so it can be removed or replaced at a later date. Which puts a slightly more positive spin on things we suppose.
And don’t forget the acronyms…
TL;DR? Here’s how to talk in code.
IA — Information architecture
AI — Artificial intelligence
TIL —Today I learned
SFL — Saved for later
ELI5 — Explain like I’m 5
TOV — Tone of voice
GUI — Graphical user interface
PDP — Product detail page
PLP — Product listing page/Collection
3PL — Third-party logistics
POS — Point of sale
CPA — Cost per acquisition
CPC — Cost per click
ACOS — Advertising cost of sale
PIM — Product inventory management
AOV — Average order value
KPI — Key performance indicators
OMS — Order management software
ATC — Add to cart (rate)
D2C/DTC — Direct to consumer
ROAS — Return on advertising spend
CRO — Conversion rate optimisation
CRM — Customer relationship management
GWP — Gift with purchase
CTR — Click through rate
WMS — Warehouse management software
SEM — Search engine marketing
There's plenty more where that came from. Head back to the journal for more teamie news and views.