To help you understand the internet:
ACROBAT: Portable document software developed by Adobe Systems, Inc. Allows a
user to save format. A reader utility is required to view documents with graphics.
User cannot alter the document.
ADDRESS: The location of a computer, file or peripheral device on a network.
AIFF: A type of sound format widely used for Macintosh computers.
ALIAS: A name, usually short and easy to remember; that stands for another name, usually long and difficult to remember. In networking, aliases are frequently used to associate a service with a logical name, rather than with a particular computer or machine address. Aliases are also used to reroute mail and service requests from one computer to another; this allows the system or network management to change the computer providing the services when needed without affecting users, or to keep the underlying architecture hidden.
AMERICA ONLINE: Commercial online service.
APPLICATION: Any of a class of "programs" or "software", which causes a computer to perform some useful function (like type text or add numbers or communcate over telephone lines).
ARCHIVE: One large file which contains many compressed smaller files. Files are generally archived when they are stored for future use or reference. They also make it easier to transfer large programs and sets of files from one machine or place to another. Common archive formats include ARJ, TAR, ZIP, and ZOO.
ARJ: A well-known archive program available for PC's.
ANONYMOUS FTP: FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a common way to connect to a network, access directories, or obtain files. Usually requires a password and user name.
ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII is a binary code that represents characters. It allows computers from different platforms to display, transmit and print textual information.
AT SIGN (@): The at sign (@) is the separator for most e-mail addresses; it separates the user ID from the domain name of the mail computer. See also UUCP
AU: A type of sound format widely used for Unix computers.
AUTO-RESPONDER: A program that genrates an automated respone to an email message.
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B
BACKGROUND: On a web page, the color or graphic which is used to fill in the page behind the text and graphics that make up the page.In HTML a body tag parameter that defines the background for a document.
BACKUP: Making a copy of software and files/documents on another storage device so that it can be restored if the computer loses that information.
BANDWIDTH: The capacity of a data transmission cable, expressed in bits or bytes per second.
BANNER: A poular type of advertising found on the WWW consisting of a a graphic (usually banner shaped which acts as link to the advertiser's home page or other informational site.
BBS: Bulletin Board System; a computer service where people can read and post public messages, similar to Usenet News but on a much smaller scale.
BIN: Abbreviation for binary. All input to a computer is binary. Binary means made up of two parts. The two parts are combinations of O and 1 data bits. Binary is also a techie term for a computer program.
BINHEX: A method of encoding files from 8-bit to 7-bit format. Preserves original file attributes.
BIT: Binary digit. The smallest unit of space in computing, a bit contains a single binary value.
BITMAP: A binary representation of a graphic object created by translating the object into "pixels". Pixels are computerized "dots", each of which represents a binary bit of information.
BOOKMARK: A marked address for a specific location on the Web. Many browsers allow the user to record and save on a list or pull-down menu. Allows quick access to a user defined Web Site.
BPS: bits-per-second, a measurement of Bandwidth speed.
BROWSER: A program that reads HTML files and retrieves and displays information on the World Wide Web. Most graphical browsers have the capacity to display animation, images, colors, and text. Non-graphical browsers display only textual information.
BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM (BBS): A computer (with associated software), that typically provides electronic messaging services, archives of files, and any other services or activities of interest to the bulletin board system's operator. Although BBSs were traditionally the domain of hobbyists and accessible only by using a modem, an increasing number of BBSs are connected directly to the Internet, and many are currently operated by government, educational, and research institutions. See also e-mail, Internet, MUD, Usenet.
BYTE: A set of 8 bits that represent a single character.
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C
CD-ROM: Compact Disk-Read Only Memory - a disk that stores information (commonly about 650MB) that can be read or copied from the disk Read only means you can not save information to the disk.
CERN: The European Laboratory for Particle Physics. The place where the World Wide Web was created.
CGI: Common Gateway Interface. A standard interface between a Web server and a Web browser. A program that handles a request for information and returns information or performs a search.
CLICKABLE: In a graphic user interface, such as a Web browser or a Gopher client, the fact that the user can use a mouse to point at portions of the image or text and click on that point. Once the user clicks on a point in the display, the client launches an action, either following a hypertext link or running another program.
CLIPBOARD: A temporary storing area for cut or copied information. The clipboard holds the information until you cut or copy another selection to it or you exit from Windows.
CLIENT: client a computer system or process that requests a service of another computer system or process (e.g., a computer requesting the contents of a file from a file server )In client-server computing, the "front-end" program that the user runs to connect with, and request information from, the server program. For most of the common Internet tools, many different client programs are designed to work in DOS, Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX environments. See also Archie, Wide Area Information Servers.
