Address
A location or unique identifier of a web site or a web page on the Internet facility. Address is commonly known as URL (Uniformed Resource Locator).
API
(Application Program Interface)
A language
and message format used by an application program to communicate with the
operating system or some other system or control program such as a database
management system (DBMS) or communications protocol.
Applet
An application written or embedded in Java language, viewable and runs only in a Java-enabled browsers.
Anonymous FTP
An FTP site on the Internet that consist of files downloadable to all user. The user usually gains access by receiving a given password and using the username as 'anonymous'. The given password is usually assigned by the system supporting its service.
Archie
(ARCHIvE)
An
Internet utility to search and keep track of filenames on the contents
of web sites. There are approximately 30 computer systems throughout
the Internet, called "Archie servers," that maintain catalogs of files
available for downloading from various FTP sites. Periodically, Archie
servers search FTP sites throughout the Internet and record information
about the files they find.
Some Internet hosts lets users log on via Telnet using the username "archie." >
Archive
To
copy data onto a different disk or tape for backup or data retention purposes.
Archived files are normally compressed to maximize storage media, and such
compression programs may be called archiver or archiving programs. 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
A compression
program for back up or archiving from ARJ Software, Inc., Norwood, MA,
(www.arjsoftware.com).
ARPA
(Advanced Research Projects Agency)
US
governmental organisation which has been responsible for creating an experimental
network which announced the beginning of the Internet.
Also known as Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA.)
ARPAnet
(Advanced Research Projects Agency NETwork)
Network
created by ARPA in 1969 at four sites including two University of California
campuses, the Stanford Research Institute and the University of Utah. The
software was developed by Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN), and Honeywell
516 minicomputers were the first hardware used as packet switches.
In late 1972, the ARPAnet was demonstrated at the International Conference on Computers in Washington, DC. This was the first public demonstration of packet switching. Over the next decade, ARPAnet spawned other networks, and in 1983 with more than 300 computers connected, its protocols were changed to TCP/IP.
As TCP/IP and gateway technologies matured, more disparate networks were connected, and the ARPAnet became known as "the Internet" and "the Net."
ASCII
(American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
A code
file containing standard text characters: numbers, letters, and standard
punctuation.
ATM
(Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
A network
technology for both LANs and WANs that supports realtime voice and video
as well as data. It requires short bursts of large quantities of data that
can survive small losses but must be broadcast in real time.
Attachment
Linking
or to fasten a file ' to an E-mail message so that the file and the email
can be sent together to the destination. The file can be of any type
like text, graphics, sound, video, spreadsheet, database, or even an entire
application.
Bandwidth
The
amount of information that can be transmitted in a given period of time
through communication devices/ channels.
Baud
The
signaling rate of a line, which is the number of transitions (voltage or
frequency changes) that are made per second. It usually refers to modem
speed. For example, a V.22bis modem generates 1200 bps at 600 baud.
BBS
(Bulletin Board System)
A computer
system used as an information source and forum for a particular interest
group. A BBS functions somewhat like a stand-alone Web site, but without
graphics. Commonly it is used for distributing sharewares and
downloading drivers.
Bit
(Binary DigIT)
The
smallest element or unit of computer storage or data comprising of either
a 1 or 0.
Bookmark
Virtual
stored location for quick retrieval.
bps
(Bits Per Second)
The
measurement speed of data transfer in a communications system.
Broadband
A method of transmitting data at high speed.
Browser
or Web Browser
Software
application that helps to find, navigate, view and interact with the World
Wide Web (WWW) or the Internet. Common softwares for Web Browsers are Internet
Explorer, Netscape Communicator and NeoPlanet.
CGI
(Common Gateway Interface)
An
interface-creation scripting program that allows to create WWW pages based
on information from fill-in forms, checkboxes, text input etc.
Compress
To
compact data to save space
CompuServe
The
oldest Internet Service Provider. Founded in 1980, SPRYNET is CompuServe's
Internet-only service. In 1998, CompuServe was acquired by America Online
(AOL).
Cookie
Data
created by a Web server that can be stored on the user's computer.
It provides a way for the Web site to keep track of a user's patterns and
preferences and store it onto the user's own hard disk.
