Glossary
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a
Address
An address is a unique identifier assigned to a web page. The address
is more commonly referred to as the URL (Uniformed Resource Locator).
ADN
(Advanced Digital Network) Often refers to 56kbps leased line
See Also: T-1, T-3 ADSL
ADSL
(Asymmetric digital subscriber line) ADSL is the most widely deployed
form of DSL technology. Most homes and small businesses currently
using DSL technology use ADSL.
See Also: T-1, T-3 ADN
Applet
A multimedia application written or embedded in the Java language
such as animation or sound, viewable only in a Java-enabled browser
such as Netscape 2.0 or HotJava.
See Also: HotJava,
Netscape
Anonymous FTP
Users may gain access to a remote server using FTP without actually
having an account on that server. The user's E-mail address is usually
given as a password and the user name 'anonymous' is assigned to
the user by systems supporting this service.
Archie
A database of anonymous ftp sites and their contents, "Archie" keeps
track of the entire contents of these sites, and allows users to
search for files on those sites using various different kinds of
filename searches.
Archive
Often compressed, archives are usually large files containing several
smaller files. Commonly used archive file formats are ZIP, TAR,
ARJ, LZH, UC2.
Archive site
Contains archived files of many kinds, available for users to download
either by FTP or E-mail.
ARJ
Allows the user to store one or more files in a compressed format
in an archive file. This saves space both in the compression and
in the saving of disk sector clusters. Particularly strong compressing
databases, uncompressed graphics files, and large documents. Named
after the creator, American programmer Robert Jung.
ASCII
(American Standard Code for Information Interchange) a file containing
only text characters: numbers, letters, and standard punctuation.
ATM
(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) a new communications standard that
is currently in the later stages of development. ATM is designed
to transfer voice, video, and other multimedia data that requires
short bursts of large quantities of data that can survive small
losses but must be broadcast in real time.
Attachments
Multimedia files that are 'attached' to an E-mail; can be text,
graphics, sound, video, spreadsheet, database, or even an entire
application.
b
Backbone
A central high-speed network established by a company or organisation
for connecting independent sub-networks.
Bandwidth
In simplistic terms, bandwidth is the amount of information travelling
through a single channel at any one moment in time.
Baud Rate
Speed at which data travels through a modem, measured in bps (bits
per second). Most modems today range from 2400 to over 50,000 bps.
BBS
(Bulletin Board System) a computer system usually run by local users
making files available for downloading and setting up electronic
discussion forums.
Binary
Binary data is a direct representation of the bits stored in RAM
on a computer. Much more compact and accurate than ASCII.
Bit
(Binary DigIT) the smallest unit of computerized data, comprising
of either a 1 or 0. A combination of bits can indicate an alphabetic
character, a numeric digit, or perform a signaling, switching or
other function. Bandwidth is usally measured in bits-per-second.
Body
In E-mail terms, the part of the message containing the most textual
content, sandwiched between the Header and the Signature.
Bookmark
Virtual bookmarks work pretty much the same as the real ones. They
record a URL or web page to enable you to refer back to at a later
date.
bps
(Bits Per Second) speed at which data transfer is measured.
Browser
(Often called a 'Web Browser') allows the user to search the World
Wide Web and other Internet facilities using a Graphical User Interface.
Examples are Mosaic and Netscape.
Byte
A unit of data, generally formed from 8 bits. Example: 01101010
c
CGI
(Common Gateway Interface) an interface-creation scripting program
that allows you to make WWW pages on the fly based on information
from fill-in forms, checkboxes, text input etc.
Client
In a Client-Server relationship, the client is a computer running
programs or applications from the server, or accessing files from
it.
Compress
The act of discarding redundant or semi-redundant information from
a file, thereby making it smaller.
