Is there a term for browsing the web and ending up very far from the original article? [on hold]
Whenever I read an article on the web, I either click on the links in the article or search for more information about the topic, ending up very far from the original article. Is there a term for this act of jumping through links?
single-word-requests phrase-requests idiom-requests
New contributor
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Questions on choosing an ideal word or phrase must include information on how it will be used in order to be answered. For help writing a good word or phrase request, see: About single word requests" – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
add a comment |
Whenever I read an article on the web, I either click on the links in the article or search for more information about the topic, ending up very far from the original article. Is there a term for this act of jumping through links?
single-word-requests phrase-requests idiom-requests
New contributor
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Questions on choosing an ideal word or phrase must include information on how it will be used in order to be answered. For help writing a good word or phrase request, see: About single word requests" – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Welcome to English Language and Usage,Arunster...words are used differently in different situations. Decades ago the very word "browse" had a somewhat negative flavor as to doing research. One might start with a specific source in a library, only to discover seemingly related material nearby and if the temptation was not avoided, one could be far off topic in quick order. I still think of "browsing the web" as a great risk to serious research.
– J. Taylor
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of Site hopping, non-related subjects, wasting time on the internet
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
And also What is it called when you search for something on the internet and end up looking for other and it goes in endless meander?
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
Whenever I read an article on the web, I either click on the links in the article or search for more information about the topic, ending up very far from the original article. Is there a term for this act of jumping through links?
single-word-requests phrase-requests idiom-requests
New contributor
Whenever I read an article on the web, I either click on the links in the article or search for more information about the topic, ending up very far from the original article. Is there a term for this act of jumping through links?
single-word-requests phrase-requests idiom-requests
single-word-requests phrase-requests idiom-requests
New contributor
New contributor
edited 2 days ago
tchrist♦
108k28290464
108k28290464
New contributor
asked 2 days ago
ArunsterArunster
1212
1212
New contributor
New contributor
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Questions on choosing an ideal word or phrase must include information on how it will be used in order to be answered. For help writing a good word or phrase request, see: About single word requests" – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
put on hold as off-topic by tchrist♦ 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Questions on choosing an ideal word or phrase must include information on how it will be used in order to be answered. For help writing a good word or phrase request, see: About single word requests" – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Welcome to English Language and Usage,Arunster...words are used differently in different situations. Decades ago the very word "browse" had a somewhat negative flavor as to doing research. One might start with a specific source in a library, only to discover seemingly related material nearby and if the temptation was not avoided, one could be far off topic in quick order. I still think of "browsing the web" as a great risk to serious research.
– J. Taylor
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of Site hopping, non-related subjects, wasting time on the internet
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
And also What is it called when you search for something on the internet and end up looking for other and it goes in endless meander?
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
Welcome to English Language and Usage,Arunster...words are used differently in different situations. Decades ago the very word "browse" had a somewhat negative flavor as to doing research. One might start with a specific source in a library, only to discover seemingly related material nearby and if the temptation was not avoided, one could be far off topic in quick order. I still think of "browsing the web" as a great risk to serious research.
– J. Taylor
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of Site hopping, non-related subjects, wasting time on the internet
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
And also What is it called when you search for something on the internet and end up looking for other and it goes in endless meander?
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
Welcome to English Language and Usage,Arunster...words are used differently in different situations. Decades ago the very word "browse" had a somewhat negative flavor as to doing research. One might start with a specific source in a library, only to discover seemingly related material nearby and if the temptation was not avoided, one could be far off topic in quick order. I still think of "browsing the web" as a great risk to serious research.
– J. Taylor
2 days ago
Welcome to English Language and Usage,Arunster...words are used differently in different situations. Decades ago the very word "browse" had a somewhat negative flavor as to doing research. One might start with a specific source in a library, only to discover seemingly related material nearby and if the temptation was not avoided, one could be far off topic in quick order. I still think of "browsing the web" as a great risk to serious research.
