IT and Tech terms for dummies

Introduction

Have you just got your first job in IT (information technology) or decided to change your career path and take your first steps in the industry? You've never worked in this tech industry before, and you are not a software engineer, so you don't know what to expect, and you don't want to make any mistakes when the team talks about something important?

It will take some time before you gain experience and the necessary knowledge, but you can learn the basics now, thanks to which difficult beginnings in IT will be easier and more pleasant for you. That’s why we present here a list of the most significant tech terms in IT presented in a simple way so that you understand what it is all about, even if it is your first contact with these tech terms.

So what tech terms do you need to know to understand others in IT? Let's find out which tech term you don't know yet. 

404

This tech term informs you that the website you are looking for cannot be found (this is an error). For example, if you accidentally type on your web browser or mobile device browser https://themobilereality.com/job instead of https://themobilereality.com/careers (which the first one doesn't exist), you'll get a 404 error.

Agile

It's such a flexible method/style of work in projects, which consists of the fact that instead of delivering the project in its entirety at once, you deliver it sequentially, in small pieces, and adapt to the client's needs along the way. You can read more about this tech term and the Agile method in Asana blog post here.

A/B Testing

A method of testing 2 versions of a web app/website/web page to verify which one performs better. 

API

It's a kind of set of tools and rules that allows you to transfer information and use the functions of other programs without having to understand how they work. So a software engineer can create a new mobile/web app without having to do everything from scratch. 

Architecture

This tech term concerns how a mobile/web app or software program is designed, organized, and built, making it more effective, scalable, and reliable. 

Asana

A tool for the project management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by a software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech terms list). 

ASAP

Oh, that's a very easy tech term, just… “As soon as possible” – e.g., someone will do something or should do something as soon as possible. 

Backend

This is the backstage of a software application, or computer system/computer program, where data is processed and interactions with the database take place. The simplest example: is a kitchen in a restaurant where meals are prepared, but customers only see meals on their plates. 

Backlog

When something is in the "backlog", it means that it’s on the list of things to do or requirements to be included in the project, but… no activity or time planning has been taken on it yet. 

Billable

Billable means that something you do is considered work that can be billed to the client. 

BRB

„Be right back” – you can, for example, set this status on Slack or MS Teams when you go to lunch. 

BSOD

A blue screen error on Windows informing the user of a critical system error. 

Bug

Just a bug that causes a software, operating system, or web application to malfunction. 

CI/CD

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment is a way of organizing work on a project in which when a software engineer works independently on his code, all work is combined into one common project, and this project is placed on one server. This will make it available to everyone, and it will be updated automatically after any code changes. 

Click Up

A tool for pro​​je​​ct management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by a software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech terms list). 

Cloud Computing

It’s renting space in the cloud for your data, files, or tasks that you can access from any device, but it does not require you to own "this particular space" or have another “storage device”. 

CMS

A popular example of a CMS is WordPress, where you don't need to know how to write code to create your own web page or online store, and you just need to use ready-made graphic elements provided by this CMS. 

Code Review

It’s a process in which one software engineer verifies, evaluates, and analyzes code written by another to ensure and validate the quality and correctness of that code. 

Commit

Commit source code changes to version control/GIT. 

Compiler

You can compare it with translating a language into another language. The compiler makes sure that the code written by the software engineer is understandable by the computer's processor. Thus, it will perform exactly the tasks it is supposed to perform. 

Confluence

Knowledge management tool for projects. It is a platform that allows you to create, edit, and organize content, documentation (same as Google Doc), wiki base, and e.g., personal information in a way that is easy to share and collaborate with teams. 

Containerization

A popular containerization tool is Docker. Containerization isolates applications on your computer system or in the cloud from other applications, thanks to which each of them can operate in its own separate environment without affecting the operation of others, the operation of the application is the same regardless of whether it is on your computer system or in the cloud. 

Content Marketing

Writing and creating valuable content, posts, texts, and videos on the Internet and social media in order to attract the interest of customers. 

CRM

It is a system for handling processes related to customers, thanks to which you can easily track their contact details, communication history, stages of the sales process, and their previous purchases. 

