Technology Tutorials - Glossary


Acceptable Use Policy
(AUP)
A legally binding document signed by online users which regulates the rules of Internet use at a school, business, or home.
Bookmark list A personal list of favorite Web addresses, organized in a single list. All Web browsers allow users to create bookmarks so users can return to their favorite Web sites. Also known as Hotlists.
Browser (See Web Browser)
Bulletin Board Service
(BBS)
A forum for users to browse and exchange information. BBSs are accessible by telephone via a personal computer and a modem. Many BBSs are small operations run by a single person that allow only several users to logon at the same time. Some are much larger and allow hundreds of users to login simultaneously to use the system. Huge, commercial examples are America Online and Prodigy.
Commercial online service A company that, for a fee, allows computer users to dial in via modem to access its information and services, which now includes indirect access to the Internet. Examples are America Online, Prodigy, and Compuserve.
Database A computer holding large amounts of information that can be searched by an Internet user. A storehouse of information on the Net.
Dialup Internet connection
(PPP connection)
Lets a user dial into an Internet Service Provider using a modem and telephone line to access the Internet.
Download/upload To download is to transfer (retrieve) a file from another computer to the user's computer. To upload is to send a file to another computer.
Email Allows users to send and receive messages to each other over the Internet and through commercial online services like America Online and Prodigy.
Emoticons Smileys and other character art used to express feelings in email communication, such as :-) and :-(
Flame To send a harsh, critical email message to another user, usually someone who has violated the rules of netiquette by spamming.
Frequently Asked Questions 
(FAQ)
FAQ files answer Frequently Asked Questions on thousands of Internet-related topics. They're freely available at many locations on the Net. This ftp site holds every FAQ on the Net.
URL: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/
Ftp site A publicly-available Internet file transfer site. Ftp sites look like ftp://ftp.classroom.net/ through an Internet browser like Netscape.
Gopher A menu-based system for browsing Internet information. Gopher sites look like gopher://ericir.syr.edu through an Internet browser like Netscape.
Graphical user interface Software designed to allow the user to execute commands by pointing and clicking on icons or text to navigate the Internet.
Home page The first Web page a user sees when visiting a World Wide Web site. Akin to a table of contents or main menu to a Web site. For example, click here to link to Classroom Connect's home page.
Hotlist A personal list of favorite Web addresses, organized in a single list. All Web browsers allow users to create hotlists so users can return to their favorite Web sites. Also known as Bookmarks.
HTML
(Hypertext Markup Language)
Programming "language" of the World Wide Web. HTML turns a text document into a hyperlinked World Wide Web page.
Hyperlink A highlighted word or graphic in a Web document that, when clicked upon, takes the user to a related piece of information on the Internet.
Hypertext The mechanism that allows Internet users to browse through information on the Web. Web pages are created with hypertext (HTML), and contain links to other Web documents or resources located on Internet computers.
Infobot
(or mailbot) 
An email address that automatically returns information requested by the user. Akin to a real world faxback service.
Internaut Anyone who uses the Internet.
Internet The global "network of networks" that connects more than four million computers in 160 countries. The Internet is the virtual "space" in which users send and receive email, login to remote computers (telnet), browse databases of information (gopher, World Wide Web), and send and receive programs (ftp) contained on these computers.
Internet account Purchased through an Internet service provider, the account assigns a password and email address to an individual or group, and access to the Internet at large.
Internet Relay Chat
(IRC)
Interactive, real-time discussions between Internauts using text messages. Users logon via telnet to designated Internet computers and join discussions already in progress, or create conversations of their own.
Internet server A computer that stores data that can be accessed via the Internet.
Internet Service Provider
(ISP)
Any organization that provides access to the Internet. Many ISPs also offer technical assistance to schools looking to become Internet information providers by placing their school's information online.
Internet site A computer connected to the Internet containing information that can be accessed using an Internet navigation tool.
Java   Java is a general purpose programming language similar to C and C++. It can be used to create any type of computer software that will run on Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX computers. With Java, you can produce large-scale, stand-alone programs such as word processors or image editing programs, or smaller programs that can run on a Web page. These small Web-based programs are called Java apps, which is short for applications.
URL: http://www.sun.com/java/
Keyword A word or words which can be searched for through the Internet's search engines or directories.
Logon To sign on to a computer system.
Mailing lists There are more than 4,000 topic-oriented, email-based discussion groups that can be read and posted to. Internet users subscribe to the lists they want to read and receive messages via email. Also known as discussion groups or listservs.
Modem An electronic device that attaches to a computer and links that computer to the online world via a phone line. Modems are available for any computer, can be internal or external, and come in several speeds, known as the baud rate. The higher the baud rate, the faster the modem. The most popular modem was 28,800 baud but 33,600 baud modems are now the standard. Most Internet service providers allow you to dial into their systems at 28,800, or even 33,600 baud. Modems running at 57,600 baud are only now becoming available. No standard for this ultra-fast modem has been established, so users would do well to hold off on purchasing a 57.6 modem until a single standard has been agreed upon.
Netiquette The rules of conduct for Internet users. Violating netiquette could result in flaming or removal from a mailing list. Some service providers will even cancel a user's Internet account, denying him or her access to the Net, if the violation is severe enough.
Net surfer Someone who navigates the Internet in search of information.
Netscape Navigator Available for both Mac and Windows, Netscape is the most powerful, easy-to-use Internet browser on the Internet. This software is already in use by thousands of schools worldwide, and has become the de facto Web browser for millions of Internet users.
Network A group of computers that are connected in some fashion. Most school networks are known as LANs, or Local Area Networks, because they are networks linking computers in one small area. The Internet could be referred to as a WAN, or a Wide Area Network, because it connects computers in more than one local area.
Online/Offline When you are logged onto a computer through your modem, you are said to be online. When you're using your computer but are not connected to a computer through your modem, you're said to be working offline.
Posts Email messages sent to a mailing list or Usenet newsgroup to be read by subscribers or others on the Internet.
Signature file Return address information such as name, phone number, and email address that users put at the bottom of email messages.
Telnet Allows users to access computers and their data at thousands of places around the world, most often at libraries, universities, and government agencies.
URL
(Uniform Resource Locator)
The address and method used to locate a specific resource on the Internet. A URL beginning with http:// indicates that the site is a WWW resource and that a Web browser will access it.
Usenet newsgroups More than 13,000 topic-oriented message bases that can be read and posted to. Also called newsgroups.
Web Browser 
(Also known as Internet Browser or Browser)
Software that allows computer users to access and navigate the contents of the Internet. Commercial online services like America Online and Prodigy have their own graphical Internet browsers. Users who access the Internet directly primarily use the Netscape Internet browser to get around online.
Web Page A single Internet document containing information that can be accessed over the World Wide Web.
World Wide Web
(WWW or Web)
A revolutionary Internet browsing system that allows for point-and-click navigation of the Internet. The WWW is a spiderweb-like interconnection of millions of pieces of information located on computers around the world. Web documents use hypertext, which incorporates text and graphical "links" to other documents and files on Internet-connected computers.

