Internet vocabulary: a mini glossary to start

The internet has its own vocabulary, and it can feel intimidating at first. Don't worry: most words describe simple things. Once you've got the basics, you understand online spaces much better.

A few key words

The 'feed' is the stream of content scrolling in front of you. A 'thread' is a series of messages on the same topic. 'DMs' are private messages. A 'lurker' is someone who watches without ever posting, and that's totally fine.

Other words come up often: 'post' to publish, 'repost' to share someone's content, or 'tag' to mention a person. These terms come mostly from English, but their logic is easy to remember.

Learning without stress

Nobody knows all the online vocabulary, and it keeps changing. The best move is to learn as you go and not be ashamed to ask. Asking a question is far smarter than pretending to understand.