The cookies contain a range of URLs (addresses). When the browser encounters those URLs again, it sends those specific cookies to the Web server. For example, if a user's ID were stored as a cookie, it would save that person from typing in the same information all over again when accessing that service for the second and subsequent time.
You can have your browser disable cookies or warn you before accepting a cookie. Look for the cookie options in your browser in the Options or Preferences menu.
Cybercafe
A cafe
or bar allowing customers to explore the World Wide Web whilst having a
drink or snack, usually charged per half-hour of usage.
Dial-Up
Telephone
connection in a system of many lines shared by many users. With a
modem, it is used to gain access to the Internet.
Digital
Signature
An
electronic signature that cannot be forged. It is a computed digest of
the text that is encrypted and sent with the text message.
Domain
Name
A part
of registration category within the computer field. It often refers to
the address of an Internet site.
Domain
Name Server
The
server that maintains a database of domain names (host names) and its corresponding
IP addresses. Example, if www.yourcompany.com were to be presented
to a DNS server, it would return as IP address 204.0.8.51.
Domain
Name System
Name
resolution software that lets users locate or relate computers or server
on a UNIX network or the Internet (TCP/IP network) by domain name (e.g.
www.yourcompany.com).
Download
To
receive file or data over a network.
DSL
(Digital Subscriber Line)
Instant
Internet and network access send data and voice over the same line at speeds
up to 25 times faster than a 56K modem on a standard analogue phone line.
DTD
(Document Type Definition)
A language
that describes the contents of an SGML document. The DTD is also used with
XML, and the DTD definitions may be embedded within an XML document or
in a separate file. DTDs are expected to be replaced by an XML schema from
the W3C.
Electronic
Mail (email or e-mail)
Application
that provides means for users to send messages, information and files to
friends, colleagues or business partners electronically. These mails or
messages can be sent over the Internet, internal network, or directly from
one computer to another through a direct cable connection. No matter how
the message is sent, most email systems are the same-transmitting text-based,
or HTML-based messages from one computer to another.
Emoticons
(Emotion Icons)
Keyboard
phrases used to indicate emotions. E.g. :-) would indicate a smile and
:-( would indicate a frown.
Ethernet
The
widely used shared LAN (Local Area Network ) access method which
allows data transfer of up to10Mb per second, 100 Mb per second (Fast Ethernet)
or 1000 Mb per second (Gigabit Ethernet). With the switched Ethernet,
each sender and receiver pair have the full bandwidth.
FDDI
(Fibre Distributed Data Interface)
An
ANSI standard token passing network that uses optical fiber cabling and
transmits at 100 Mbits/sec up to 10 kilometers.
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 finds information about a particular user or all users logged
on the system, or a remote system such as telephone number, whether currently
logged on or the last time logged on.
Firewall
A protective
software and/or hardware 'shield' that stops unauthorised guests or information
from entering or leaving protected areas, such as a private network that's
connected to the Internet.
Flame
To
communicate emotionally and/or aggressively via electronic mail. Example
cursing or insulting messages sent via email.
Form
A formatted
screen display designed for a particular application. A Web page
form can be filled in by users and the information sent electronically.
Freeware
Free
software found on the Net. It is not to be sold or used in any unauthorised
way.
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol)
A protocol
used to transfer files over a TCP/IP network (Internet, UNIX, etc.).
An FTP Site provides a depository for all kinds of files which users may
download.
GB (Gigabyte)
A thousand
Megabytes.
GIF
(Graphics Interchange Format)
Bitmapped
platform-independent graphics file format developed by Compuserve.
It supports 8-bit color (256 colors), good compression and widely used
on the Web. The GIF filename extension is .gif.
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. .
GUI
(Graphical User Interface)
A graphics-based
user interface that incorporates icons, pull-down menus and a mouse.
The GUI has become the standard way users interact with a computer.
Hits
The
number of times a program or item of data has been accessed or matches
some condition.
Homepage
The
first page retrieved when accessing a Web site. It serves as a table of
contents to the rest of the pages on the site or to other Web Sites.
Host
A computer
that acts as a source of information or signals whenever connection (network
or Internet) is made.
HotJava
A Web
browser developed by Sun Microsystems that supports Java programming.
HTML
(Hyper Text Markup Language)
The
basic language use to create Web pages. HTML documents can be seen on any
computer that has a Web browser
HTTP
(Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)
The
method used to transport information in HTML format on the World Wide Web.