CONGESTION: What occurs when the load exceeds the capacity of a data communication path. You may be experiencing congestion when any of the following happens: you get a busy signal when you dial into a modem pool, the response from the server or host you are trying to reach is slow, or you get an error message telling you that no ports are available for the service or host you want to use.
CPU: Central Processing Unit or circuitry of the computer that controls storage and processing of data. CPU's have a clock speed measured in Megahertz (Mhz). Higher numbers usually mean faster computers.
CRASH: An unexpected interuption of the proper functioning of a computer; disk drive or software.
CTCP: Client-To-Client-Protocol, a feature of some IRC clients.
COMPUSERVE: A large commercial online system.
CYBERSPACE: Cyber comes from the '50s term cybernetics, which is used to describe the science of computers. Space harkens to the '60s terms "inner space," "head space," and so on. "Cyberspace" is a term coined by either computer hackers or science fiction writers (both claim credit) to describe the place you are when you are traversing the virtual geography of the Internet. The term first appeared in print in William Gibson's novel Neuromancer (Ace, 1984) to describe the world of computers and the society that gathers around them.
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D
DATA: nformation put into the computer for processing and storage as contrasted with "code" the programs that make the computer work. Note:Data is a plural noun; the singular form is datum
DATABASE: A collection of related information (data) that can be sorted, searched and calculated. Also the application that manipulates the data.
DEFAULT: The value supplied by the system when the user omits it from a parameter list on a command or control statement.
DIALUP: A temporary, as opposed to dedicated, connection between computers established over a standard phone line.
DIRECTORY: The Unix and PC equivalent of a Macintosh folder. Files are stored in directories.
DNS: Can represent a Domain Name, Domain Name Service, Domain Name Server.
DOMAIN NAME: A textual name for an IP address based on the domain name system.
DOMAIN NAME SERVER: A computer that keeps track of domain addresses on that system and routes requests to specific addresses.
DOWNLOAD: To transfer files from a network to a local computer,usually from a website or FTP site. Also, as a noun,the files downloaded
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E
E-MAIL: Electronic Mail; a means of exchanging semi-private text messages through the Internet and other networks.
.EDU: The suffix .edu is used for computers on the Internet that are from Schools, Universities etc. and are used for educational purposes.
ENCRYPTION: The manipulation of a packet's data in order to prevent any but the intended recipient from reading that data. There are many types of data encryption, which make up the basis of network security. See also Data Encryption Standard, Kerberos.
ETHERNET: A local area network (LAN) transport protocol (TP), initially developed by Xerox and later refined by Digital, Intel, and Xerox IX.. It is very common in computer networks. It's bandwidth is 10 megabit (10,000,000 bits per second). All hosts are connected to a coaxial cable where they contend for network access using a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/C paradigm). See also Local Area Network.
EXTERNAL IMAGE: An image that is not part of an HTML document. This image is linked to a document by a hyperlink.
F
FILE: An contiguous information packet, either data or code, identified by a filename and accesible by a filing system.
FILE TRANSFER: The copying of a file from one computer to another over a computer network. See also File Transfer Protocol, Kermit.
FIREWALL: A hardware device (or collection of devices) that is placed between two networks. One network is considered inside the company (safe) and one is considered outside the company (not safe). All traffic, both from the inside and outside, must pass through this device. The firewall limits access to authorized users and systems by filtering packets as they come in based on the source or destination address, as well as an application's TCP/IP port. On the Internet, firewall, bastion host, and secure Internet Connection are synonymous.
FORWARDING: Passing mail from one mailbox to another, particularly when the user is not reading mail regularly on the first system. Some users with accounts on many computers prefer to read mail on one of them (for convenience, better user interface, cost, or other reasons), and so have all their mail forwarded to one account. Forwarding is also used to have mail come to a well-known public name (such as info@host, postmaster@host, or help@host without the need for a specific separate mailbox for that name.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol, which defines the communications standards used to upload and download files to and from an FTP server.
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G
GIF: Graphics Interchange Format, a file format commonly used with graphics or photos displayed on Web documents.
GREP: l. A UNIX search command; 2. a search utility; 3. a verb referring to scanning or searching anything for information.
GOPHER: A text-only, menu-driven Internet information system developed at the University of Minnesota that preceded the Web. It's still very common, and most Web browsers can connect to gopher servers.
GUI: Graphical User Interface, such as the Mosaic, Macintosh or Windows operating systems.
