Like street smarts, someone who has web smarts or is “web
smart” is someone who knows how to deal with difficult or dangerous situations, except it's primarily used on the
internet as opposed to when you're in an urban environment. Can be useful as being either street
smart or book smart.
Someone who is web smart knows the “rules of the
internet” from basic online etiquette to the more complex nuances of online communication. Since most of the global net hinges on written communication, someone who iss web smart are able to figure out the following:
1) What websites you can trust for information and which ones are complete BS.
2) Get an idea of what kind of users are acting in bad faith, such as trolls, scammers, hackers, etc.
3) Distinguish what to do and what not to do when something seems off in private communication.
4) Generally can be more personable online since they know how to keep
people's attention as they read posts.
5) Knows what to post and what not to post, where anonymity matters, what information they should keep off the
internet.
GRANTED, these are not the only things that someone who is web smart are able to do depending on what they do for a living and there are disadvantages to them in the same way being book smart or street smart has them. HOWEVER, at the very least being web smart can
help keep one's problems on the
internet from leaking into real life.
Martin: Hey, did you hear that Jose almost got hacked?
Jose: From what Jose told me the
guy who tried contacting him was using one of his friend's accounts and he knew right away based on the writing style that was being used it was some
guy from India.
Martin: Jose has some web smarts, doesn't he?