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Copyright ©2000 The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Internet Jargon 1

Developed by Montgomery County Intermediate Unit for the Link to Learn Professional Development Project

Internet Jargon

Some Internet Services Example Software

Browser Software program used as interface to the

Internet. Displays documents coded in html.

Usually referred to as “surfing.”

Graphical:

Netscape Navigator

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Text: Lynx

Sometimes plug-ins are

required to expand a browser’s

abilities.

Example: Shockwave is a

plug-in that allows a browser

to play multi-media.

FTP File Transfer Protocol. Used for transferring

files on the Internet (uploading and

downloading). Files may contain text or binary

data. Files are made public with anonymous

FTP, which doesn’t require a login name or

password.

Mac: Fetch

PC: Trumpet Winsock

Try using “Anonymous” as

password at login.

Gopher An Internet protocol linking a network of

gopher servers that store files, directories and

searchable databases. It is a menu-based file

index. You need client software on your

computer to access gopherspace.

TurboGopher

Email Electronic Mail. Mail sent electronically, not

voice or paper. Messages are stored on the

server until the user accesses the system.

Download them to the client computer and read

the mail.

Eudora

Microsoft Outlook

NewsGroups Message-based discussion groups operating as

bulletin boards. Users leave messages for the

entire group.

Newswatcher

Netscape Navigator

Telnet Allows a computer to log onto another

computer over the Internet. You actually leave

the Internet and work on the other system.

Telnet access is used to search databases and

libraries worldwide.

NCSA Telnet

2 Internet Jargon

Developed by Montgomery County Intermediate Unit for the Link to Learn Professional Development Project

ListServ Mailing lists on the Internet usually dealing

with a special interest. Messages delivered

through subscription (free).

Any email program

Must subscribe to receive

messages. Unsubscribe when

you no longer wish to receive.

