Sarah Palin, Social Networking Websites, Technology, Trials

A Guide to Internet Slang, Courtesy of the Sarah Palin Email Hacker Trial

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Earlier this year, David Kernell, 22, was found guilty of hacking into Sarah Palin’s Yahoo! account and posting some of her emails on the Internetz. The Palins were pleased by his conviction.

One of the places where Palin’s correspondence wound up was the (enter-at-your-own-risk) message forum 4chan.org. During the course of the April felony trial, 4chan founder Christopher “Moot” Poole was called to testify. The Smoking Gun dug up and posted the transcript from the testimony yesterday. Federal prosecutor Mark Krotoski asked Poole to explain how 4chan operates and how it keeps track of its users. He also asked him to explain some “Internet speak.”

The testimony is a handy guide for those of you who get confused by the slang used in online comments sections. How does one define a “lurker,” “troll,” or a “b-tard”?

Here are some choice excerpts especially relevant to ATL readers. For those of you who like to read ATL, but not to tip us or comment:

Q. What would “lurker” mean?
A. Somebody who browses but does not post, does not contribute.

And of course, these folks are familiar to anyone who spends time in the comments section:

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Q. What about “troll”?
A. Troublemaker.

Here’s the rest of Poole’s testimony on Internet terms:

4chan speak 1 of 2
4chan speak 2 of 2

For the full transcript from his testimony, check out the Smoking Gun.

Turns Out 4Chan Boards Not As Lawless As They Seem [Smoking Gun]

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