Cookie
A Cookie is a piece of software which records information about
you. It holds this information until such time that the server requests
it. For example, if you are browsing around a virtual shop, each
time you place an item in your basket the information is stored
by the cookie until you decide to buy and the server requests the
purchase information.
d
Daemon
A program that runs in the background whenever needed, carrying
out tasks for the user. They 'sleep' until something comes along
which needs their help; most commonly found on Unix systems.
See Also: Unix
Dialup
'Dialup Access' or a 'Dialup Account' is when a modem is used to
gain access to the Internet via a network.
See Also: Modem
Domain Name
Unique address identifying each site on the Internet, usually of
two or more segments separated by full stops.
Domain Name Server
Computers connected to the Internet whose job it is to keep track
of the IP Addresses and Domain Names of other machines. When called
upon, they take the ASCII Domain Name and convert it to the relevant
numeric IP Address.
See Also: IP
Address
Domain Name System
Allows users to relate to computers on the Internet by using textual
addresses (eg. www.legend.net.uk) for ease of use, rather than the
IP Address system.
DOS
(Disk Operating System) simple operating system developed by Microsoft,
allows extensions by other programs.
Download
When you transfer information off a remote machine connected to
the Internet onto your local machine, you are downloading data.
See Also: Upload
e
E-mail
Method of communication whereby an electronic message is sent to
a remote location and received by another user at a specific E-mail
Address.
See Also: Attachments, Body, Header, Signature
Emoticons
These are the sideways smiles and frowns used in email to indicate
emotions. E.g. :-) would indicate a smile and :-( would indicate
a frown!
Ethernet
A type of network cabling allowing theoretical data transfers of
up to 100Mb per second.
f
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Question) Lists of Frequently Asked Questions
(and their answers) covering all manner of topics can be found across
the World Wide Web, allowing the user to search for a query that
somebody has already found the answer to.
FDDI
(Fibre Distributed Data Interface) is a standard for transmitting
data through optical fibre cables at a rate of around 100 million
bps.
See Also: Bandwidth, Ethernet, T-1, T-3
Filename extension
Commonly a three or four-letter extension on the end of a file name
designating the file type. There are hundreds in existence, and
new ones frequently being invented. Examples are: .txt (text file),
.gif (Graphics Interchange Format).
Finger
A Unix program which displays information about a particular user
or all users logged on the system, or a remote system.
See Also: Unix
Firewall
Secures a company or organisation's internal network from unauthorised
external access (most commonly in the form of Internet hackers).
Flame
An insulting or derogatory message usually sent via E-mail as punishment
for breach of netiquette. There have been instances of 'Flame Wars',
when other people join in the heated exchanges. In either case,
not recommended.
See Also: E-mail,
Netiquette
Forms
Certain Browsers support electronic fill-in forms. A form on a Web
Page can be filled in by users all over the world, and the information
sent electronically to the relevant domain site.
See Also: CGI,
Browser
Freeware
Software allowed to be distributed free by the author, but often
with certain conditions applying (ie. the software cannot be modified
etc).
See Also: Public
Domain, Shareware
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol) one of the main ways files are transferred
across the Internet. An FTP Site is that which is provided by a
company or organisation as a depository for all kinds of files which
users may download.
See Also: Download, Protocol
g
Gateway
The interface between two opposing protocols. By means of software
and hardware a gateway allows connection between otherwise incompatible
networks.
See Also: Protocol
GIF
(Graphics Interchange Format) developed by Compuserve, GIF is a
platform-independent file format, used extensively throughout the
Internet for graphics files. Compresses files using a 'lossless'
method which ensures picture quality is not diminished.
Gigabyte (GB)
A thousand Megabytes.
See Also: Megabyte
Gopher
Internet Gopher is a distributed document search and retrieval system.
It takes a request for information and then scans the Internet for
it. The protocol and software follows a client-server model, and
permits users on a heterogeneous mix of desktop systems to browse,
search, and retrieve documents residing on multiple distributed
server machines.
See Also: Protocol
h
Header
In E-mail terms, this is the part of the message indicating who
the sender is and some other brief details, such as the subject
of the message.
