Spod - the guide for those that don't know

At Durham unversity, my friends were always talking about spods, spodding. I'm not sure if it is a term in generally use, but in the age of the information society we need some terms to describe, well, spodding. Here is the guide to spodding.

More recently, I have discovered that spod is a common word in the online world of Talkers and Muds. That could explain the origin of the language.

What is a spod?

A spod is somebody who:

• Knows lots about computers, especially unix/linux.
• Spends a long time surfing the internet, checking email

Also Spoddy. A Spod is most definitely quite different to a Nerd. There isn't really any stigma with being a spod, although excessiveness can be a bad thing.

The verb, to spod

This has lots of meanings.

• to go and read email/newsgroups, or generally spend time in front of a computer.
• To go and put something on the web - "I'll spod that picture" = "I'll put that picture on my website".
• "Have you spodded today?" = have you been and checked your email (or newsgroups) today.
• Q: "Have you read the email I sent?" A: "No, I haven't spodded today".
• "Laura is spodding" - Laura has gone to check her email/newgroups.

Also spodding. You don't tend to say that people are spodding if they are doing something like typing up an essay.

Spod Pits

This term is used to describe a computer room. Especially cm001 at Durham because it is in the basement. "X is in the spod pit".

Spod Camera

Meaning digital camera. Because the pictures can so easily be spodded.

It was Rachel Hiley who first used this term in such a way to make me write it down.

Spod Soc

Also SpodSoc

Term used to describe CompSoc, the (Durham) University Computer Society.