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Revision as of 18:22, 26 December 2007 editCumulus Clouds (talk \| contribs)6,434 edits →External links: rm redudant and irrelevant links and all violations of WP:EL (urban dictionary)← Previous edit		Revision as of 18:24, 26 December 2007 edit undoCumulus Clouds (talk \| contribs)6,434 edits →"I got root": fails WP:NEO and WP:OR Next edit →
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	==="I got root"===		==="I got root"===
	As the term was regularly found in "geek" settings, another suggested origin is that the word gained popularity as a term for "]", as in "I got root access". ] on ] systems would need to reach the super-user account (almost universally named 'root') on a victim's computer in order to compromise security.		As the term was regularly found in "geek" settings, another suggested origin{{fact}} is that the word gained popularity as a term for "]", as in "I got root access". ] on ] systems would need to reach the super-user account (almost universally named 'root') on a victim's computer in order to compromise security.

	The first usage of the phrase "I got root" in relation to hacking pre-dates all mention of the song "Whoomp, There It Is" by two years, and can be found in :		The first usage of the phrase "I got root" in relation to hacking pre-dates all mention of the song "Whoomp, There It Is" by two years, and can be found in :

	One shot nothin!! I would have connected permanantly for 3 days and ran a		One shot nothin!! I would have connected permanantly for 3 days and ran a
	brute force hacker on it till I got root..		brute force hacker on it till I got root..

	It is suggested that this phrase became shortened through ] to the celebratory "root!" to declare a successful hack (see also ], another common internet phrase that derives from a hacking boast). Later it was used during competitive online games in celebration of defeating another team or achieving success, and over time mutated into 'woot' and later, (via ]) 'w00t'.

	Backing this theory is the following post which shows the phrase for (removing the 'h'). Found in alt.games.doom around the time of the music related posts. It suggests a link with "root access" and hacking ("Da W00T " being ] for "The root "):

	Newsgroups: alt.games.doom
	Date: 24 Nov 1994 05:28:38 GMT
	From: w...@access4.digex.net (Da W00T )
	Subject: multiplayer game door

	What does anybody know about multiplayer game doors for BBS's..
	I investigated APCi's server MPGS and it requires 2 machines with 2
	digiboards... are there any others that people know of? if so please
	EMAIL me with a response to this post... I need it ASAP...

	thanks..



	==2007 Word of the Year==		==2007 Word of the Year==

Revision as of 18:24, 26 December 2007

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This article is about the word. For the online retailer, see Woot (retailer)

The term "w00t" (pronounced, and sometimes spelled, "woot"; /ˈwuːt/) is a slang interjection used to express happiness, excitement or joy, most often expressed via the Internet. The expression has been used in Usenet posts , multiplayer computer games (especially first-person shooters), the IRC and SILC chat protocols, instant messages, weblogs, and web forums.

Possible origins

"I got root"

As the term was regularly found in "geek" settings, another suggested origin is that the word gained popularity as a term for "root access", as in "I got root access". Hackers on Unix systems would need to reach the super-user account (almost universally named 'root') on a victim's computer in order to compromise security.

The first usage of the phrase "I got root" in relation to hacking pre-dates all mention of the song "Whoomp, There It Is" by two years, and can be found in a post dated July 29, 1991:

One shot nothin!! I would have connected permanantly for 3 days and ran a  
brute force hacker on it till I got root..

2007 Word of the Year

"W00t" was Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2007. According to Merriam-Webster's president, John Morse, "w00t" was an ideal choice for the Word of the Year because it blends whimsy and new technology.

External links

History of the 95 South song, "Whoot There It Is"

Coverage of the Word-of-the-Year announcement in the Sydney Morning Herald (accessed 13 Dec 2007)

References

"Merriam-Webster's Word of '07: 'W00t'". Associated Press. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

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