See Also: Attachments, Body, E-mail, Signature
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.
Home Page
On the World Wide Web, this is the main navigation page owned by
a company, organisation, University, individual, etc, from which
hyperlinks are made to other pages on the site (or other sites).
See Also: Hyperlink
Host
You usually connect to a host computer whenever you use the Internet.
HotJava
A Web browser developed by Sun Microsystems expanding traditional
browser capabilities by allowing dynamic functions instead of just
static text and images.
See Also: Applet,
Java
HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) the tagging language used to format
Web pages. Allows pictures and text to be combined to create Web
documents, and the most important feature - hypertext - making it
possible for links to be made between different documents.
See Also: Gif,
Jpeg, Tag, World Wide Web
HTTP
(HyperText Transport Protocol) used on the World Wide Web since
1990, this application-level protocol is essential for the distribution
of information throughout the Web.
Hyperlink
In World Wide Web pages, hyperlinks are highlighted text or images
which, when selected (usually by clicking the mouse button), follow
a link to another page. Hyperlinks can also be used to automatically
download other files as well as sounds and video clips.
See Also: Download
i
Image Map
An image with clickable 'hot spots', allowing several hyperlinks
from a single image file. For example, the image could be of a country,
split into different areas, each of which could be clickable and
hyperlink to a larger view of that specific area.
See Also: Hyperlink
internet
When spelt with a lower case i, it is a group of two or more networks
connected together.
Internet
With a capital I, it is the collection of all the interconnected
networks in the world, and is often simply referred to as the 'net'.
IP
(Internet Protocol) the main protocol used on the Internet.
See Also: Protocol
IP Address
Unique 4-number code designated to every Domain on the Internet.
Each Domain also has a Domain Name as well as an IP address to make
site addresses easier to remember.
IRC
(Internet Relay Chat) real-time world-wide electronic chat program
allowing the user to communicate with other people across the globe.
ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network) Digital telephone line allowing
faster data transfer rates than existing analog lines. Allows simultaneous
transfer of voice, data and video information.
ISP
(Internet Service Provider) A Company or Organisation, such as Legend Internet, dedicated to providing businesses or home users access to
the Internet, usually for a fee.
j
Java
Developed by Sun Microsystems, Java is a Web programming language
supporting online multimedia effects, such as simple cartoon-like
animation, background music and continuously updated information
in Web pages.
See Also: Applet,
HotJava
JPEG
(Joint Photographic Experts Group) a standard of image compression
developed especially for use on the Internet. Most photographic
images can be highly compressed using this method, without greatly
diminishing image quality.
.jpg or .jpeg
Filename extensions given to JPEG graphics files.
k
Kilobyte
1024 bytes, usually rounded down to a thousand bytes for simplicity.
l
LAN
(Local Area Network) see below.
Leased Line
A rented, high-speed phone link for private use, available 24 hours
a day.
Link
Link puts the hyper in hyperlink. Links are the connections between
hypertext pages. Every time you click on highlighted text to go
to another page you're following a link.
Local Area Network
Usually referred to as a LAN, this describes a group of computers
commonly in the same building, connected by network cables.
m
Mailserver
The computer (and software running on it) that allows sorting and
retrieval of E-mail messages.
See Also: E-mail
Megabyte (MB)
The unit of measurement for a thousand Kilobytes; a million bytes.
See Also: Gigabyte, Kilobyte
MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) a format designed originally
to include images, sounds, animations and other types of documents
within Internet mail messages.
Mirror site
An FTP site containing exactly the same files as the site it is
mirroring. Sites may be mirrored several times, often in different
countries around the world. They relieve the load that can be placed
on a very popular FTP site, making it easier for users to gain access
and download files faster.
See Also: Download, FTP
Modem
(MODulator-DEModulator) allows the transmission of digital information
over an analog phone line.
Mosaic
Web browser written by a group of people at NCSA. Provides a Graphical
User Interface for accessing data on the World Wide Web.