CTA

„Call to action” – encouraging a specific response, e.g. "buy now", or "click for more". 

Daily/Stand-up

Daily and short (15 min max) meeting for the entire project team, where everyone informs about what they are doing, what is the progress and what are their future plans. 

Data structures

A method of organizing and storing data in computer memory or other data storage that helps the software perform its tasks properly. 

Debugging

The process of identifying and fixing all bugs in the code. 

Delivery manager

The Project Manager deals with the management of the entire project, and the Delivery Manager focuses on the effective delivery of the product or service that is to be created as part of this project management process. 

Demo

Presentation of a working version of the product or its functionality to the client. 

Dependencies

Some elements depend on others, which means that some elements cannot be made or used until others are completed. 

Deploy

This is the last step in the software development process. This means that the software is ready for use by end users. 

DevOps

It is a combination and integration of the programming and operational departments so that the software is produced faster, better, and more reliably. 

Discord

Internet chat allows teams to communicate in writing, video calls, sending files or links (e.g., to Google Doc), and any information to each other. 

Documentation

Design/technical documentation describing the design and source code. 

End users

End users will use the software on a daily basis. 

EOD/EOB

"End of Day"/"End of Business".

Fixed price

A payment model where the customer pays a predetermined amount for a specific job. 

Framework

A ready-made set of tools, rules, and structures that a software engineer can use to create software, without having to write basic functions or structures. 

Frontend

This is the part of the software that relates to the appearance and behavior of the mobile/web app as seen by the end user. In the example of a restaurant: Your dinner, which was served to you by the waiter is the frontend, and it is prepared by the kitchen which is backend. Psst… if you are a Frontend Dev maybe you'll be interested in one of our articles: “Top 5 React.JS tools and libraries 2023”.

Fullstack

Refers to a software engineer who has skills in both frontend and backend. 

GIT/Version Control

A system that controls and allows you to track all changes in the code, including the work of programmers. 

Google Meet

A platform for video conferencing and team communication. 

IDE

A tool to help you write, test, and debug your code. 

Jira

A tool for the project management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by a software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech terms list). 

Kanban

It is a project management method that consists in dividing tasks on the board, e.g. into "to do", "in progress" or "to review", which you can easily verify the progress of work on the project by looking at the board and tracking your progress. 

Kudos

Recognition for someone's work. As Cambridge Dictionary says:

"the public admiration that a person receives as a result of a particular achievement or position in society” 

Machine learning

The field of artificial intelligence allows a computer system to learn from data and make decisions on its own. 

Merge

Tech term for combining two code versions into one. 

Monday

The beginning of a new working week. If someone says something will take 3 Mondays, that means it will probably take 3 weeks. But… “Monday” is also another tool for the project management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by the software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech term list). 

MS Teams

Internet chat from Microsoft (you know Microsoft Office, right?) that allows teams to communicate in writing, video calls, sending files or links (e.g., to Google Doc), and any information to each other. 

MVP

The simplest working version of the product/mobile&web app/computer program. 

Native App

An application is written in a language dedicated to a given platform, e.g., iOS or Android. 

Notion

A tool for the project management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by a software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech terms list). 

Object-oriented programming (OOP)

It's a way of programming where we think of software as a collection of objects, each with its own properties and behaviors that make the code more organized and modular. 

Open source software

Publicly released software with source code. 

Performance testing

Software performance testing, e.g., in terms of increasing the number of users at the same time. 

Project Manager

The Project Manager manages the entire project. Plans, organizes, supervises, and controls all aspects of the project. Do you want to know what the project management process looks like in the software house? Check it out here.

Prototype

Initial product release. A prototype is often created to test a product. 

Pull Request (PR)

This tech term is used when a software engineer makes some changes to the code and wants them to be included in the main project, so he must do a Pull Request, and then the code will be reviewed by other programmers. 

Quality Assurance

Testing and control to ensure the appropriate quality of the software. 

Redmine

A tool for the project management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by a software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech terms list). 

