Like so many fields, technology has jargon and other concepts that can be difficult for people outside of the field to understand.  But in technology, we sometimes need people who don’t understand technology to be informed about a complex technology subject.  That’s where Alphabet’s Sideways Dictionary comes in.  Sideways is a growing dictionary of technology terms and analogies to explain them to non-technology focused people.  For example, Two Factor Authentication is described as:

It’s like Cinderella’s slipper. She can give her name and confirm where she was before midnight, but it’s only when the slipper fits that Prince Charming knows she’s for real. The Prince was an early adopter of two factor authentication. (by Nick Asbury)

Here is a better explanation of what Sideways is and why it was created (plus it involves cats):

As a technology consultant, I hope to use the dictionary to help bridge the gap between IT and the Business.  As an auditor, I hope that I can use the analogies to help communicate an organization’s risk exposure.  How will you use Sideways?

Learn more about Sideways (via Medium) or get started with Sideways.