See Also: Browser
MPEG
(Motion Picture Experts Group) video compression format used for
movie or animation clips on the World Wide Web.
.mpg or .mpeg
Filename extension for MPEG movies.
n
NCSA
(National Center for Supercomputing Applications) powerful organisation
that launched the Mosaic Web Browser in 1993 for Windows, x-Windows
and Macintosh platforms.
Netiquette
Informal, largely undocumented set of rules designed to make the
Web a polite and civilised 'society'.
Netscape Communications
Creators of Netscape Navigator, one of the most popular Web browsers.
Became notorious after introducing several HTML 'extensions' that
were unsupported by other browsers.
See Also: Browser
Network
Two or more computers linked together and able to share resources
constitutes a network.
Network Time Protocol
Internet protocol ensuring that the correct time is transmitted.
See Also: Protocol
Network time server
Using Network Time Protocol, you access this machine to get the
right time.
Newsgroup
Thousands of Newsgroups exist, distributing information on different
subjects using Usenet.
Newsreader
Program that allows the user to read Newsgroup messages via Usenet.
NIC
(Network Information Center) the location where all the data is
organised for a certain network.
NNTP
(Net News Transport Protocol) Usenet news uses this transfer protocol
for shifting files around the network.
See Also: Usenet
Node
Any single computer connected to a network.
See Also: Network
o
Offline
When your computer performs an operation when it is not connected
to any other computers, it is working offline.
Online
Your computer is working online when it performs an operation and
is connected to other computers.
p
Packet
Information moves around the Internet in 'packets'; chunks of data
each with their own destination address. Think of packets as sealed
envelopes containing data, with addresses written on them. They
all go through the system, and usually end up at the correct destination.
The more envelopes the system must handle, the slower the process
becomes.
Page
A World Wide Web 'page' is the name given to a basic Web document,
such as the one you are viewing at the moment.
Plug-In
There are many things that your browser can do such as displaying
images and web pages. Other things are beyond its capabilities and
that's where the plug-ins are introduced. Shockwave and RealAudio
are examples of plug-ins required for audio and video.
POP
(Post Office Protocol) provides a store-and-forward service, intended
to move E-mail on demand from an intermediate server to a single
destination machine, usually a PC or Macintosh.
PPP
(Point to Point Protocol) PPP is a kind of Internet connection that
allows a computer to use Internet protocols to become a part of
the Internet. Requires a modem, a standard telephone line and an
account from a service provider.
Protocol
Method by which computers communicate to each other over the Internet
in order to provide a service.
See Also: FTP,
HTTP, IP, NNTP, POP, PPP, SLIP, SMTP, TCP
Public access provider
An organization that provides Internet access for individuals or
other organizations, often for a fee.
Public domain
Refers to software that anybody can use or modify without authorisation.
See Also: Freeware, Shareware
q
r
Router
A special-purpose computer (or software package) that handles the
connection between 2 or more networks. Routers concentrate on looking
at the destination addresses of the packets passing through them
and deciding which route to send them on.
See Also: Network
s
Scripting language
Series of programmed commands that designate how one computer communicates
with another computer.
Server
Within a network, a server makes files available to client programs
located on other computers when requested.
Service Provider
The role of a Service Provider is to provide subscribers
a gateway to the Internet.
Shareware
Software distributed freely, but with certain conditions applying
to it. Either the software is released on a trial basis only, and
must be registered after a certain period of time, or in other cases
no support can be offered with the software without registering
it. In some cases direct payment to the author is required.
See Also: Freeware, Public Domain
Signature
The automatic addition of a few lines at the foot of an E-mail.
These usually consist of the sender's E-mail address, full name
and other details.
See Also: Body,
E-mail, Header
SLIP
(Serial Line Internet Protocol) like PPP, lets you use a modem and
phone lines to connect to the Internet without connecting to a host
computer.
