Citation
Wadley, E. (2002), "TechEncyclopedia", Online Information Review, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir.2002.26.1.57.10
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
The larger TechWeb site has many levels and options, each of which provides a different view of the combined contents of InformationWeek, and Network Computing. TechWeb organises content from these sources to make the search for critical information far more efficient than otherwise possible. By contextually linking related news, reviews, analysis and research offerings from all its sources, TechWeb assists users in gathering information in an efficient manner. One of the resources TechWeb provides is the TechEncyclopedia, which contains more than 20,000 definitions, illustrations, photographs, charts and diagrams relating to technology. One of the strengths of the TechEncyclopedia is that it is updated quarterly to keep pace with this fast‐moving industry and provide current information.
Topics covered include “PCs, Macs, UNIX, networking, datacom and telecom, client/server, graphics, multimedia, Internet and Web, major products and vendors, acronyms, buzzwords … and much more”. I was impressed with the visual definitions, since a lot of this content cannot be explained to the novice with just words. The illustrations and photos add a level to the TechEncyclopedia that makes the user enjoy learning! Not only are there thousands of definitions, but also mini tutorials and “how tos”. For those new to some of these computer terms, there is also the option of entering phonetic entries such as “skuzzy” and “gooey” which then link to the correct spellings – SCSI and GUI.
For instance, I entered a search for “email.” The page produced the results, giving me a link to e‐mail (with a hyphen); I then clicked on this link to see the definition. The definition for e‐mail could be a two‐sentence explanation, but instead, the TechEncyclopedia information is very in‐depth, accurate and enjoyable. Within the explanation, should you want to find more information, there are links to specific and relevant terms. At the bottom of the page there is a list of links listing terms similar to “e‐mail”.
After exploring many definitions for the terms I entered, I left with a sense that I had grasped the concepts and enjoyed the process. The definitions are easy to understand, and many times there are also lighter elements, such as cartoons or “how to sound smart using buzzwords”. Bottom line: one can tell there was a person behind these creative definitions. With such a dry topic as computer technology, this is a very nice surprise. I highly recommend TechEncyclopedia for the casual as well as technical user; this is a fabulous research tool.
This review was first published in Reference Reviews Volume 16 Number 1 2002.