FAQ is an abbreviation for "Frequently Asked Question(s)". The term refers to listed questions and answers, all supposed to be frequently asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. Since the acronym originated in textual media, its pronunciation varies; both "fak" and "F.A.Q." are commonly heard (and therefore, when used with an indefinite article, it is either "a FAQ" or "an FAQ"). Depending on usage, the term may refer specifically to a single frequently-asked question, or to an assembled list of many questions and their answers. An alternative suggestion is that FAQ is actually a clumsily-constructed three letter acronym purported to have come from computer IT specialists, frustrated with answering over and over again the same, perceived stupid questions from computer users, and which secretly stands for the pronunciation "fah-queue". For example: "Please read the FAQ list to ensure your question has not already been answered before bothering the overworked IT department".

Origins

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While the name may be recent, the FAQ format itself is quite old. For instance, Matthew Hopkins wrote The Discovery of Witches in 1647 in FAQ format. He introduces it as "Certaine Queries answered," ... Many old catechisms are in a question and answer format.

More on [ FAQ ]

eWeek - RSS Feeds

Intel`s Gelsinger Envisions Gradual Rollout of Nehalem Processors
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:52:43 -0400
Intel Senior Vice President Patrick Gelsinger says that new Intel processors based on the upcoming Nehalem microarchitecture will have a gradual roll out in the market place with new processors for high-end desktop, workstations and single-socket server systems coming first. Just before the Intel Developer Forum, AMD said its 45-nm “Shanghai” processors would beat Nehalem into the market for two- and four-socket server systems - SAN FRANCISCO – Now that Intel has detailed its new Nehalem microarchitecture, the question remains when the first of the processors built around this new chip architecture will hit the enterprise space and the wider consumer market. To date, Intel has revealed that the first of the Nehalem-ba...
Intel CTO Justin Rattner Talks Photonics, Mobility at IDF
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:01:07 -0400
Justin Rattner, Intel's CTO, is planning to talk during the Intel Developer Forum about the developments underway at Intel's research laboratories and how Intel sees technology developing during the next 40 years. At the Intel Developer Forum, Rattner is planning to discuss Intel's vision for photonics replacing traditional copper wiring in processors and where Intel sees the marriage of the mobile and embedded devices market. - SAN FRANCISCO In the next 40 years, Intel is planning to develop a range of new technology that will allow chips to communicate through pulses of light and allow users to wirelessly project the Internet onto large screens from tiny mobile devices. That is the vision of the future that Justin Rat...
Intel Nehalem Microprocessor Details Come to Life
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:27:43 -0400
Intel reveals the architectural details of its next-generation Intel Nehalem microprocessor, now known as Intel Core i7, and with it some twists on the classic x86 architecture. - Intel revealed the architectural details Aug. 20 of its next-generation Intel quot;Nehalem, quot; now known as Intel Core i7, and with it some twists on the classic x86 architecture. One of the key goals of Nehalem was to make the architecture scalable, in two very different ways. The pieces of...
DreamWorks Animation, Intel Tie Up on 3-D Movies
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:16:42 -0400
Starting in 2009, all of DreamWorks Animation's films will be in next-generation 3-D. Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation and No. 1 chip maker Intel announced a 3-D movie image brand called InTru 3D at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. Intel's contribution to the 3-D partnership technology came through acquisitions of startup companies, with more innovations from its stand-alone graphics chip due in 2009, code-named Larrabee. - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) Starting in 2009, all of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's films will be in next-generation 3-D. quot;This is the next innovation for the movie industry, quot; Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks Animation, said in an interview. quot;It impacts how we make our...
Intel Posts Mobile Processor Prices for Laptops, Ultralow-Voltage Chips
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:16:39 -0400
Intel posted new prices for Intel's mobile processors, including its latest low-voltage and ultralow-voltage processors, the LV Intel Core 2 Duo L7700, L7500 and L7300. The ultralow-voltage Intel processors will find their way into laptops like the new Lenovo ThinkPad X301 and the HP EliteBook 2530p and 2730p. The Intel U7700 (1.33GHz), the U7600 (1.2GHz) and the U7500 (1.06GHz) have 2MB Level 2 Cache and support a 533MHz FSB. Like their Intel LV counterparts, they are developed on a 65-nm process, essentially making them non-Penryn cores. - Intel posted new prices for Intel's mobile processors, including its latest low-voltage and ultralow-voltage processors, the LV Intel Core 2 Duo L7700, L7500 and L7300. The LV Intel Core 2 Duo L7700 (1.8GHz), L7500 (1.6GHz) and L7300 (1.4GHz) have 4MB Level 2 caches and support for an 800MHz FSB...
Intel, Yahoo Partner on Internet-TV Set-Top Boxes
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:53:45 -0400
Intel and Yahoo unveiled a combination of the Intel Media Processor CE3100 ( Canmore ) and the Yahoo open widget-based platform for TV and an initiative to embed applications - and ads - directly on your HDTV. The Intel-Yaho partnership either will require a set-top box, or the Canmore platform integrated directly into the TV. At press time, the price or availability of such set-top boxes was not known, but Kim said a set-top box would cost substantially less than the $300 charged by Sony for a similar device. The technology could also be built directly in to TVs, Blu-ray players, or other devices. - Intel and Yahoo unveiled a combination of the Intel Media Processor CE3100 ( quot;Canmore quot;) and the Yahoo open widget-based platform for TV and an initiative to embed applications – and ads – directly on your HDTV. Dubbed the Widget Channel, Intel execs believe the technology is the key to bri...

