Tech jargon can be mind boggling, particularly if you’re someone with no interest whatsoever in technology. However, some terms are simple enough that most people would presume everyone knows what they really mean. HTML or HyperText Markup Language is commonly known as a language used to develop websites, its defined in most computer science textbooks, but a survey finds that 1 in 10 Americans think that HTML is actually an STD, or sexually transmitted disease.
Coupons website Vouchercloud is behind the survey which involved 2,392 men and women around 18 years of age and older. They weren’t told before the survey that it was meant to find out their knowledge of simple tech jargons, they were simply given both tech and non-tech terms and asked to choose from three possible definitions. 11 percent though that HTML is an STD.
The survey also yields other amusing results. 77 percent couldn’t define SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, a phrase often misused by scammers in get rich quick schemes on the internet. 27 percent of the respondents thought gigabyte was an insect commonly found in South America. 12 percent that USB is an acronym for a European country while 15 percent equated software with comfortable clothing. MP3, a very common term and audio file, was actually believed to be a Stars Wars robot by 23 percent of all respondents. What is it that they say, ignorance is bliss?
Filed in . Read more about Survey.