Refactoring

Tech term for the process of improving code to make it readable and efficient without affecting its behavior. 

Regression testing

Tests to ensure that new code changes have not adversely impacted specific functionality.

Release

Release of a new version of a software or product. 

Remote Desktop

A tool that will enable remote access to your computer system, e.g., when the system admin wants to give you remote access to some tool. 

Repository

Tech term for the place where the code and all its history are stored. 

Risk management

Verification, assessment, and minimization of potential problems and risks in the project. 

Retrospective

Team meetings after the end of the work period, during which successes and work difficulties are analyzed. It’s supposed to improve future work. 

SaaS

Software that you don't have to install on your own and that works in the cloud. An example is all applications running in the browser, such as Google Doc, Canva. 

Scalability

The ability of the system to adapt to, e.g., a growing number of users. 

Scrum

A project management methodology in which work is divided into short periods of work "sprints", after which the progress of this work is analyzed and the next steps of task implementation are planned. 

Scrum Master

The person who is responsible for supervising the principles and practices of Scrum in the team. 

SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle)

The software development life cycle includes different phases such as analysis, design, implementation, and testing. 

Server

A network device that provides services and data to another device connected to the same network. An example analogous to the operation of a server would be an Internet modem that allows all devices connected to it to use the same Internet service provider. The server does the same thing, only it does not apply to the Internet, but to specific services and data stored on this server. 

Slack

Internet chat allows teams to communicate in writing, video calls, sending files or links (e.g., to Google Doc), and any information to each other. 

Sprint

In Scrum (project management methodology), short periods of time (e.g., 1–2 weeks) in which the team works on selected tasks, after which it analyzes the progress of work and plans further tasks for subsequent sprints. 

Sprint review

Team meeting after the sprint, where successes are presented and further steps and activities in the project are discussed. 

Stand-up/Daily

Daily and short (15 min max) meeting for the entire project team, where everyone is informed about what they are doing, what is the progress, and their future plans. 

Story points

They are determining the difficulty or complexity of a task. 

Ticket/Task

"Order" for a given task, bug, or requirement in the project that needs to be implemented. 

Time and material

A method of payment where the customer pays for the time that has been worked or the material that has been used. If for time, an example of the settlement will be: 10 hours of teamwork x $100/h = the client will pay $1,000 in the "time and material" model.  

Trello

A tool for the project management process, tracking tasks and their progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks by a software engineer or project manager (check other examples of project management tools in this tech terms list). 

UI

User Interface, or UI user interface - all the elements that you see on the screen on your mobile app/web app or computer system, and with which you can interact, for example, buttons, menus, icons, or text boxes. 

Unit testing

Testing individual pieces of software systems to make sure they work properly. 

Usability

A property of a given software, the purpose of which is to make it easy, effective, and easy for people to use a given product, software application, or website. 

User story

Understandable for the client, short information about the requirements related to a given functionality that the software application/project should meet/have. 

UX

User experience, e.g., designing products, websites, or applications in such a way that the user experience is the best and most pleasant, will positively affect the reception of this product. 

VPN

A virtual private network for securely connecting to the internet. You can use a virtual private network, for example, when you want to watch movies from some streaming platform that provides access only to users in a given country, and you are somewhere else. A virtual private network will let you connect as if you were in the country (you will change your IP address). 

Waterfall

A model of designing and working on a project, based on the fact that tasks are carried out one after the other, and each task depends on whether a software engineer has completed the previous one. More about Waterfall and other models can be read in our article “A guide through software development models”.

Website optimization

Website optimization is aimed at improving its efficiency and effectiveness. 

Wireframe

Tech term for a sketch/plan of the user interface in an application, on a web page, showing the layout of elements on the page, without design. 

Zoom

A platform for video conferencing and team communication. 

Conclusion

Starting your work in the tech industry, you will hear a lot of new tech terms that will make you wonder if this is really the place for you but don't worry about it. Over time, it will get better, and you will be able to move more efficiently in the new environment. I hope the above list of tech terms helps you get off to a rough start, and if there's another tech term you think should be added, please let us know here: hr@mobilereality.pl