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H
HIT COUNTER: A script on a Web server that calculates each "hit" or visit to a Web page every time a connection is made, and displays the current total on the page to the current user.
HOME PAGE The welcome page of a Web site, the place where visitors are supposed to start when finding out about an organization or personal Web.
HOMEPAGE: The starting point (first screen) in a Web Site.
HOST: A computer that provides a physical link to the Internet and allows users to communicate with other host computers on a network. Individual users communicate by using application programs, such as electronic mail, Telnet, and FTP. In some contexts, and in some philosophies of the way the Internet should work, the host itself is less important than the servers which run on it. For example, Web and Gopher servers distribute data to users without the user having to know which host the server is located on. A host computer is identified via its system and domain names. The terms host. site, and server all essentially are the same. See also server.
HOTJAVA: Dynamic Web browser developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. that uses Sun's Java programming language. HotJava can execute "applets" or programs written in Java that can be included in HTML documents.
HQX: A program for the Macintosh used to convert binary files to 7-bit BinHex text file format.
HREF LINK: See anchor or hyperlink.
HTML: HyperText Markup Language: a set of commands used to mark up documents with standard elements so they can be displayed and read on the World Wide Web by different browsers on different computers. A subset of SGML, Standard Generalized Markup Language.
HTML COOKIE: (Also called the HTML tag.) The tag "set" that makes up a complete HTML markup command. For example, in <B>Attention!</B>, the <B> and </B> are the cookies.
HTTP: HyperText Transport Protocol, the protocol used by Web servers to communicate with Web clients.
HYPERCARD: A multimedia presentation environment that has hypertext capability, allows scripting or coding of applications, interprets data, and has a number of other characteristics that make it hard to define. Created by Bill Atkinson in the 1980s.
HYPERLINK: Also called an anchor. A link in an HTML document, usually distinguished by underlined or highlighted text that, when selected, takes the user to another file or Web page. The hypertext link is added to the document by using the HTML tag.
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I
ICON: Graphic or symbol on the computer monitor that represents a computer task or file.
INLINE IMAGE: A photo or graphic image that can be displayed in the window of a Web browser along with HTML text (as opposed to an external image, which must be downloaded and viewed with a separate program).
INTERLACED GIF: An extra step in the information process that allows one to display increasing amounts of information in three or more passes, instead of just one line or another. Displays a low-resolution version first, a better version next, and then a full-blown, high-res version.
INTERNET: An international network of networks, originally started for military purposes, that connects about 40 million higher education, government, military, and commercial users.
IP: Internet Protocol: The set of standards by which information is transmitted on the Internet.
ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network. A set of standards for transmitting voice, data, and video data simultaneously. A reasonably inexpensive way of getting higher bandwidth through a digital connection.
ISP (INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER): An internet service provider charges startup and monthly fees to users and provides them with the initial host connection to the rest of the Internet usually via a dialup connection.
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J
JPEG: A high-end compression image format mainly used for placing graphics on the Internet JPEG supports true color images.
JAVA: Developed by Sun Microsystems, Java is a high performance, cross platform, object oriented programming language that can distribute dynamic content over the Internet. While Java is still in its preliminary stages of development, it is believed to become the future language of not only the Internet, but of computers in general.
JAVASCRIPT: A special purpose Java-like language especially adept at interacting with user input and used extensively to make web pages interactive.
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K
L
LAG: The delay in information transferred across the internet, usually caused by a slow or error-prone connection.
LYNX: A text-based World-Wide-Web browser.
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M
MOSAIC: A graphic browser available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems, created by the NCSA.
MX: Known as mail exchange. MX is a DNS record used to define hosts that accept mail.
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N
NCSA: National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. An interdisciplinary group consisting of scientists, artists, engineers, educators, and others involved in computational science. The place where NCSA Mosaic was born.
NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR: A fast, easy-to-use graphical information browser for the World Wide Web that was developed by some of the same people who created Mosaic. Created by Netscape Communications Corporation.
NFS: A Network File System; a protocol, developed by Sun Microsystems, that allows networked computers to use files from other computers on the network.
NNTP: Network News Transfer Protocol- used to sort networked news.
NEWBIE: A newcomer, or someone just getting started on the Internet.
NEWSGROUP: A Usenet News discussion forum.
NSFNET: National Science Foundation Network, which linked researchers with high-speed supercomputer centers. For a while, this was the "backbone" of the Internet.
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O
ON-LINE: To be connected via telephone line to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), which allows two-way communication with other networked computers or servers.
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P
PARSER: A module or routine within a program that reads or "parses" computer code and processes it to make it usable or readable.