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology

Starbucks no longer gives small coffee shops the jitters
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:15:48 -0700
Unlike independents going up against a big retailer like Wal-Mart, other coffeehouses often thrive when Starbucks is nearby. While they respect much of what Starbucks has done — notably, opening more than 11,000 stores nationwide that bring espresso and lattes to the masses — they have learned not to fear it.
Fannie, Freddie shares tumble more than 20%
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lost more than 20 percent of their value today as fears mounted that the mortgage financiers will soon...
FDIC sets mortgage plan for IndyMac borrowers
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Thousands of troubled home borrowers with loans from IndyMac Federal Bank will be able to switch to fixed-rate mortgages under a new plan...

NYT > Technology

Intel Moves to Free Gadgets of Their Recharging Cords
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:03:43 -0000
Intel has made progress in a technology that could lead to the wireless recharging of gadgets and the end of the power-cord spaghetti behind electronic devices.
Comcast to Slow Web Service at Times to Its Heaviest Users
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:00:24 -0000
The Comcast Corporation plans to slow service to its heaviest Internet users during certain periods after regulators ordered the company to devise a new method for managing its Web traffic.
JDS Uniphase Reports a Wider Loss
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:03:30 -0000
JDS Uniphase said that its fiscal fourth-quarter loss widened on a write-down related to acquisitions and patent and litigation charges.

CNN.com - Technology

Seven online-security blunders to avoid
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:16:54 -0400
Computer users are getting savvier, but many people still make mistakes that compromise their online security or invite identity thieves. "You can't be too safe," says Jeff Fox, technology editor at Consumer Reports. "You need to be street-smart, the way you are in the real world."
eBay seeks to placate frustrated sellers
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:41:04 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Is 'Guitar Hero' saving rock 'n' roll?
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:44:19 -0400
Metallica's Lars Ulrich loves Black Sabbath and Deep Purple -- and so does his 10-year-old son.

NPR Topics: Technology

'Marketplace' Report: Fun Gadgets In Rough Times
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0400
Rather than going out in the evenings, Americans appear to be spending time and money on new gadgets. The U.S. government says consumer electronic sales were up 4.8 percent in July.
Clockwatcher Explains Phelps' Win
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0400
Michael Phelps won his record-tying seventh gold medal by a fraction of a fingernail, just 0.01 second. Even when you study the photos and the video, it's tough to tell who came in first. Christophe Berthaud, the director of Olympic timekeeping for Omega, the official timekeeper at the games, explains the system used to time swimmers.
Guerrilla Ad Campaign Pushes Boundaries
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:25:00 -0400
Troy Hitch talks about You Suck at Photoshop, a hit series of Web videos created to explore viral marketing concepts. Hitch is the creative director for the agency Big Fat Brain.

BBC News | Technology | UK Edition

Intel details new core chip line
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:26:47 -0000
Details have emerged of the processor family that Intel will be using in servers, desktops and laptops from 2009.
Bid for world land-speed record
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:46:36 -0000
Two British men prepare to try and break the world land-speed record for a wind-powered vehicle.
Sale of bank data alarms Germany
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:56:33 -0000
Data protection officials in Germany call for tighter privacy laws amid a scandal over illegal sales of personal data.

Reuters Video: Technology

Pokemon World Champion crowned
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:32:00 -0400
Aug 20 - Hundreds gather in Florida to try to win the World Championship of Pokemon.
Surf the Web at 30,000 feet
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:21:15 -0400
Aug 20 - American Airlines' new inflight, broadband service has launched.
Crash test warning
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:38:36 -0400
Aug 20 - German autobmobile association ADAC drives cars with a good safety rating into walls at 80 km/h (50mph) - with shocking results.

AP Top Technology News At 4:39 p.m. EDT

Some eBay sellers frustrated with rule changes
By RACHEL METZ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:41:41 -0000
NEW YORK (AP) -- Some people who sell things on eBay are fed up with new rules the company has been imposing in hopes of making the auction site more attractive to online shoppers. Now even more changes are coming in the next few weeks, but this time eBay Inc. hopes it can cool tempers....
American launches in-flight Internet on 3 routes
By ANICK JESDANUN Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:05:16 -0000
NEW YORK (AP) -- One of the few remaining Internet-free havens vanished Wednesday as American Airlines launched airborne e-mail, Web and other online services on some of its longer, nonstop flights....
Review: 2 new devices mix learning with games
By DAVID RISING Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:44:30 -0000
Your kids can learn math, how to tell time and other skills needed for school - and you don't have to pry them away from video games....

CNET News.com

Microsoft launches 3D wonder Photosynth for consumers
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:35:00 -0700
Microsoft finally takes Photosynth from being a neat-looking technology demo to a playground for amateur photographers to build incredible 3D works.
Photos: The ultramobiles of IDF
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:56:00 -0700
Here's a peek at a dozen or so ultramobile computers powered by Intel's new Atom CPU and on display this week at the company's developer forum.
At IDF, Intel rallies its developers
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:56:00 -0700
The Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco gives the chipmaker the chance to tout its direction for the months ahead.

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