On the Net Example Software

Internet An international electronic network connecting

government, military, commercial and

educational networks.

Graphical:

Netscape Navigator

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Text: Lynx

WWW World Wide Web. Part of Internet. Formed by

HTTP servers with formatted pages, which can

be downloaded to browsers upon request.

Graphical:

Netscape Navigator

Microsoft Explorer

Text: Lynx

URL Uniform Resource Locator. Identifies the

location of a resource on the Internet. Specifies

the server and path information.

The URL for a document published by the

World Wide Web Consortium describing the

format of URLs is:

http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Addressing/

Addressing.html

Web Site A group of Web pages presenting information

on the WWW.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions. Sites list answers

to common questions.

HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. A text-based

protocol that serves as the official language of

the World Wide Web. Allows browsers to

communicate with Web servers.

HTML Hypertext Markup Language. A text-based,

page-description language that uses tags to

describe formatting of documents created for

Web pages.

Claris Home Page

Microsoft FrontPage

BBEdit

Internet Jargon 3

Developed by Montgomery County Intermediate Unit for the Link to Learn Professional Development Project

On the Net Example Software

Compressed

files

Files reduced in size to make transfer easier. PC or Mac:

Stuffit Expander

PC: PKUNZIP

Used to decompress files after

transfer.

DNS Domain Name Service. The online database that

correlates Internet IP addresses, e.g.,

128.10.3.42, to human-readable domain names

such as pcmag.com. Database is distributed

through thousands of name servers throughout

the Internet.

CGI Common Gateway Interface. Means for

transferring information users have typed into

forms found on Web pages to scripts, that run

on a Web server. One common use is for doing

database searches.

Search

Engine

Programs that will search the Internet for

relevant sites. Examples: Yahoo, Infoseek, and

Web Crawler.

Reached through web browser.

GIF Graphics Interchange Format. An image file

format used on the Internet. Usually used for

non-photographic images.

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group. An image

file format used on the Internet. Usually used

for photographs.

Upload Sending a file from one computer to a remote

computer.

Download Receiving and saving files through a

telecommunications system.

4 Internet Jargon

Developed by Montgomery County Intermediate Unit for the Link to Learn Professional Development Project

Getting On the Net

Protocols

PPP Point-to-Point Protocol. Allows a computer to connect directly to the Internet

through a telephone line and a high-speed modem.

IP Internet Protocol. Responsible for transmitting packets of data over the Internet

and routing them to their destinations. Plays the role of the Post Office allowing

networks and routers to talk to each other as the packet finds its way to the

addressee.

TCP Transmission Control Protocol. Provides reliable stream delivery service to

Internet applications. Allows an Internet client to open a virtual connection to

another Internet client and then transmit data. Guarantees delivery in the same

order in which data was sent.

POP Post Office Protocol. Text-based protocol used to send and retrieve Internet

email messages. Provides way for mail programs to interact with virtual

mailboxes where messages wait until retrieved.

SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The text-based TCP IP protocol used to exchange

mail messages on the Internet. Used primarily to transfer messages between mail

servers.

MIME Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A protocol for sending non-ASCII data

(sound, video, graphics) over the Internet using text-based transport protocols

such as POP and SMTP.

NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol. Used to transmit Usenet messages across the

Internet.

Internet Jargon 5

Developed by Montgomery County Intermediate Unit for the Link to Learn Professional Development Project

General Terms

ISP Internet Service Provider. Organizations providing connection to the Internet for

a monthly or hourly fee.

T1 A leased line providing high-speed connections to the Internet. 1.544-Mbps

(megabits per second)

BPS Bits per Second. The speed of modem transmission. Example: 2400 bps,

14,4000 bps and 28,800 bps (usually written 28.8 Kbps)

Dial-up

Connection

Connecting to an Internet Service Provider through a modem and a telephone line.

Can be PPP or terminal emulation.

Connect Time The amount of time a computer is connected to a telecommunications service.

Client/Server The client is the local computer where the browser operates. The server is the

remote computer.

Intranet A network internal to an organization that uses Internet protocols. Usually used

to deliver database information and news within an organization.

LAN Local Area Network. A system of interconnected computers usually located

within one building.

Modem MOdulator-DEModulator. A computer peripheral that enables computers to

transmit information over telephone lines.

Terminal

emulation

Software used to “emulate” a terminal so that a mainframe computer can

communicate with a desktop computer on the Internet.

Not required for PPP connections.

Sources:

Prosise, Jeff. “Internet Acronyms,” PC Magazine. May 27, 1997, pp 207–208.

