Alternate Names for the Internet [IW]

ericthered · 08-31-2015, 02:49 PM

I'm running a world jumping game, and one of the things that comes up is that even when the characters speak the local language, they don't know some of the newer words. For example, 'tanks' meaning heavily armoured tracked vehicles with giant guns is a mere accident of history: the British used 'tank' as a code word to throw off suspicion on what they were working on.

So my question is: what would various high tech worlds call the internet, internet like systems, or LANs? My inciting instance is what would it be called if the Germans invented it (though not reich-5, strangely enough), and what other worlds would call it. I have special interest in foreign languages, specifically Portuguese and Japanese.

I'm also trying to think of words that don't have the root 'net' to describe networks. I'm coming up with nothing, but I would probably reject the world 'Net' as well. Something to do with roads may work though.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Damon Griffin · 08-31-2015, 03:05 PM

"Net" and "web" do a pretty good job of describing the thing; it's kind of hard to disregard them. "Lattice" might be another, or "matrix" or "grid." But for any lanuage except German :) people are probably going to want to use as few syllables as possible to refer to it, making "lattice" and "matrix" undesirable unless used by themselves: The Lattice or The Matrix, in the same way people talk about searching The Web.

Similarly, "inter-" is such a widely used and explicit prefix it's hard to get away from. You might use "share."

ShareGrid, ShareWeb, foreign language variants of same.

Kalzazz · 08-31-2015, 03:15 PM

I would go with 'Infobahn'

vicky_molokh · 08-31-2015, 03:21 PM

Cells? Tangle? JointJolt? (Electro-)Nexus? Wirefabric? Wireveil? TT (Texting Textile)? Angabengestalt? These words seem to be somewhat close in meaning, but they're as weird-sounding as the word 'Internet'.

johndallman · 08-31-2015, 03:32 PM

"link" is a possible root to use. The German for "The Great Link" should be appropriately jaw-breaking.

weby · 08-31-2015, 03:51 PM

Maybe the equivalent to the internet in some other place grew out of a commercial service instead of Arpanet. The name of that service could then have became a common name even when using some other service. Thinking at all the old names of those things we had in our timeline, it could be really anything.. I mean there were Genie, FidoNet, Compuserve, Minitel, Prestel, Prodigy, Delphi and many more.

(Ugh the memories of early inter-net email trying to format an address to email someone on some of the services..)

Phil Masters · 08-31-2015, 03:54 PM

I seem to recall that, canonically, Shikaku-Mon uses "The Tapestry".

Landwalker · 08-31-2015, 04:05 PM

Anything "-scape" might also be reasonable (or, if we're going for German, "-schaft"). Infoscape / Infoschaft? Netzschaft? Stegschaft? Gitterschaft?

I also like "-bahn", as was mentioned above. Infobahn is solid. Databahn (or Datenbahn? I don't know how to German...), maybe. Wissebahn?

sonic232 · 08-31-2015, 04:06 PM

Keep in mind that an app that is the primary method of entry may replace the name. Ready Player One did this with The Oasis, the MMO-Turned-SecondLife everyone used to access much of the Internet's functionality

thrash · 08-31-2015, 04:07 PM

Telephone systems had "exchanges." "System" is an alternate for "network"; "graph" is the formal mathematical equivalent. Gibson's "Cyberspace" is sufficiently cringe-worthy these days to be alienating. Tron called it "The Grid." "Rigging" might evoke the image of lines or cables running everywhere.

08-31-2015, 02:49 PM	#1
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] I'm running a world jumping game, and one of the things that comes up is that even when the characters speak the local language, they don't know some of the newer words. For example, 'tanks' meaning heavily armoured tracked vehicles with giant guns is a mere accident of history: the British used 'tank' as a code word to throw off suspicion on what they were working on. So my question is: what would various high tech worlds call the internet, internet like systems, or LANs? My inciting instance is what would it be called if the Germans invented it (though not reich-5, strangely enough), and what other worlds would call it. I have special interest in foreign languages, specifically Portuguese and Japanese. I'm also trying to think of words that don't have the root 'net' to describe networks. I'm coming up with nothing, but I would probably reject the world 'Net' as well. Something to do with roads may work though. Thanks in advance for the help! __________________ Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one!

08-31-2015, 03:05 PM	#2
Damon Griffin Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: San Antonio, TX	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] "Net" and "web" do a pretty good job of describing the thing; it's kind of hard to disregard them. "Lattice" might be another, or "matrix" or "grid." But for any lanuage except German :) people are probably going to want to use as few syllables as possible to refer to it, making "lattice" and "matrix" undesirable unless used by themselves: The Lattice or The Matrix, in the same way people talk about searching The Web. Similarly, "inter-" is such a widely used and explicit prefix it's hard to get away from. You might use "share." ShareGrid, ShareWeb, foreign language variants of same.

08-31-2015, 03:15 PM	#3
Kalzazz Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] I would go with 'Infobahn'

08-31-2015, 03:21 PM	#4
vicky_molokh GURPS FAQ Keeper Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kyïv, Ukraine	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] Cells? Tangle? JointJolt? (Electro-)Nexus? Wirefabric? Wireveil? TT (Texting Textile)? Angabengestalt? These words seem to be somewhat close in meaning, but they're as weird-sounding as the word 'Internet'. __________________ Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper

08-31-2015, 03:32 PM	#5
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] "link" is a possible root to use. The German for "The Great Link" should be appropriately jaw-breaking.

08-31-2015, 03:51 PM	#6
weby Join Date: Oct 2008	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] Maybe the equivalent to the internet in some other place grew out of a commercial service instead of Arpanet. The name of that service could then have became a common name even when using some other service. Thinking at all the old names of those things we had in our timeline, it could be really anything.. I mean there were Genie, FidoNet, Compuserve, Minitel, Prestel, Prodigy, Delphi and many more. (Ugh the memories of early inter-net email trying to format an address to email someone on some of the services..) __________________ -- GURPS spaceship unofficial errata and thoughts: https://gsuc.roto.nu/

08-31-2015, 03:54 PM	#7
Phil Masters Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: U.K.	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] I seem to recall that, canonically, Shikaku-Mon uses "The Tapestry". __________________ -- Phil Masters My Home Page. My Self-Publications: On Warehouse 23 and On DriveThruRPG.

08-31-2015, 04:05 PM	#8
Landwalker Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cumberland, ME	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] Anything "-scape" might also be reasonable (or, if we're going for German, "-schaft"). Infoscape / Infoschaft? Netzschaft? Stegschaft? Gitterschaft? I also like "-bahn", as was mentioned above. Infobahn is solid. Databahn (or Datenbahn? I don't know how to German...), maybe. Wissebahn?

08-31-2015, 04:06 PM	#9
sonic232 Join Date: Jun 2006	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] Keep in mind that an app that is the primary method of entry may replace the name. Ready Player One did this with The Oasis, the MMO-Turned-SecondLife everyone used to access much of the Internet's functionality Last edited by sonic232; 08-31-2015 at 06:07 PM. Reason: Spelling

08-31-2015, 04:07 PM	#10
thrash Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: traveller	Re: Alternate Names for the Internet [IW] Telephone systems had "exchanges." "System" is an alternate for "network"; "graph" is the formal mathematical equivalent. Gibson's "Cyberspace" is sufficiently cringe-worthy these days to be alienating. Tron called it "The Grid." "Rigging" might evoke the image of lines or cables running everywhere.