Kick back with some groovy content combinations.  (Image by the talented Derek Yaniger)

The holidays are almost here, so it seems like a good time for a little game. A couple years ago, I added a page to our internal wiki called “UXification.” We explained* it like this:

UXification is what happens when real-world words are combined with UX or tech words to describe a user experience-oriented twist on the original. As the Internet and Web 2.0 continue to saturate popular culture, more and more wordbinations (word combinations) and technopuns (technology puns) will show up for us to lovate (love and hate).

This was followed by a list of portmanteau words, along with definitions. Here are some examples* you may recognize:

• brochureware= brochure + software – Web pages created by taking an organization’s printed materials and translating them directly to the Web.
• crowdsourcing= crowd + outsourcing – Saving money on content production by sourcing it out to the audience (originated in Jeff Howe’s The Rise of Crowdsourcing, Wired Magazine).
• disemvoweling= disemboweling + vowel – The practice of removing all the vowels in a comment or forum message, rending it very difficult to read. This is a tactic often employed by forum moderators to censor unwanted posts, rather than outright deleting them. (see Disemvoweling on Wikipedia)
• navitorial= navigation + editorial – “Editorial content on a Web site that clarifies and supports the site’s navigational structure.” (as defined by Gareth Brownwyn in Jargon Watch, Wired.com)
• typosquatting= typographical error + cybersquatting – a variation on cybersquatting. Someone registers domains that are very similar to common or trademarked URLs, so that when people make a common typo they will end up on a page with just a list of ads or some other revenue-generating nonsense. (See Typosquatting on Wikipedia)

And here’s one that we completely made up:

• pubmiliate = publish + humiliate – to embarrass someone by publicly reporting comments that were not originally intended for a wide audience (For example, see Robert Stribley’s recent post about the use of Twitter lists on Huffington Post)

So now it’s your turn. Share your favorite UXified word in the comments. And don’t forget to include a definition of the word!

*Special thanks to John Pettengill and Joy Andrews, coworkers who contributed to the UXification page on the Razorfish wiki.