See Also: PPP,
Protocol
Smileys
Characters often used in News messages, E-mails and on Web Pages
to offer some degree of character or emotion. Example :-)
SMTP
(Simple Mail Transport Protocol) often referred to as sendmail,
is designed to allow the delivery of mail messages to Internet users.
t
Tag
In HTML terms, a 'tag' is used for marking-up text in various ways
so that it is formatted in a Web document. They are sometimes called
'Markup Tags'.
See Also: HTML
T-1
Network link used on the Internet allowing speeds of up to 1.54
megabits/second.
See Also: ADN
ADSL
T-3
Higher speed (45 megabits/second) Network link used on the Internet.
See Also: ADN
ADSL
TCP
(Transmission Control Protocol) works in conjunction with IP to
ensure that packets reach their intended destinations.
See Also: Packet,
Protocol
TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) the two fundamental
protocols which form the basis of the Internet.
See Also: Protocol
Telnet
Terminal emulation program allowing an authorised user to access
another computer on the Internet and use that computer as if it
were local (when in reality it could be several thousand miles away).
Terabyte
1000 gigabytes
See Also: Byte,
Kilobyte
Terminal
Piece of hardware that allows commands to be sent to a computer,
usually by means of a keyboard and display unit.
Terminal emulator
Allows a PC to emulate several terminal types.
Thread
In a Usenet group, this is a list of messages loosely relating to
one another (using the same 'thread').
Timeout
The facility whereby after a certain period of inactivity the connection
is dropped.
u
Unix
An Operating System typically written in C, and designed for multi-user
environments. It has TCP/IP built in, and is therefore one of the
most popular operating systems for servers on the Internet.
Upload
Transfer of files off a local computer up to a specified remote
computer (as opposed to download where files are pulled off a remote
machine).
See Also: Download
URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) resource addressing scheme of the World
Wide Web. Assists in locating and identification of multimedia resources
or multiple copies of resources.
Usenet
Specialised network linking thousands of newsgroups covering every
subject under the sun.
v
Veronica
(Very Easy Rodent Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerised Archives)
A resource-discovery system providing access to information resources
held on most ( 99% + ) of the world's gopher servers. In addition
to native gopher data, veronica includes references to many resources
provided by other types of information servers, such as WWW servers,
usenet archives, and telnet-accessible information services.
Virus
A virus is virtual evil. It can hide anywhere where a computer stores
information. They have the ability to transfer from computer to
computer with the use of the Internet and various other networks.
A virus can do a number of things to a recipient such as reformatting
hard drives (destroying data).
w
WAIS
(Wide Area Information Servers) an architecture for a distributed
information retrieval system. WAIS is based on the client-server
model of computation, and allows users of computers to share information
using a common computer-to-computer protocol.
See Also: Protocol
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Group of computers located geographically apart, usually belonging
to a single company or organisation, connected together using dedicated
lines or by satellite to simulate a local network.
WinSock
(WINdows SOCKets) Windows utility program allowing users connected
by SLIP, PPP or other direct connection to communicate with other
computers on the Internet by TCP/IP.
See Also: PPP,
SLIP, TCP/IP
World Wide Web ('WWW' or 'Web')
Specialised Internet Service allowing users to connect to remote
sites, with information presented as text with hypertext links.
These links can be used to refer to almost all other resources on
the Internet. Graphics can be embedded into Web pages, but can only
be viewed using a graphical Web browser. Other applications supported
are sound files and movie files.
See Also: Browser, HTML, Internet
Worm
A search utility on the World Wide Web that locates resources following
user-determined guidelines.
x
XMODEM
A popular but slow file transfer protocol.
y
YMODEM
Another file transfer protocol, slightly faster than XMODEM.
z
.ZIP
Files that have been compressed using the PKZIP program have this
filename extension. They can be decompressed using the PKUNZIP utility.
ZMODEM
The fastest and most popular file transfer protocol, due to its
efficiency and crash recovery properties.
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