HTTP allows communication point with Web pages without maintaining a continuous
connection.
Hyperlink
(Also referred as 'link.' Or “hypertext links”)
An
element on a Web page or email that connect/jumps to another page, site
or email.
Internet
With
a capital I, it is the collection of all the interconnected networks in
the world, commercialised into a worldwide information highway, providing
on every subject known to humankind. It is often referred to as the
'net'.
IP (Internet
Protocol)
A network
protocol.
IP Address
(Internet Protocol Address)
The
unique address of a computer (client and server) attached to a TCP/IP network
that is either a permanent address or dynamically assigned. IP addresses
are written as four sets of numbers separated by periods; for example,
204.171.64.2. 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 Service Digital Network)
A high-speed,
fully digital telephone service and operates at speeds up to 128 kilobits/second.
Five or more times faster than current analogue modems/systems.
ISP
(Internet Service Provider)
Organisation
or company that is licensed to provide Internet access to individuals and
organization at large.
JavaScript
Scripting
language uses a similar syntax as Java. However the programming
code (source code) is shown or embedded within an HTML document. It has
a more limited scope than Java and primarily deals with the elements on
the Web page itself.
JPEG
(Joint Photographic Experts Group)
n image
compression standard developed especially for use on the Internet. Most
photographic images can be highly compressed using this method, without
greatly diminishing image quality. The JPEG filename extension is
.jpg or .jpeg
Leased
Line
High-speed
telephone line that has been leased for private use. It is also called
a dedicated line.
Link
The
connection point of one Web page to another Web page.
Login
The
process of gaining access, or signing in, to a computer system, network,
Internet, etc.
MB (Megabyte)
The
unit of measurement for a thousand Kilobytes; a million bytes
MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)
A common
method for transmitting non-text files via Internet e-mail, e.g. images,
sounds, animations and other types of documents.
Mirror
site
An
alternate site that contains the same information.
Modem
(MODulator-DEModulator)
The
transmission of digital information over an analog phone line.
Mosaic
A Web
browser created by the University of Illinois National Center for Supercomputing
Applications (NCSA) in early 1993. It provides a GUI for accessing
data on the Web and caused interest in the World Wide Web to explode.
MPEG
(Motion Picture Experts Group)
Video
compression format used for movie or animation clips. MPEG filename
extension are .mpg or .mpeg.
Netiquette
(NETwork etIQUETTE)
Informal,
largely undocumented set of rules designed to make the Web a polite and
civilised 'society'.
Network
The
transmission channels interconnecting two or more computers and is able
to share resources.
NTP
(Network Time Protocol)
A protocol
used to synchronise the realtime clock in a computer.
Newsgroup
The
Internet's discussion area dedicated to a specific topic.
Newsreader
Program
that allows the user to read Newsgroup messages via Usenet.
NNTP
(Net News Transport Protocol)
The
protocol used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet. Usenet newsreaders
support the NNTP protocol.
Node
Any
single computer connected to a network.
Online
Available
for immediate use. Commonly refers to being connected to the Internet.
Page
A single
HTML document
PKZIP
or PKUNZIP
Compression
programs for DOS, Windows, OS/2 and VMS/VAX from PKWARE Inc. The filename
extension to compress and uncompress is the .zip.
Plug-ins
Plug-ins
are helper applications that allow you to view or listen to different types
of files that people place on their Web pages.
POP
(Post Office Protocol)
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.
Portal
A large
Web site that is designed to be an entryway into the World Wide Web that
offers various types of services. A one-stop web site.
PPP
(Point to Point Protocol)
A data
link protocol that provides dial up access connection to the Internet and
had been developed by Internet Engineering Task Force in 1991.
Protocol
Rules
governing transmitting and receiving of data
SGML
(Standard Generalized Markup Language)
An
ISO standard for defining the format in a text document. An SGML document
uses a separate Document Type Definition (DTD) file that defines the format
codes, or tags, embedded within it. Since SGML describes its own formatting,
it is known as a meta-language. SGML is a very comprehensive language that
includes hypertext links. The HTML format used on the Web is an SGML document
that uses a fixed set of tags.
