The general public is by and large unfamiliar with internet-related terms such as "podcasting" and "RSS" that are "the latest craze in high-tech circles," writes the AP, citing a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which also found that web users aren't too familiar with "phishing," either.

Some 70 percent of web users never heard of phishing or aren't sure that it refers to email scams that try to con users into handing over personal information; 87 percent are unfamiliar with podcasting; and 91 percent do not know about Really Simple Syndication, or RSS.

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew project, called the results of the study, based on random telephone interviews with 1,336 web users, "a sobering reality check." The phishing findings, in particular, underscore the importance of continued education campaigns, Rainie said.