Notspot

[Alxmrphi]

Term: (A word or expression you have seen in writing)
Notspot


Your definition or explanation:
A play on words from "hotspot", like a "WiFi hotspot" but the opposite, to show something doesn't exist in that particular spot (i.e. no coverage for a mobile phone etc).


Example: (An example of the term in use)
Three million UK homes are web Notspots (taken from here)

One or more places you have seen the term: (Please give URLs/links to web pages, or a full description of a print publication.)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14291335
http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/05/27/us-britain-internet-idUSTRE54Q1CK20090527
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/02/cbn_notspot/
http://www.bluenowhere.net/?page_id=468
http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/notspot/3861206-four-rural-notspots-to-go-online.html
http://www.gn.apc.org/network/news/uk-broadband-notspots-revealed
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2010/1...ts-create-for-playstation-move-and-hannspree/
http://blog.simplifydigital.co.uk/2011/02/time-to-convert-notspots-into-hotspots/
http://oro.open.ac.uk/24595/
http://www.djisystems.co.uk/content/bt-offers-fill-broadband-notspots-if-government-pays
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=14591

Etc etc....






Have you looked for this term or meaning in dictionaries, and not found it? Yes

 

[swift]

Hi Alex,

I can see that this term is widely used in the UK but I can't find any instances of this term used on any website from the USA—but then I wasn't very exhaustive...

Here's another example:

“There are still people in the UK suffering this very problem, and that's the reason we've launched a broadband notspot site for those who can't get broadband, or those who can only attain very low speeds.”

Source : http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/3966-living-in-a-broadband-notspot.html

For more examples of this term: http://www.wordnik.com/words/notspot

And I just discovered here: http://www.broadband-notspot.org.uk/ that there is another term related with broadband failures: slow-spot. Should we add this one too?

 

[Alxmrphi]

And I just discovered here: http://www.broadband-notspot.org.uk/ that there is another term related with broadband failures: slow-spot. Should we add this one too?

I think the combination is clear with slow spot, so for the same reason we wouldn't have "red bird" or something in the dictionary, because it's not a unique meaning that can't be understood by easily breaking down the components, for that reason maybe not. With 'notspot' I think it could be a little less clear for a learner, so has more of a need to be put into a dictionary.

But I'm no lexicographer....

 

[swift]

I agree with you, Alex. The sense of slow-spot seems to be more obvious, so it doesn't really need a new entry.

Anyway, I like notspot. (The word, of course; I actually live in a notspot and that's something you can't like )