Scripting
language
Series
of high-level programmed commands that designate to translate immediately
instead of compiled ahead of time. Most script language is not a
general-purpose programming language and is usually limited to specific
functions on an application or system program.
Self-extracting
archive
An
archived file with the filename extension .exe, indicating that when downloaded
and run, it will be extracted by the decompressing program around it, without
user intervention.
Server
The
main computer in a network shared by multiple users.
Service
Provider
An
organisation that provides some type of communications service such as
a telephone company or an Internet service provider (ISP).
Shareware
Trial
software that you can download for free. However, there will be a time
limit on the shareware. Hence it is designed to try some basic function
before buying the software. Shareware is copyrighted and should not be
resold to any party.
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.
SMTP
(Simple Mail Transport Protocol)
The
standard e-mail protocol on the Internet. It is designed to allow the delivery
of mail messages to Internet users.
Snail
Mail
The
conventional way of writing, posting your letters.
Surfing
A popular
metaphor used for describing someone exploring the World Wide Web.
T3
A 44.736
Mbps point-to-point dedicated line provided by the telephone companies.
Tag
A format
code used in a document language. Example: HTML tag, character tag,
paragraph tag.
TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
The
communication method or 'protocol' used by all computers on the Internet.
TCP/IP allows any computer to communicate with any other computer.
Telnet
A terminal
emulation protocol commonly used on the Internet and TCP/IP-based networks.
It allows a user at a terminal or computer to log onto a remote device
and run a program. Telnet was originally developed for ARPAnet and is an
inherent part of the TCP/IP communications protocol
Terabyte
1000
gigabytes
Thread
A topic
or theme in an Internet newsgroup or groupware program that generates on-going
e-mail from interested parties.
Timeout
The
intentional ending of an incomplete task. Timeouts are common in communications
applications in order to free up a line or port that is tied up with a
request that has not been answered in a reasonable amount of time.
Upload
Transmit
files off a local computer up to a specified computer.
URL
(Uniform Resource Locator)
The
address that defines the route to a file on the Web or any other Internet
facility. URLs are typed into the browser to access Web pages.
Usenet
(USEr NETwork)
A public
access network on the Internet that provides user news and group e-mail.
It is a giant, dispersed bulletin board that is maintained by volunteers
who provide news and mail feeds to other nodes.
Virus
A software
created to infect a computer or computers. After the virus code is written,
it is buried within an existing program. Once that program is executed,
the virus code is activated and attaches copies of itself to other programs
in the system. Infected programs copy the virus to other programs.
WAIS
(Wide Area Information Servers)
A database
on the Internet that contains indexes to documents that reside on the Internet.
Using the Z39.50 query language, text files can be searched based on keywords.
WAN
(Wide Area Network)
A communications
network that covers a wide geographic area, such as state or country.
WAP
(Wireless Application Protocol)
A set
of application programming interfaces (APIs) standard providing for cellular
phones, pagers and other handheld devices with secure access to e-mail
and text-based Web pages. WAP provides a complete environment for wireless
applications that includes a wireless counterpart of TCP/IP and a framework
for telephony integration such as call control and phone book access.
Web
Hosting
Placing
a Web page or Web site on a Web Server.
Web
Page
A page
in a World Wide Web document.
Web
site
A collection
of web pages developed by individuals or organisations. The objectives
of the development of these pages range from personal information to providing
a means for the public at large to know what products and services a particular
company provides.
Web
Server
A computer
system that provides all the Internet services : HTTP server (Web pages),
FTP server (file downloads), NNTP server (newsgroups) and SMTP server (mail
service). This computer system should also includes the hardware, operating
system, Web server software, TCP/IP protocols and the Web site content
(Web pages).
WinSock
(WINdows SOCKets)
A programming
interface (API) between a Windows application and the TCP/IP protocol.
World
Wide Web (The Web)
The
graphical portion of the Internet that lets you navigate by clicking on
links. An Internet facility that connects documents locally and remotely
with an easy, point and click interface to the largest collection of online
information in the world.
WWW
(www.)
The
www. prefix used on most Web addresses is actually the mnemonic name of
the Web server used at the Web site in order to provide a recognizable
address for everyone.
ZIP
Drive
A Disk
Drive developed by Iomega. Each disk is capable of storing 100 megabytes.
Very popular for backups