The Language of the Internet. The Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 1997.

http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/

Glossary of Internet Terms

Copyright (c) © 1994-2004 by Matisse Enzer.
You may copy and redistribute this Glossary only under the terms of one of the following two licenses:
 

The Creative Commons "Attribution-ShareAlike" license, version 1.0
Creative Commons License
The terms of this license are summarized at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0 and set forth in full at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0-legalcode
The Open Content License
The terms of this license are set forth at http://opencontent.org/opl.shtml



 




The URL of this document is: http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html which is where you can look for the latest, most complete version. Feel free to make links to that URL.

Last update: March 27 2004
 


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ADN -- (Advanced Digital Network)

Usually refers to a 56Kbps leased-line.

See also: Leased Line



 

ADSL -- (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

A DSL line where the upload speed is different from the download speed. Usually the download speed is much greater.

See also: DSL, SDSL



 

Anonymous FTP

See also: FTP



 

Applet

A small Java program that can be embedded in an HTML page. Applets differ from full-fledged Java applications in that they are not allowed to access certain resources on the local computer, such as files and serial devices (modems, printers, etc.), and are prohibited from communicating with most other computers across a network. The common rule is that an applet can only make an Internet connection to the computer from which the applet was sent.

See also: HTML, Java



 

Archie

A tool (software) for finding files stored on anonymous FTP sites. You need to know the exact file name or a substring of it. By 1999 Archie had been almost completely replaced by web-based search engines.

Back when FTP was the main way people moved files over the Internet archie was quite popular.

See also: FTP



 

ARPANet -- (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)

The precursor to the Internet. Developed in the late 60's and early 70's by the US Department of Defense as an experiment in wide-area-networking to connect together computers that were each running different system so that people at one location could use computing resources from another location.

See also: Internet (Upper case I), Network, WAN



 

ASCII -- (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

This is the defacto world-wide standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lower-case Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, etc. There are 128 standard ASCII codes each of which can be represented by a 7 digit binary number: 0000000 through 1111111.

 

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Backbone

A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative as a backbone in a small network will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network.

See also: Network



 

Bandwidth

How much stuff you can send through a connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second. A full page of English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about 57,000 bits in one second. Full-motion full-screen video would require roughly 10,000,000 bits-per-second, depending on compression.

See also: Bit, bps, T-1



 

Baud

In common usage the baud rate of a modem is how many bitsit can send or receive per second. Technically, baud is the number of times per second that the carrier signal shifts value - for example a 1200 bit-per-second modem actually runs at 300 baud, but it moves 4 bits per baud (4 x 300= 1200 bits per second).

See also: Bit, Modem



 

BBS -- (Bulletin Board System)

A computerized meeting and announcement system that allows people to carry on discussions, upload and download files, and make announcements without the people being connected to the computer at the same time. In the early 1990's there were many thousands (millions?) of BBS?s around the world, most are very small, running on a single IBM clone PC with 1 or 2 phone lines. Some are very large and the line between a BBS and a system like AOL gets crossed at some point, but it is not clearly drawn.

 

Binary

Information consisting entirely of ones and zeros. Also, commonly used to refer to files that are not simply text files, e.g. images.

See also: MIME, UUENCODE



 

Binhex -- (BINary HEXadecimal)

A method for converting non-text files (non-ASCII) into ASCII. This is needed because Internet e-mail can only handle ASCII.

See also: ASCII, MIME, UUENCODE



 

Bit -- (Binary DigIT)

A single digit number in base-2, in other words, either a 1 or a zero. The smallest unit of computerized data. Bandwidthis usually measured in bits-per-second.

See also: Bandwidth, Bit, bps, Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte



 

BITNET -- (Because It's Time NETwork (or Because It's There NETwork))

A network of educational sites separate from the Internet, but e-mail is freely exchanged between BITNET and the Internet. Listservs®, a popular form of e-mail discussion groups, originated on BITNET. At its peak (the late 1980's and early 1990's) BITNET machines were usually mainframes, often running IBM's MVS operating system. BITNET is probably the only international network that is shrinking.

See also: Internet (Upper case I), Listserv ®, Network



 

Blog -- (weB LOG)

A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.

 

bps -- (Bits-Per-Second)

A measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another. A 56K modem can move about 57,000 bits per second.

See also: Bandwidth, Bit



 

Browser

A Client program (software) that is used to look at various kinds of Internet resources.

See also: Client, Server, URL, WWW



 

BTW -- (By The Way)

A shorthand appended to a comment written in an online forum.

