Every new generation has its own special terminology, and the internet has certainly introduced may new terms to our lives. Just a few decades ago, no one knew what a web site was, how useful and pervasive email would become, or just what a click was. These days, of course, the term click, website, newsgroup, email and World Wide Web are used in common everyday language, and every internet user around the world knows what it means to click a link, click a web site or click on an email.



The term click of course originally came about with the advent of the mouse for computer navigation. Back in the days of keyboard only computer use, the word click had no meaning, but as soon as the first computer mouse came on the market a new term was needed to describe the actions of that strange new device. The term click was born.

As the computer mouse evolved, we were introduced to the terms right click, left click and double-click. Every computer user is familiar with these terms of course, and even the youngest computer user is often a master of clicking his or her way around the computer.

Just about every major software program is designed with the click in mind, and most will have a smaller submenu that can be easily accessed with a right click of the mouse. This submenu may provide such functionality as copying, pasting and cutting text, saving a document or even emailing a link.

It is of course the world of the internet where one hears the word click most often, and to web site owners a click can mean money in the bank. Owners of successful and well visited web sites can make a great deal of money from affiliates when they click on a link, and click tracking has become an essential part of web site operation.

So the word click means many things to many people, and it is important for every computer user to understand the incredible value of the click. This is perhaps the most amazing thing about technology. A mere thirty years ago, we all thought a mouse was that little creature that snuck into our homes to steal crumbs in the middle of the night. These days, instead of buying a cat to get rid of the unwelcome visitor, we are inviting these great mice into our lives, and loving every minute of it.