PDF: Page Description Format in which documents created with Adobe Acrobat portable document software are presented. Acrobat documents end with the suffix.PDI
PHOTOSHOP: Common parlance for Adobe Photoshop, image-editing software that allows a number of sophisticated graphics functions such as retouching and editing of images on personal computers.
POSTSCRIPT: A page description/programming language developed by Adobe Systems Inc. It describes a page in a way that is device independent, so that the quality of the output depends on the resolution of the device on which it is printed.
PPP: Point to Point Protocol; allows a computer to make a TCP/IP connection to the Internet. PPP is gaining popularity and seems to be replacing SLIP connections.
PROTOCOL: A specific method of communication or "conversation" for exchanging information on the Internet. SMTP, FTP, HTTP, and NNTP are all protocols.
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Q
QUICKTIME: A method developed by Apple Computer for storing movieand audio files in digital format.
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R
ROBOT: A program such as InfoSeek or Aliweb that searches huge numbers of files automatically when given search criteria (also called a worm).
ROUTER: A computer device that can manage a connection between numerous networks.
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S
SHAREWARE: Software created by independent technoids and available for downloading to anyone for a trial time. At the end of that time, users are asked to pay a fee if they decide to keep the software (See freeware).
SILICON GRAPHICS (SGI): Silicon qraphics, Inc., a manufacturer of computer hard ware and software, including the Indy workstation. Actively exploring virtual reality applications on the Web. (See VRML.)
SLIP: Serial Line Internet Protocol. A way of using TCP/IP over a serial line, such as a dialup modem. A very common way of connecting to the Internet from home. Often referred to as a point-to-point connection or lovingly as a "slirp."
SPAM: 1.On the Internet, Spam has come to mean a particular repetitious or bandwidth-consuming act of absolutely no redeeming value.
2. To send an unsolicited advertising message across the Internet to huge numbers of newsgroups.
SPORK: A plastic knife and fork set. For some reason, these are a source of fascination on the Internet.
SUN: Sun Microsystems, Inc., a company that makes high-performance workstations and servers using its SPARC architecture. Its Solaris operating system is based on UNIX. Sun is also the creator of the Java programming language.
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T
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Intemet Protocol, a packet-based communication protocol that forms the foundation of the Internet.
TELNET: The program used to login from one Internet site to another.
TERMINAL SERVER: A computer with multiple modem ports and a connection to a LAN or host machine. A terminal server handles all incoming modem calls and routes them to the appropriate locations. Most terminal servers support either SLIP or PPP connections.
TIA: Stands for The Internet Adapter, not Thanks In Advance. An inexpensive commercial product offered by Cyberspace Development, Inc. for an Internet service provider's UNIX Web server that allows a user of that server to run a basic shell account as if it were a more powerful SLIP account.
TIFF: Tagged Image File Format, a format for storing computerized image files.
TRANSPARENT GIF: A GIF image that appears to float directly atop a Web page without its own background or border. A specific number in the GIF color palette (#89) is assigned to be the same color as the background of the page, giving the image a transparent appearance.
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U
UNIX: A multiuser/multitasking operating system developed by AT&T and written in the C programming language (also developed by AT&T). Its TCP/IP protocols are integral to the Internet.
URL: Universal Resource Locator. A standard address for a file or location on the Internet. URLs always begin with an Internet protocol (FTP, gopher, HTTP),an Internet host name, folders, and the destination file or object.
USENET: A world-wide system of discussion groups that allows remote users to view and add comments. Usenet is a decentralized system, supporting tens of thousands of newsgoups.
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V
VRML: Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML; sometimes pronounced "vur-mole"). It has been proposed as a standard way of describing virtual reality experiences accessed via the Internet and integrated with the hypertextual power of the Web.
VERONICA: A large database located at the University of Nevada which lists almost every gopher service and their menus.
VIRUS:< A program that replicates itself by incorporating itself into other programs that are shared among computer systems. See also Trojan Horse, worm.
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W
WHOIS: An Internet program that allows users to query a database of people and other Internet entities, such as domains, networks, and hosts kept at the NIC. The information for people shows a person's company name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. See white pages. Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS) A distributed information service that offers simple natural language input, indexed searching for fast retrieval, and a "relevance feedback" mechanism that allows the results of initial searches to influence future searches. Public domain implementations are available. See also Archie, Gopher.
WORLD WIDE WEB:A hypertext-based distributed information system for linking databases, servers, and pages of information available across the Internet. Created by researchers at CERN in Switzerland it allows users to create, edit, or browse hypertext documents. The clients and servers are freely available from www.w3.org.
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