See also: IMHO



 

Byte

A set of Bits that represent a single character. Usually there are 8 Bits in a Byte, sometimes more, depending on how the measurement is being made.

See also: Bit



 

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CATP -- (Caffeine Access Transport Protocol)

Common method of moving caffeine across Wide Area Networks such as the Internet

CATP was first used at the Binary Cafe in Cybertown and quickly spread world-wide.

There are reported problems with short-circuits and rust and decaffinated beverages were not supprted until version 1.5.3

See also: Internet (Upper case I), IRC, WAN



 

 

Certificate Authority

An issuer of Security Certificates used in SSL connections.

See also: SSL



 

CGI -- (Common Gateway Interface)

A set of rules that describe how a Web Server communicates with another piece of software on the same machine, and how the other piece of software (the ?CGI program?) talks to the web server. Any piece of software can be a CGI program if it handles input and output according to the CGI standard.

See also: Server, WWW



 

cgi-bin

The most common name of a directory on a web server in which CGIprograms are stored.

See also: CGI



 

Client

A software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program on another computer, often across a great distance. EachClient program is designed to work with one or more specific kinds of Server programs, and each Server requires a specific kind of Client. A Web Browser is a specific kind of Client.

See also: Browser, Client, Server



 

co-location

Most often used to refer to having a server that belongs to one person or group physically located on an Internet-connected network that belongs to another person or group. Usually this is done because the server owner wants their machine to be on a high-speed Internet connection and/or they do not want the security risks of having the server on thier own network.

See also: Internet (Upper case I), Network, Server



 

Cookie

The most common meaning of "Cookie" on the Internet refers to a piece of information sent by a Web Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to save and to send back to the Server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the Server.

Depending on the type of Cookie used, and the Browsers' settings, the Browser may accept or not accept the Cookie, and may save the Cookie for either a short time or a long time.

Cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online "shopping cart" information, user preferences, etc.

When a Server receives a request from a Browser that includes a Cookie, the Server is able to use the information stored in the Cookie. For example, the Server might customize what is sent back to the user, or keep a log of particular users' requests.

Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined amount of time and are usually saved in memory until the Browser software is closed down, at which time they may be saved to disk if their "expire time" has not been reached.

Cookies do not read your hard drive and send your life story to the CIA, but they can be used to gather more information about a user than would be possible without them.

See also: Browser, Server



 

 

CSS -- (Cascading Style Sheet)

A standard for specifying the appearance of text and other elements. CSS was developed for use with HTML in Web pages but is also used in other situations, notably in applications built using XPFE. CSS is typically used to provide a single "library" of styles that are used over and over throughout a large number of related documents, as in a web site. A CSS file might specify that all numbered lists are to appear in italics. By changing that single specification the look of a large number of documents can be easily changed.

See also: HTML, Web page, XPFE



 

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk was originally a cultural sub-genre of science fiction taking place in a not-so-distant, dystopian, over-industrialized society. The term grew out of the work of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling and has evolved into a cultural label encompassing many different kinds of human, machine, and punk attitudes. It includes clothing and lifestyle choices as well.

See also: Cyberspace



 

Cyberspace

Term originated by author William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer the word Cyberspace is currently used to describe the whole range of information resources available through computer networks.

See also: Cyberpunk



 

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DHTML -- (Dynamic HyperText Markup Language)

DHTML refers to web pages that use a combination of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to create features such as letting the user drag items around on the web page, some simple kinds of animation, and many more.

See also: CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Web page



 

Digerati

The digital version of literati, it is a reference to a vague cloud of people seen to be knowledgeable, hip, or otherwise in-the-know in regardsto the digital revolution.

 

DNS -- (Domain Name System)

The Domain Name System is the system that translates Internet domain names into IP numbers. A "DNS Server" is a server that performs this kind of translation.

See also: Domain Name, IP Number, Server



 

Domain Name

The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general. A given machine may have more than one Domain Name but a given Domain Name points to only one machine. For example, the domain names:

matisse.net
mail.matisse.net
workshop.matisse.net

can all refer to the same machine, but each domain name can refer to no more than one machine.

Usually, all of the machines on a given Network will have the same thing as the right-hand portion of their Domain Names (matisse.net in the examples above). It is also possible for a Domain Name to exist but not be connected to an actual machine. This is often done so that a group or business can have an Internet e-mail address without having to establish a real Internet site. In these cases, some real Internet machine must handle the mail on behalf of the listed Domain Name.