– J. Taylor
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of Site hopping, non-related subjects, wasting time on the internet
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of Site hopping, non-related subjects, wasting time on the internet
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
And also What is it called when you search for something on the internet and end up looking for other and it goes in endless meander?
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
And also What is it called when you search for something on the internet and end up looking for other and it goes in endless meander?
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
(This habit is known as Mindless browsing.
There is even a word for it:)
wilfing
The theory is that, even though we might go online with a specific purpose in mind, the potential choices and distractions are so many and varied that they cause us to lose track of what we were looking for. Shopping, travel and news websites are allegedly among the most likely to cause people to wilf.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/wilfing.html
1
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
I think you can use the expression
Surf the inter/net
to spend time visiting a lot of websites:
- He spends a lot of time surfing the internet/Net/Web.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
(This habit is known as Mindless browsing.
There is even a word for it:)
wilfing
The theory is that, even though we might go online with a specific purpose in mind, the potential choices and distractions are so many and varied that they cause us to lose track of what we were looking for. Shopping, travel and news websites are allegedly among the most likely to cause people to wilf.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/wilfing.html
1
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
(This habit is known as Mindless browsing.
There is even a word for it:)
wilfing
The theory is that, even though we might go online with a specific purpose in mind, the potential choices and distractions are so many and varied that they cause us to lose track of what we were looking for. Shopping, travel and news websites are allegedly among the most likely to cause people to wilf.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/wilfing.html
1
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
(This habit is known as Mindless browsing.
There is even a word for it:)
wilfing
The theory is that, even though we might go online with a specific purpose in mind, the potential choices and distractions are so many and varied that they cause us to lose track of what we were looking for. Shopping, travel and news websites are allegedly among the most likely to cause people to wilf.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/wilfing.html
(This habit is known as Mindless browsing.
There is even a word for it:)
wilfing
The theory is that, even though we might go online with a specific purpose in mind, the potential choices and distractions are so many and varied that they cause us to lose track of what we were looking for. Shopping, travel and news websites are allegedly among the most likely to cause people to wilf.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/wilfing.html
answered 2 days ago
Sumit KumarSumit Kumar
1217
1217
1
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
1
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
1
1
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
Short for: What was I looking for (Wwilf) urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wwilf
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
add a comment |
I think you can use the expression
Surf the inter/net
to spend time visiting a lot of websites:
- He spends a lot of time surfing the internet/Net/Web.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
add a comment |
I think you can use the expression
Surf the inter/net
to spend time visiting a lot of websites:
- He spends a lot of time surfing the internet/Net/Web.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
add a comment |
I think you can use the expression
Surf the inter/net
to spend time visiting a lot of websites:
- He spends a lot of time surfing the internet/Net/Web.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
I think you can use the expression
Surf the inter/net
to spend time visiting a lot of websites:
- He spends a lot of time surfing the internet/Net/Web.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
answered 2 days ago
user240918user240918
25.3k1070149
25.3k1070149
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
add a comment |
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
Surf the inter? I've heard "surf the net" but not the former. It's not the right answer anyway. If I want, I can surf on the web for two hours, absolutely focused, on one topic. The OP is talking about getting distracted and going down rabbit holes
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
@Mari-LouA - the OP is not clear about it. They cite both more research on the original topic and other unrelated stuff...in any case they surf..
– user240918
2 days ago
add a comment |
Welcome to English Language and Usage,Arunster...words are used differently in different situations. Decades ago the very word "browse" had a somewhat negative flavor as to doing research. One might start with a specific source in a library, only to discover seemingly related material nearby and if the temptation was not avoided, one could be far off topic in quick order. I still think of "browsing the web" as a great risk to serious research.
– J. Taylor
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of Site hopping, non-related subjects, wasting time on the internet
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago
And also What is it called when you search for something on the internet and end up looking for other and it goes in endless meander?
– Mari-Lou A
2 days ago