See also: IP Number, TLD



 

 

Download

Transferring data (usually a file) from a another computer to the computer your are using. The opposite of upload.

See also: Upload



 

DSL -- (Digital Subscriber Line)

A method for moving data over regular phone lines. A DSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires coming into the subscriber's premises are the same (copper) wires used for regular phone service. A DSL circuit must be configured to connect two specific locations, similar to a leased line (howeverr a DSL circuit is not a leased line.

A common configuration of DSL allows downloads at speeds of up to 1.544 megabits (not megabytes) per second, and uploads at speeds of 128 kilobits per second. This arrangement is called ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.

Another common configuration is symmetrical: 384 Kilobits per second in both directions.

In theory ADSL allows download speeds of up to 9 megabits per second and upload speeds of up to 640 kilobits per second.

DSL is now a popular alternative to Leased Lines and ISDN, being faster than ISDN and less costly than traditional Leased Lines.

See also: ADSL, Bandwidth, ISDN, Leased Line, SDSL



 

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Email -- (Electronic Mail)

Messages, usually text, sent from one person to another via computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically to a large number of addresses.

See also: Listserv ®, SMTP



 

Ethernet

A very common method of networking computers in a LAN.

There is more than one type of Ethernet. By 2001 the standard type was "100-BaseT" which can handle up to about 100,000,000 bits-per-second and can be used with almost any kind of computer.

See also: Bandwidth, FDDI, LAN



 

Extranet

An intranet that is accesible to computers that are not hysically part of a companys' own private network, but that is not accessible to the general public, for example to allow vendors and business partners to access a company web site.

Often an intranet will make use of a Virtual Private Network. (VPN.)

See also: Intranet, Network, VPN



 

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FAQ -- (Frequently Asked Questions)

FAQs are documents that list and answerthe most common questions on a particular subject. There are hundreds of FAQs on subjects as diverse as Pet Grooming and Cryptography. FAQs are usually written by people who have tired of answering the same question over and over.

 

FDDI -- (Fiber Distributed Data Interface)

A standard for transmitting data on optical fiber cables at a rate of around 100,000,000 bits-per-second (10 times as fast as 10-BaseTEthernet, about twice as fast as T-3).

See also: Ethernet, T-3



 

Finger

An Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites. Finger is also sometimes used to give access to non-personal information, but the most common use is to see if a person has an account at a particular Internet site. Many sites do not allow incoming Finger requests, but many do.

 

Fire Wall

A combination of hardware and software that separates a Network into two or more parts for security purposes.

See also: Network



 

Flame

Originally, "flame" meant to carry forth in a passionate manner in the spirit of honorable debate. Flames most often involved the use of flowery language and flaming well was an art form. More recently flame has come to refer to any kind of derogatory comment no matter how witless or crude.

See also: Flame War



 

Flame War

When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against the debators, rather than discussion of their positions. A heated exchange.

See also: Flame



 

FTP -- (File Transfer Protocol)

A very common method of moving files between two Internet sites.

FTP is a way to login to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. There are many Internet sites that have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name "anonymous", thus these sites are called "anonymous ftp servers".

FTP was invented and in wide use long before the advent of the World Wide Web and originally was always used from a text-only interface.

See also: Login, WWW



 

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Gateway

The technical meaning is a hardware or software set-up that translates between two dissimilar protocols, for example America Online has a gateway that translates between its internal, proprietary e-mail format and Internet e-mail format. Another, sloppier meaning of gateway is to describe any mechanism for providing access to another system, e.g. AOL might be called a gateway to the Internet.

 

GIF -- (Graphic Interchange Format)

A common format for image files, especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color. GIF format files of simple images are often smaller than the same file would be if stored in JPEG format, but GIF format does not store photographic images as well as JPEG.

See also: JPEG, PNG



 

Gigabyte

1000 or 1024 Megabytes, depending on who is measuring.

See also: Byte



 

Gopher

Invented at the University of Minnesota in 1993 just before the Web, gopher was a widely successful method of making menus of material available over the Internet.

Gopher was designed to be much easier to use than FTP, while still using a text-only interface.

Gopher is a Client and Server style program, whichrequires that the user have a Gopher Client program. Although Gopher spread rapidly across the globe in only a couple of years, it has been largely supplanted by Hypertext, also known as WWW (World Wide Web). There are still thousands of Gopher Servers on the Internet and we can expect they will remain for a while.

See also: Client, FTP, WWW



 

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hit

As used in reference to the World Wide Web, ?hit? means a single request from a web browser for a single item from a web server; thus in order for a web browser to display a page that contains 3 graphics, 4 ?hits? would occur at the server: 1 for the HTML page, and one for each of the 3 graphics.

See also: Browser, HTML, Server



 

Home Page (or Homepage)

Several meanings. Originally, the web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up. The more common meaning refers to the main web page for a business, organization, person or simply the main page out of a collection of web pages, e.g. "Check out so-and-so's new Home Page."

See also: Browser, WWW



 

Host

Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network. It is quite common to have one host machine provide several services, such as SMTP (email) and HTTP (web).

See also: Network, SMTP



 

HTML -- (HyperText Markup Language)

The coding language used to create Hypertext documents for use on the World Wide Web. HTML looks a lot like old-fashioned typesetting code, where you surround a block of text with codes that indicate how it should appear.

The "hyper" in Hypertext comes from the fact that in HTML you can specify that a block of text, or an image, is linked to another file on the Internet. HTML files are meant to be viewed using a "Web Browser".

HTML is loosely based on a more comprehensive system for markup called SGML.

See also: Browser, Hypertext, WWW



 

 

HTTP -- (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

The protocol for moving hypertextfiles across the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW).

See also: Client, Hypertext, Server, WWW



 

Hypertext

Generally, any text that contains links to other documents - words or phrases in the document that can be chosen by a reader and which cause another document to be retrieved and displayed.

See also: HTML, HTTP



 

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IMAP -- (Internet Message Access Protocol)

IMAP is gradually replacing POP as the main protocol used by email clients in communicating with email servers.

Using IMAP an email client program can not only retrieve email but can also manipulate message stored on the server, without having to actually retrieve the messages. So messages can be deleted, have their status changed, multiple mail boxes can be managed, etc.

IMAP is defined in RFC 2060

See also: Client, Email, POP, RFC, Server



 

 

IMHO -- (In My Humble Opinion)

A shorthand appended to a comment written in an online forum, IMHO indicates that the writer is aware that they areexpressing a debatable view, probably on a subject already under discussion. One of many such shorthands in common use online, especially in discussion forums.

 

internet (Lower case i)

Any time you connect 2 or more networks together, you have an internet - as in inter-national or inter-state.

See also: Internet (Upper case I), Network



 

Internet (Upper case I)

The vast collection of inter-connected networks that are connected using the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60's and early 70's.

The Internet connects tens of thousands of independent networks into a vast global internet and is probably the largest Wide Area Network in the world.

See also: internet (Lower case i), Network, WAN



 

 

Intranet

A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet, but that is only for internal use. Compare with extranet.

See also: Extranet, internet (Lower case i), Internet (Upper case I)



 

IP Number -- (Internet Protocol Number)

Sometimes called a dotted quad. A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, e.g.

    165.113.245.2

Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number - if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. Many machines (especially servers) also have one or more Domain Names that are easier for people to remember.

See also: Domain Name, Server, TCP/IP



 

IRC -- (Internet Relay Chat)

Basically a huge multi-user live chat facility. There are a number of major IRC servers around the world which are linked to each other. Anyone can create a channel and anything that anyone types in a given channel is seen by all others in the channel. Private channels can (and are) created for multi-person conference calls.

See also: Server



 

ISDN -- (Integrated Services Digital Network)

Basically a way to move more dataover existing regular phone lines. ISDN is available to much of the USA and in most markets it is priced very comparably to standard analog phone circuits. It can provide speeds of roughly 128,000 bits-per-second over regular phone lines. In practice, most people will be limited to 56,000or 64,000 bits-per-second.

Unlike DSL, ISDN can be used to connect to many different locations, one at a time, just like a regular telephone call, as long the other location also has ISDN.

See also: DSL



 

 

ISP -- (Internet Service Provider)

An institution that provides access to the Internet in some form, usually for money.

 

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Java

Java is a network-friendly programming language invented by Sun Microsystems.

Java is often used to build large, complex systems that involve several different computers interacting across networks, for example transaction processing systems.

Java is also becoming popular for creating programs that run in small electronic devicws, such as mobile telephones.

A very common use of Java is to create programs that can be safely downloaded to your computer through the Internet and immediately run without fear of viruses or other harm to your computer or files. Using small Java programs (called "Applets"), Web pages can include functions such as animations,calculators, and other fancy tricks.

See also: Applet, JDK



 

 

JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language that is mostly used in web pages, usually to add features that make the web page more interactive. When JavaScript is included in an HTML file it relies upon the browser to interpret the JavaScript. When JavaScript is combined with Cascading Style Sheets(CSS), and later versions of HTML (4.0 and later) the result is often called DHTML.

See also: HTML



 

JDK -- (Java Development Kit)

A software development package from Sun Microsystems that implements the basic set of tools needed to write, test and debugJava applications and applets

See also: Applet, Java



 

JPEG -- (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

JPEG is most commonly mentioned as a format for image files. JPEG format is preferred to the GIF format for photographic images as opposed to line art or simple logo art.

See also: GIF, PNG



 

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Kilobyte

A thousand bytes. Actually, usually 1024 (210) bytes.

See also: Byte



 

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LAN -- (Local Area Network)

A computer network limited to the immediate area, usually the same building or floor of a building.

See also: Network, VPN, WAN



 

Leased Line

Refers to line such as a telephone line or fiber-optic cable that is rented for exclusive 24-hour, 7-days-a-week use from your location to another location. The highest speed data connections require a leased line.

See also: DSL, ISDN



 

Linux

A widely used Open Source Unix-like operating system. Linux was first released by its inventor Linus Torvalds in 1991. There are versions of Linux for almost every available type of computer hardware from desktop machines to IBM mainframes. The inner workings of Linux are open and available for anyone to examine and change as long as they make their changes available to the public. This has resulted in thousands of people working on various aspects of Linux and adaptation of Linux for a huge variety of purposes, from servers to TV-recording boxes.

See also: Open Source Software, Unix



 

Listserv ®

The most common kind of maillist, "Listserv" is a registered trademark of L-Soft international, Inc. Listservs originated on BITNET but they are now common on the Internet.

See also: BITNET, Internet (Upper case I), Maillist



 

Login

Noun or a verb.

Noun: The account name used to gain access to a computer system. Not a secret (contrast with Password).

Verb: the act of connecting to a computer system by giving your credentials (usually your "username" and "password")

See also: Password



 

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Maillist

(or Mailing List) A (usually automated) system that allows people to send e-mail to one address, whereupon their message is copied and sent to all of the other subscribers to the maillist. In this way, people who have many different kinds of e-mail access can participate in discussions together.

See also: Email, Listserv ®



 

Megabyte

A million bytes. Actually, technically, 1024 kilobytes.

See also: Byte, Kilobyte



 

Meta Tag

A specific kind of HTML tag that contains information not normally displayed to the user. Meta tags contan information about the page itself, hence the name ("meta" means "about this subject")

Typical uses of Meta tags are to include information for search engines to help them better categorize a page.

You can see the Meta tags in a page if you view the pages' source code.

See also: HTML, Search Engine, SEO



 

 

MIME -- (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)

Originally a standard for defining the types of files attached to standard Internet mail messages. The MIME standard has come to be used in many situations where one cmputer programs needs to communicate with another program about what kind of file is being sent.

For example, HTML files have a MIME-type of text/html, JPEG files are image/jpeg, etc.

See also: HTML, JPEG



 

 

Mirror

Generally speaking, "to mirror" is to maintain an exact copy of something. Probably the most common use of the term on the Internet refers to "mirror sites" which are web sites, or FTP sites that maintain copies of material originated at another location, usually in order to provide more widespread access to the resource. For example, one site might create a library of software, and 5 other sites might maintain mirrors of that library.

See also: FTP, WWW



 

Modem -- (MOdulator, DEModulator)

A device that connects a computer to a phone line. A telephone for a computer. A modem allows a computer to talk to other computers through the phone system. Basically, modems do for computers what a telephone does for humans.

 

MOO -- (Mud, Object Oriented)

One of several kinds of multi-user role-playing environments.

See also: MUD



 

Mosaic

The first WWW browser that was available for the Macintosh, Windows,and UNIX all with the same interface. Mosaic really started the popularity of the Web. The source-code to Mosaic was licensed by several companies and used to create many other web browsers.

Mosaic was developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), at the Univeristy of Urbana-Champange in Illinois, USA. The first version was released in late 1993.

See also: Browser, WWW



 

 

MUD -- (Multi-User Dungeon or Dimension)

A (usually text-based) multi-user simulation environment. Some are purely for fun and flirting, others are used for serious software development, or education purposes and all thatlies in between. A significant feature of most MUDs is that users can create things that stay after they leave and which other users can interact within their absence, thus allowing a world to be built gradually and collectively.

See also: MOO



 

MUSE -- (Multi-User Simulated Environment)